A final walk at Forest Hills: Legentil closes out home career at Valspar Augusta Invitational

By Rodrigo Burgos Avila | Editor in chief

At Forest Hills Golf Club, the host Augusta University women’s golf team closed out more than just another tournament appearance at the Valspar Augusta Invitational, they marked the end of a home chapter for one of their own.

For senior Marine Legentil, the weekend represented her final home tournament in Augusta, bringing added meaning to each round on a familiar course.

After 36 holes, Augusta sat in sixth place, paced by Sara Adams, who led the Jaguars at 1-under-par and in 13th overall. Adams turned in rounds of 73 and 70, carding four birdies to just three bogeys, including a steady second round with only one dropped shot. Puntita Pawichai followed closely with rounds of 71-74 to sit at 1-over-par, while Legentil contributed a key counting score with rounds of 76-72, highlighted by six total birdies across the opening two rounds.

Freshman Danielle Higbee posted rounds of 77-76, while Sofia Valera added scores of 77-78 as Augusta remained in the middle of the pack behind a leaderboard led by Missouri, with Furman and Kentucky in contention.

The final round, however, proved difficult across the field.

Augusta finished eighth overall as no team managed to break par on Sunday. Missouri secured the team title despite a challenging round, followed by Furman and Kentucky. Georgia Southern posted the low round of the day with a 2-over-par score.

Pawichai finished as Augusta’s top performer, shooting a 73 in the final round to place tied for 14th at 2-over-par, including three birdies on Sunday. Legentil recorded a 76 in her final round at Forest Hills, navigating a card that included one birdie and five bogeys.

Adams and Valera each closed with rounds of 75, with Adams finishing with a 4-over-par total for the tournament in a tie for 21st. Although a senior, Adams may not have made her final appearance at Forest Hills, as she still has an additional year of eligibility and hopes to return for another season.

For Legentil, though, the final round marked the end of her time competing on her home course.

Her contributions went beyond the scorecard. From delivering counting rounds to providing experience in the lineup, Legentil has been a steady presence for Augusta throughout her career. Her performance this week, particularly a strong second round, reflected the consistency she brought to the program.

As the Jaguars turn their focus to the Coach Mo Classic in St. Augustine, Fla., the results from Forest Hills tell only part of the story. The tournament served as both competition and farewell, a final walk on familiar fairways for Legentil and a reminder of the legacy she leaves behind in Augusta.

Contact Rodrigo Burgos Avila at rburgosavila@augusta.edu.

Sara Adams (left) and Keira Gonzalez-McCarthy (right) first bump after Adam’s finishes a hole. At the top of the page, Marine Legentil chips on the course. (photos by Anna Biondolillo/the Bell Ringer)