TUNICA RESORTS, Miss. - Union University's Aubrey Payne added her name to the GSC and Union record books after winning the 2025 Gulf South Conference Women's Golf Individual Championship. Payne birdied her first hole of the tournament Thursday morning and led wire-to-wire to claim the title by six strokes. 

Payne said, "This is so surreal. I am honored to have won the (GSC) individual title. Even though it is an individual award, it would not have been possible without the support of my team and coaches. We have pushed each other all season to get better, and it paid off with us posting the highest team finish in the conference tournament in Union women's golf history. Being able to represent the team and Union University as the 2025 GSC Women's Individual Champion is such a privilege. I am so thankful that God led me to Union University and this team! I am so blessed to be able to play the game of golf!"

Payne became the first freshman to win the GSC Women's Golf individual title since 2016. She is also the first women's golf conference title for the Union women's program and the first GSC individual medalist for the men or women since the school joined the league in 2012-13. 

In Thursday's first round, Payne set a GSC First Round low score record with a 68, and versus par at 4-under. Her 68 tied the Union women's team record low round and was also the second-lowest round in GSC Women's Championship history. 

Friday's round brought sustained winds at 22 miles per hour, with gusts up to 33 mph. He shot a +6, but then came back in Saturday's final round with a 1-over par round. She started the final round on hole 10, going 2-over on the back nine. Payne improved as the day went along, posting a 1-under score on the final nine holes of the round with two birdies and a lone bogey on the ninth and finishing hole. 

Payne was the tournament's most consistent player all weekend, finishing third in par-3 scoring, second in par-4 scoring, and first in par-5 scoring. 

Union's team finished in fourth place after leading the event after the first round. Union was in second after round two. Union finished at +77 for the 3-round event. West Florida won its second consecutive team title with a +59 score. Montevallo (+71) was second, and Lee (+73) was third. 

For Union, the fourth-place finish is the highest team finish for Union women's team since becoming eligible for the championship in 2014-15.

Brooklyn Verdugo finished in 13th place at +23. Abigail Fernandez finished 16th (+24), Olivia Carroll 24th (+30), and Comille Burnette 30th (+37).

Montevallo's Fabiola DeCespedes finished second (+9), while Millie Thompson of West Florida was third (+11). 

The championship was played at the Tunica National Golf and Tennis Club, and featured eight teams with 40 golfers. 

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