AU's Pinillos wins Southland Conference championship
By Rodrigo Burgos-Avila | Sports writer
There is a new individual Southland Conference champion in town, and she did it with a smile on her face the entire way.
Zoe Pinillos etched her name into AU history earlier this week by capturing the Southland championship in dominant and consistent fashion, earning herself a spot in the NCAA Division I regionals. With nerves of steel, a strong start and a steady finish, Zoe began and the top and stayed at the top of the leaderboard.
“It was really exciting; I was super emotional at the end,” Pinillos said, still soaking in the moment after her final round on April 16.
From the first day at the 5,960-yard Kissing Tree Golf Course in San Marco, Texas, Pinillos came out swinging, racking up six birdies on opening day and carding a 2-under-par score to set the pace for the rest of the tournament. Day two brought just two birdies, but the Jaguar golfer held her ground and finished even for the day, staying at two under overall.
By the final round, the pressure started to quietly build, but she did not let it show.
“I didn’t know, so I was used to having fun the entire day,” she said, echoing the message AU Assistant Coach Alison Crenshaw always gives before a shot. “You got it, have fun with it!”
Pinillos, a sophomore from Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru, lived those words, smiling focused, and playing free.
She later found out she had a two-shot lead going into the final hole. With that bit of breathing room, she remained composed and calmly closed her round.
Another even-par day sealed the deal, and just like that, Pinillos was crowned the individual champion of the Southland Conference. Next stop: NCAA regionals.
Marie Baertz of East Texas A&M and Natcha Makmanee of Houston Christian finished tied for second two shots behind Pinillos.
This moment has been building up for months. From a strong showing at the Valspar Invitational to gaining valuable experience at the Annika Foundation’s More than Golf Invitational, Pinillos’ season has been one of steady growth and quiet momentum. Now it is all coming together, peaking at juts the right time.
Whether it was staying cool under pressure or leaning into the moment, Zoe showed exactly what it means to compete with confidence and joy, just like Coach Crenshaw always says: Have fun with it.
The AU women’s reign at the top of the Southland Conference ended, as Texas A&M Corpus-Christi captured the team title. The Jaguars, led by Pinillos, finished fourth.
Augusta had won three straight Southland titles, with Kennedy Carroll leading the Jags to an incredible 67-stroke victory last season for then coach Caroline Haase-Hegg’s team. AU made it to the East Lansing regionals last year and advanced to the nationals the previous year when Mirabel Ting became the program’s first all-American. Ting now plays at Florida State.
First-year AU coach Ember Holloway will accompany Pinillos to the regionals.
The NCAA Division selection day is April 23, and the regionals will be played May 5-7.
Contact Rodrigo Burgos-Avila at RBURGOSAVILA@augusta.edu.
Southland Conference champion Zoe Pinillos of Augusta University launches a tee shot. Pinillos shot even-par the last two days and 2-under-par for the opening round to earn the Southland crown. At the top of the page, Pinillos, who is from Peru, shows her form from the tee. (photos by Paula Toole/AU Athletics)
Zoe Pinillos used a deft putting stroke to capture the Southland Conference medalist crown with a 2-under-par score for the 54-hole championship at Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos, Texas. (photo by Paula Toole/AU Athletics)
