WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — On a day in which only one team (Tulsa at 14-over) shot any round lower than 23-over par, the 10th-ranked LSU women’s golf team was able to get through the round with a score that would put them in sixth place and advance the Lady Tigers to a fourth consecutive NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships.
The Division I championships are scheduled for May 22-25 at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., outside Orlando.
The Lady Tigers will be joined by Tulsa, Purdue, Texas, New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, Kent and California from the Central Regional.
Those teams advancing from the East and West Regionals include: (East) Duke, Auburn, Georgia, South Florida, New Mexico, South Carolina, San Jose State and Pepperdine; (West) Arizona, Stanford, Michigan State, UCLA, Ohio State, Arizona State, Washington and Southern Cal.
“These scores are absolutely unbelievable,” said LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen at midafternoon when it became apparent that LSU’s 30-over 318 would be one of the better scores on the final day. “The wind has blown 30-miles per hour from the North all day and it is bitterly cold. If you weren’t here, you wouldn’t believe what these teams are facing.”
Seven of the eight teams in qualifying positions were able to hold the spots in the final round with Tulsa finishing at 40-over 904. They were followed by Purdue (906), Texas (910), Oklahoma State and New Mexico State (925), with LSU in sixth at 64 over 928. Kent State took the seventh position at 932.
Oklahoma and Baylor entered the final day tied for eighth, but California with a 319 round moved up to the eighth spot with a 76-over 940, four shots better than Oklahoma.
“I am so proud of the girls for getting through this,” said Karen Bahnsen. “These are eight good teams that qualified here. They have to be to get through three days under very tough conditions. We’ve extended our streak of going to the championships for another year and now we want to continue our top 10 streak in the tournament.”
LSU, since 1986, in its last five appearances in the Division I Championships, has finished in the top 10 each year.
Alabama and Florida from the SEC both failed to advance with Florida finishing 11th with an 86-over total of 950, while Alabama came in 15th at 965 (101-over par).
NCAA CENTRAL WOMEN’S REGIONAL GOLF
AT WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.
TEAM RESULTS (Par 288 – 864)
(Top 8 teams qualify for nationals)
1. Tulsa 300-291-313 — 904 +40
2. Purdue 295-300-311 — 906 +42
3. Texas 298-310-302 — 910 +46
4. Oklahoma State 304-295-326 — 925 +61
4. New Mexico State 303-299-323 — 925 +61
6. LSU 305-305-318 — 928 +64
7. Kent State 299-309-324 — 932 +68
8. California 309-312-319 — 940 +76
9. Oklahoma 314-306-324 — 944 +80
10. Nebraska 319-306-321 — 946 +82
11. Florida 312-311-327 — 950 +86
12. Baylor 309-311-334 — 954 +90
13. Central Florida 317-314-324 — 955 +91
14. Texas A&M 324-309-330 — 963 +99
15. Alabama 317-313-335 — 965 +101
16. Minnesota 318-325-325 — 969 +104
17. San Francisco 330-315-331 — 976 +112
18. Idaho 319-331-329 — 979 +115
19. Texas Tech 319-340-334 — 993 +129
20. Princeton 321-327-347 — 995 +131
21. Oral Roberts 333-335-347 — 1015 +151
Individual Top 10 (Par 72-216)
1 Kari Damron Purdue 71-74-71 — 216 E
2 Stacy Prammanasudh Tulsa 70-72-76 — 218 +2
3 Kristin Dufour Texas 73-77-72 — 222 +6
4 Martina Gillen Kent State 74-77-73 — 224 +8
4. Linda Wessberg Okla. St. 71-74-79 — 224 +8
4. Suzie Fisher Tulsa 72-73-79 — 224 +8
7 Heather Zielinski Purdue 72-71-82 — 225 +9
8 Jessica Reese Texas 74-77-75 — 226 +10
8. Sarah Sasse Nebraska 76-72-78 — 226 +10
8. Vikki Laing California 72-73-81 — 226 +10
LSU Scores
t11 Meredith Duncan 75-77-76 — 228 +12
t21 Lindy Hitdlebaugh 78-73-83 — 234 +18
t21 Katy Harris 77-77-80 — 234 +18
t41 Lesley McClurg 75-84-79 — 238 +22
t67 Isabel Dornellas 83-78-83 — 244 +28