BROWNS SUMMITT, N.C. — The LSU women’s golf team played steady golf Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Women’s East Regional Tournament, taking what the Bryan Park Champions Course was giving and making sure that there wasn’t much given back when it comes to par.
LSU posted a team score of even par round of 288 and stands in a tie for first place with California in the tournament that has a finish in the top eight or the season is over format. The top eight teams will advance to the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship in Columbus, Ohio, May 23-26.
“I told the girls to enjoy it,” said LSU coach Karen Bahnsen of the tie for the lead. “But we need to keep the same feeling and attitude (Friday). You don’t have the pressure in this position of feeling like you must fight to keep up, but you must keep plugging along. Nothing really changes or should change when you play from in front.”
In the first round of the 2006 NCAA Women’s Golf East Regional, the ninth-seeded LSU Lady Tigers made a 26-shot improvement from an injury-riddled first round at the same course 42 days ago. Here’s the round comparison:
LSU Golfer
March 31
May 11
Difference
78
71
-7
78
73
-5
79
70
-9
79
74
-5
79
74
-5
TEAM
LSU was the ninth seed in the 21-team East Regional field, one of three regional tournaments being held this weekend around the country to set the national field, and California the five seed. Several teams outside the top eight hold the eight qualifying positions after one round as a few faltered in overcast, somewhat windy, but dry conditions on the par 72 layout which plays for the tournament at 6,386 yards, but appeared to have several tees moved up in anticipation of stormy weather which never materialized until late in the round.
While top seed Arizona State faltered to a 19-over 307, the SEC was looking good after the first round as third-seed Tennessee is third at 4-over 292 with second-seed Auburn another shot back at 293 in fourth. There was a four-way tie for sixth through ninth after one round with South Carolina, North Carolina, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest at 8-over 296.
LSU’s best round of the season away from its home course (LSU shot 287 in the final round of the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic in March) was a model of consistency as LSU’s four counting scores turned at even par and played the final nine holes in even par as well. It was the type of play Bahnsen has been looking for from her team and beginning to see in the last two tournaments of the year.
“We played with the right mindset and the players were mentally into the round from beginning to end,” said Bahnsen, who has taken LSU to NCAA regional play 12 of the last 14 years. All five players kept the game plan in mind and were really focused. We’ve been drilling this team very hard about focusing on the target. No group works any harder than these players. It’s all a matter of trusting themselves.”
Melissa Eaton, who has led the Tigers just about all season long, was again on top of her game with a 2-under 70, which stands one shot out of the individual lead held by Jenny Suh of Alabama who fired a 3-under 69. Also at 2-under with the LSU junior from South Africa are Mandy Goins of Wake Forest, Lauren Smith of Augusta State and Marci Turner of Tennessee.
Several other players shot 1-under par 71, including sophomore Rebecca Kuhn, who equaled her low round of the season.
LSU also counted a 1-over 73 from Caroline Martens, while both Alexis Rather and Kim Meck posted 2-over 74s.
The Lady Tigers returned to a course just six weeks after a 17th place finish on the Champions Course in the Bryan National Collegiate. But the Tigers played that weekend with two sick players and one with an injured ankle. Even though the scores were not good, Bahnsen sees it now as an advantage to have a few rounds over the course.
“It’s a big difference,” said Bahnsen. “It’s not necessarily in the playing or how we played that weekend, but just seeing the course and getting a feel for it. It was a big boost.”
It marks the seventh time in school history that the LSU women’s golf team posted a round of even-par or lower and it marks the lowest round LSU has shot in an NCAA Regional Tournament. The previous low was in 1999 when the Lady Tigers shot 292 in the second round of the East Regional in Columbia, S.C.
The Tigers will have a fairly good idea of their situation as they enter the second round Friday. LSU will tee off in the afternoon wave, playing holes 10-18 first, beginning at 11:30 a.m. CDT. The lower seeded teams will play in the morning as each team gets a morning and afternoon start in the first two rounds before teams are put in tee time position by the standings for Saturday’s final 18 holes. Bahnsen knows there is still a lot of golf to be played.
“Doing it once is good, so now we have to do it again,” she said. With that she was back on the practice putting green, working with her players to prepare for Friday’s round.
Live scoring for the event can be found at www.golfstat.com.
