For women’s golf coach Kelley Hester, it’s hard to be upset when you shoot three-under-par as a team for two days, even if that total was only good enough to place ninth out of 16 teams Sunday at the Mason Rudolph Championship at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn.

After Saturday’s second round was cancelled due to heavy rain, the Lady Dogs fired an even-par 288 on Sunday, leaving them 13 shots behind winner Southern California and a little disappointed that they didn’t have another round to prove what they could do.

“We would have liked to have gotten three rounds in. I felt like we played pretty well, but we didn’t make a lot of birdie putts,” Hester said.

“It’s hard to feel discouraged with three-under-par after two rounds, but ninth isn’t much fun. Maybe with another round we could have moved up a little bit and made a few more putts.”

Freshman Emilie Burger continued to prove herself as a true freshman, posting her second consecutive top-10 finish with a tie for seventh at 5-under-par 139, following rounds of 69 and 70, respectively.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Burger said. “It is a lot of hard work paid off, so I’m just excited to come in and start as well as I have.”

Hester added of her star freshman: “She got here and was ready to go. She just continues to play good golf and what is also really encouraging is that she seems to finish rounds strong. She finished with an eagle Friday and a birdie today, so shes a lot of fun to watch.”

Equally promising as Burger’s play, for Hester, was the emergence and improved play of freshman Kendall Wright, who shot rounds of 73 and 71, respectively, for a tie for 30th at even-par 144.

“She had a lesson in the rain on the Sunday before we left, and I think that really helped her with her iron play,” Hester said. “It is still not quite where she wants it, but it’s a great improvement.”

Georgia will be back in action this weekend as they take on the Eat A Peach Collegiate in Macon.