KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The ninth-ranked LSU women’s golf team finished the fourth Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championship where it started in fourth place after Sunday’s final round and Meredith Duncan and Katy Harris both finished in the top six in the individual results.
Duncan, a junior from Shreveport, and Harris, a senior from South Bend, Ind., carried the Tigers on the final day. Duncan was unable to sustain her first two days play, shooting a 6-over 78, to fall from first to fourth at 6-over 222 (73-71-78).
Harris had the third lowest round of her career on the final day on the Gettysvue Polo, Golf and Country Club, posting a 3-under par round of 69. Harris moved to from 20th to 6th in the final standings, at 7-over 223 (78-76-69).
For Duncan, it was her 11th career top 10 finish, while Harris upped her top 10 total for her illustrious career to 13. Both have had two top 10 finishes in the fall three events.
LSU had to count two 80-plus scores in the team total and shot 23-over 311, but remained in fourth, tying with Purdue for the position at 56-over par 920. Duke went wire-to-wire to win the event with a 26-over 890, 10 shots clear of Tennessee at 900. Northwestern University took third at 903.
It was three shots back from LSU and Purdue to TCU in sixth at 923.
Lindy Hitdlebaugh, the junior from Gretna, finished in a tie for 34th at 19-over 235 (76-77-82) and the other counting score came from Lesley McClurg, the senior from Redmond, Wash., with an 82 (77-81-82 — 240, tie 48th).
“Meredith and Katy had outstanding tournaments for us,” said LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen. “I thought we did some good things this weekend. We started good, but didn’t finish as a team as well as I would have liked to. Fourth in this field is good, but we know we now have a couple of weeks to come home and do some work on some problems we had here before two very important tournaments to close the fall season.”
In November, LSU will go to the Golf World/Palmetto Dunes event in Hilton Head, S.C., and participate in the College Golf Foundation Match Play Championships in Florida.
Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championship
Gettysvue Polo, Golf and Country Club
Knoxville, Tenn.
Final Team Results (288-876)
1. Duke 300-297-293 — 890 +26; 2. Tennessee 302-297-301 — 900 +36; 3. Northwestern 308-293-302 — 903 +39; 4. LSU 304-305-311 — 920 +56; 4. Purdue 303-310-307 — 920 +56; 6. TCU 311-310-302 — 923 +59; 7. Vanderbilt 318-307-307 — 932 +68; 8. Swedish Jr. National Team 307-312-314 — 933 +69; 9. North Carolina 323-308-309 — 940 +76; 10. New Mexico State 314-313-317 — 944 +80; 11. Mississippi State 319-314-318 — 951 +87; 12. Furman 324-316-315 — 955 +91; 13. Arkansas 326-315-319 — 960 +96; 14. Kentucky 325-322-322 — 969 +105; 15. Mississippi 331-319-330 — 980 +116.
Individual Top 5 (Par 72-216)
1. V. Nirapathpongporn, Duke 76-70-69 — 215 -1; 2. Young-A Yang, Tennessee, 73-73-71 — 217 +1; 3. Candy Hannemann, Duke, 73-73-75 — 221 +5; 4. Christie Hermes, Northwestern, 72-72-78 — 222 +6; 4. Meredith Duncan, LSU, 73-71-78 — 222 +6.
LSU Results
t4. Meredith Duncan 73-71-78 — 222 +6
6. Katy Harris 78-76-69 — 223 +7
t34. Lindy Hitdlebaugh 76-77-82 — 235 +19
t48. Lesley McClurg 77-81-82 — 240 +24
t71. Devon Day 88-84-85 — 257 +41