KNOXVILLE, TENN. — The 10th-ranked LSU women’s golf moved up from seventh to a tie for fourth place after the second 18 holes here Saturday of the Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championships at the Cherokee Country Club.
The Lady Tigers shot one of just four rounds under 300 on the day, a 13-over 297, to finish 36 holes at 31-over par 599 on the par 71, team par 284, course. LSU pulled up into a tie four fourth with SEC-rivals Arkansas and Tennessee and the trio of teams is just one shot out of third place, held by Kent State at 30-over 598.
Ohio State is the leader after 36 holes, shooting a three-over 287 on Saturday to stand at 12-over 580 with Tulane in second at 21-over 589 before the bunch of in third and the tie for fourth that involves LSU.
The big rounds for LSU on the second day came from senior Brooke Shelton with a one-over 72 and sophomore Melissa Eaton, who posted a two-over 73. For Eaton, the two-day total of five-over 147 is good enough for a spot in the top 10 as she moves from her starting spot of 18th place on Friday to a tie for ninth entering Sunday’s final round. Shelton improved four shots from Friday’s first round and she is tied for 12th at six-over 148, a move of 23 spots on the leader board.
LSU’s other counting scores were a four-over 75 from junior Vicky Meyer and a six-over 77 from sophomore Nicola Eaton.
“Placement on the green is so important on this course,” LSU coach Karen Bahnsen said of the venerable Donald Ross design. “If you are on the wrong side of the green, you could be faced with a putt with several yards of break. We were so close to having a really good round (Saturday), but we did a good job grinding it out and hanging in there and making a move up in the standings.”
The individual leader is Tennessee’s Violeta Retamoza who fired a three-under 68 to move from a tie for ninth to first at two-under 140 (72-68). She is one shot ahead of Lindsay Knowlton of Ohio State (72-69) and Alison Walshe of Tulane (71-70) at one-under 141.
The final round is set for Sunday morning.
Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championship
Team Results (par 284-568)
1. Ohio State 293-287 — 580 +12; 2. Tulane 298-291 — 589 +21; 3. Kent State 296-302 — 598 +30; 4. LSU 302-297 — 599 +31; 4. Tennessee 309-290 — 599 +31; 4. Arkansas 289-310 — 599 +31; 7. Tulsa 297-306 — 603 +35; Swedish Jr. National 302-304 — 606 +38; 9. Northwestern State 299-309 — 608 +40; 10. Purdue 303-311 — 614 +46; 11. Michigan State 303-312 — 615 +47; 12. Kentucky 307-311 — 618 +50; 12. Virginia 311-307 — 618 +50; 14. NC Wilmington 320-303 — 623 +55; 15. Alabama 314-312 — 626 +58; 16. Penn State 321-309 — 630 +62; 17. James Madison 321-314 — 635 +67.
Individual Top 5 (Par 71-142)
1. Violeta Retamoza, Tennessee, 72-68 — 140 -2; 2. Lindsay Knowlton, Ohio State, 72-69 — 141 -1; 2. Alison Walshe, Tulane, 71-70 — 141 -1; 4. Ina Kim, Northwestern, 71-71 — 142 E; 5. Dana Je, Ohio State, 71-72 — 143 +1.
LSU Scores
T9. Melissa Eaton 74-73 — 147 +5
T12. Brooke Shelton 76-72 — 148 +6
T24. Vicky Meyer 75-75 — 150 +8
T42. Nicola Eaton 77-77 — 154 +12
T53. Rebecca Kuhn 78-78 — 156 +14