SUWANEE, Ga. -- For a third time this season, LeTourneau women's golf junior Kinley Pessel was named the SCAC Golfer of the Week, the conference announced on Wednesday.

Pessel earned the award twice in the fall. She is the first LeTourneau women's golfer to collect three conference weekly awards in the same season since LeTourneau Hall of Famer Leslie Lee achieved the feat in 2011.

A junior from Marshall, Texas, Pessel picked up her third tournament title of the season and the 40th-ranked LeTourneau women's golf team opened the spring schedule with a second-place finish at the Crusader Cup. It was her third tournament title in four events on the year. 

Pessel won with a 16-over, 160 (76-84) to finish seven shots ahead of second place Kendall Ward of Our Lady of the Lake. Pessel had a round of 76 on Monday with four birdies -- including back-to-back birdies to open the round. She carded an 84 on Tuesday with a pair of birdies.

Pessel was the top player in the field in par-3 scoring (3.10), par-5 scoring (4.90, 1-under), and led the field with six birdies for the tournament.

On the year, Pessel leads LeTourneau in scoring average at 74.44 across nine rounds and four tournaments. 

LeTourneau returns to action on March 9-10 with the FST Crossing Creeks Invitational, hosted by the YellowJackets at Crossing Creeks Country Club in Longview.

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