Individual Top 5 (Par 72)
1. Jenny Suh, Alabama, 69 -3; 2. Melissa Eaton, LSU, 70 -2; 2. Mandy Goins, Wake Forest, 70 -2; 2. Marci Turner, Tennessee, 70 -2; 2. Lauren Smith, Augusta State, 70 -2.
LSU Scores
T2. Melissa Eaton 70 -2
T6. Rebecca Kuhn 71 -1
T24. Caroline Martens 73 +1
T31. Alexis Rather 74 +2
T31. Kim Meck 74 +2
The top 8 teams advance to the NCAA Championships
(Ties will be resolved)
NCAA East Regional
Bryan Park Golf Course
First-Round Results
May 11, 2006
Team
1
2
3
To Par
1. LSU
288
E
1. California
288
E
3. Tennessee
292
+4
4. Auburn
293
+5
5. Alabama
295
+7
t6. South Carolina
296
+8
t6. Vanderbilt
296
+8
t6. Wake Forest
296
+8
t6. North Carolina
296
+8
10. Florida State
297
+9
11. Furman
298
+10
t12. North Carolina St.
303
+15
t12. Virginia
303
+15
14. Maryland
305
+17
15. Arizona State
307
+19
t16. Augusta State
308
+20
t16. Campbell
308
+20
t16. Yale
308
+20
19. Charleston
309
+21
t20. East Carolina
313
+25
t20. Mississippi State
313
+25
NCAA Central Regional
Traditions Golf Club
First-Round Results
May 11, 2006
Team
1
2
3
To Par
1. Southern California
293
+5
2. Duke
294
+6
3. Florida
301
+13
4. Pepperdine
303
+15
5. Michigan State
306
+18
6. Northwestern
308
+20
t7. Ohio State
309
+21
t7. Kent State
309
+21
9. Texas
311
+23
10. Nebraska
313
+25
11. Oklahoma State
314
+26
12. Southern Methodist
316
+28
t13. Texas A&M
318
+30
t13. Baylor
318
+30
t15. TCU
319
+31
t15. Tulsa
319
+31
17. Missouri
320
+32
18. Birmingham-Southern
327
+39
19. Jacksonville St.
335
+47
20. Jackson State
343
+55
21. St. Francis ( Pa.)
355
+67
NCAA West Regional
Washington National Golf Club
First-Round Results
May 11, 2006
Team
1
2
3
To Par
t1. UCLA
288
E
t1. Washington
288
E
3. Purdue
289
+1
4. Georgia
296
+8
5. Arkansas
299
+11
6. UC Irvine
301
+13
t7. Stanford
303
+15
t7. Arizona
303
+15
t7. New Mexico State
303
+15
10. UNLV
304
+16
11. San Jose State
305
+17
12. Oregon State
306
+18
t13. New Mexico
307
+19
t13. Brigham Young
307
+19
t13. Long Beach State
307
+19
16. Georgia State
308
+20
17. Oral Roberts
317
+29
18. Washington State
320
+32
19. Denver
323
+35
20. Bradley
326
+38
21. Montana
330
+42
LSU’s All-Time NCAA Regional Appearances
2006 East
Browns Summitt, N.C.; Bryan Park Golf Club
2005 East
LSU – 10th (917)
Auburn – 1st (896)
Lubbock, Texas; Rawls Course
2004 East
LSU – 12th (930)
Duke – 1st (869)
Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla.; El Campeon Course
2002 East
LSU – 12th (898)
Duke – 1st (859)
Baton Rouge, La.; University Club
2001 Central
LSU – 6th (928)
Tulsa – 1st (904)
West Lafayette, Ind.; Birch Boilermaker
2000 East
LSU – 5th (903)
Duke – 1st (897)
Columbus, Ohio; Scarlet Course
1999 East
LSU – 3rd (893)
Georgia – 1st (884)
Columbia, S.C.; University Club
1998 East
LSU – 3rd (904)
Georgia – 1st (882)
Durham, N.C.; Duke Golf Club
1997 East
LSU – 12th (967)
Ohio St. – 1st (937)
Bloomington, Ill.; Prairie Vista
1996 East
LSU – 7th (925)
Duke – 1st (905)
Opelika, Ala.; Grand National Lakes
1995 East
LSU – 17th (938)
Wake Forest -1st (890)
Bartlett, Tenn.; Quail Ridge
1993 East
LSU – 15th (946)
Georgia – 1st (897)
Baton Rouge, La.; Santa Maria