GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 12th-ranked LSU women’s golf team was hoping for one more day of magic to walk away with the Southeastern Conference Women’s Golf Championship here Sunday at the University of Florida Golf Course.
Over the previous six rounds, dating back to the last in Hawaii at the end of March (along with three rounds in the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic and the first two here), the Tigers had been just a combined 7-over par. LSU, entering the final day of the SEC, was at even par, four shots ahead of Georgia and nine ahead of South Carolina in looking for its first SEC title since 1992.
But every where the Tigers found themselves on the greens Sunday in the majority of the round, they couldn’t find a cup big enough to let the ball drop into. LSU missed several key putts early in the round which allowed Georgia to make up the four shot difference and take the lead after the eighth hole of play.
LSU would fall down by as much as seven shots midway through the back nine, would rally to within three, but when the flag was placed back in the 18th hole after the final group, Georgia would win the title by five shots over the Tigers.
LSU posted a 13-over 301 on the day to finish at 13-over par 877. Georgia posted a final day score of 4-over 292, giving them a 54-hole winning total of 8-over 872. For the Tigers it marked the fifth time in six years to finish as the runner-up by a combined total of 21 strokes.
The good news for LSU is that senior Katy Wilkinson, stuck at 1-over par for her round most of the day, got two late birdies to finish at 1-under 71, giving her a 3-day total of 6-under par 210 (74-65-71). That was good enough for second in the individual race behind Kristy McPherson of South Carolina who posted rounds of 67-70-70 to finish at 9-under 207.
For Harris, the 54-hole total is the lowest in LSU history by two shots, besting the 212 by Ashley Winn in the Rainbow Wahine in 1998. Harris had shot 213 in finishing second two weeks ago in the LSU/Cleveland Classic. The present season and career stroke average leader for the Tigers had her 19th career top 10 finish, putting her third all-time at LSU.
Harris, with just a maximum of two tournaments to play, again fell just short in her quest to win her first collegiate title. The 1998 All-American and a top candidate again this year, posted her sixth career runner-up finish.
“We did everything we could do but put it in the hole,” said an obviously disappointed Coach Karen Bahnsen. “We played some good shots in the fairway and to the green, but just couldn’t make a putt for the longest time in the round. The girls were trying to get it done, but then on the back nine, they knew the situation and began to press a bit and that hurt us. It’s painful to finish second again, but I’m still proud of how this team has been playing and I know that makes us eager to play again next month at the NCAA Regionals.
LSU’s Meredith Duncan and Isbael Donellas each posted 3-under 75s for theTigers and used an 80 by Lindy Hitdlebaugh as the final counting score. It marked the first time in nine rounds that LSU had to use an 80 as a counting score. Duncan finished 54 holes with a 2-over 218, tied for sixth, the second consecutive top 10 SEC finish for the Shreveport native. Donellas, in her first SECs, finished in a tie for 14th.
The Tigers now wait for the expected bid from the NCAA for the Regional competition, this year broken down in three groups for the first time. The Tigers will be sent to either North Carolina for the East Regional, Purdue for the Central Regional or Portland for the West Regional May 10-12 as LSU tries to advance to the NCAA Division I Championships for the fourth consecutive year.
SEC Women’s Golf Championships
Gainesville, Fla.
Team Results (Par 288-864)
1. Georgia 290-290-292 — 872 +8; 2. LSU 287-289-301 — 877 +13; 3. Auburn 294-300-293 — 887 +23; 3. South Carolina 295-290-302 — 887 +23; 5. Florida 290-303-298 — 891 +27; 6. Tennessee 302-293-302 — 897 +33; 7. Alabama 302-296-307 — 905 +41; 8. Vanderbilt 301-299-308 — 908 +44; 9. Ole Miss 314-308-315 — 937 +73; 10. Kentucky 323-304-313 — 940 +76; 11. Miss. State 317-307-317 — 941 +77; 12. Arkansas 315-321-307 — 943 +79.
Individual Top 15 (Par 72-216)
1. Kristy McPherson, South Carolina 67-70-70 — 207 -9
2. Katy Harris, LSU, 74-65-71 — 210 -6
3. Reilley Rankin, Georgia, 70-74-70 — 214 -2
3. Summer Sirmons, Georgia, 73-69-72 — 214 -2
5. Celeste Troche, Auburn, 70-73-72 — 215 -1
6. Meredith Duncan, LSU, 71-72-75 — 218 +2
6. Laura Henderson, Georgia, 69-74-75 — 218 +2
8. Paula Carter, Alabama, 74-72-73 — 219 +3
8. Amanda Dick, Florida, 72-75-72 — 219 +3
10. Young-A Yang, Tennessee, 73-72-75 — 220 +4
10. Brittany Straza, Florida, 70-74-76 — 220 +4
12. Courtney Swaim, Auburn, 75-73-73 — 221 +5
12. Anna Knutsson, Miss. St. 77-71-73 — 221 +5
14. Nicki Cutler, Vanderbilt, 76-71-76 — 223 +7
14. Isabel Dornellas, LSU, 73-75-75 — 223 +7
LSU SCORES
2. Katy Harris 74-65-71 — 210 -6
t6. Meredith Duncan 71-72-75 — 218 +2
t14. Isabel Dornellas 73-75-75 — 223 +7
t41. Lesley McClurg 69-81-84 — 234 +18
t44. Lindy Hitdlebaugh 78-77-80 — 235 +19