BROWNS SUMMITT, N.C. — The hugs and smiles shared by the LSU Lady Tigers golf team at the end of the final round of play Saturday said so much about what they accomplished.
Even the few tears shed by coach Karen Bahnsen said everything that needed to be said about the journey the LSU women’s golf team took to advance back to the NCAA Division I National Championships.
For the first time since 2001, the Lady Tigers are back in the final 24 advancing to the championships in Columbus, Ohio, May 23-26, after finishing second in the NCAA Division I East Women’s Regional at the Bryan Park Champions Course on Saturday.
LSU posted what may have to go down as one of their best post-season performances ever by shooting rounds of 288-288-294 for a 6-over total of 870. That is the second lowest 54-hole total in school women’s golf history (since 1979) and the lowest total away from LSU’s home course, the University Club.
It also marks LSU best finish in an NCAA regional after two third place finishes in 1998 and 1999. The 870 total bests the previous lowest 54-hole LSU regional total by 23 shots (LSU shot 893 in finishing third in 1999 at Columbia, S.C.).
Bahnsen, in her 22nd year as the head coach and a member of the program since its inception as its first recruit, has taken six teams to the championships since 1986 with five top-10 finishes. But after 2001, when LSU finished 12th in the NCAA Championships, the Lady Tigers failed to qualify in regionals at the University Club in Baton Rouge in 2002. LSU didn’t even make the field in 2003, finished 12th in 2004 and last year suffered an agonizing finish of being two shots out of advancement.
Bahnsen knew her LSU team would get back again, but when, how and who would be there players to do it were the questions in her mind. Her team battled through a disjointed fall semester with hurricanes and school while trying to find the combination that could work together well enough to score consistently. Finally, in mid-April at the SEC Championships, the combination came together.
“I’m really proud of the girls,” Bahnsen said. “They fought so hard. They have grown so much, overcoming a lot of obstacles and developing truly into a team. The biggest thing was at times we were just trying too hard. We worked with them to understand they had to trust it.”
This final round Saturday was one of trust and again finding the shots when needed. After finding lots of birdies the first two rounds, the cup wasn’t as receptive as LSU birdied just eight holes in its counting four scores. This while everyone around them seemed to get off to better starts making it seem like the number for the eighth and final qualifying spot would go lower not higher.
But after falling as far as third behind both Tennessee and California with Florida State and Auburn trying to surge past them as well, LSU really settled in and the four counting scores of Caroline Martens, Alexis Rather, Melissa Eaton and Kim Meck played the last four holes in two under par with Martens getting a birdie on the par-4 15th and Eaton a birdie on the par-4 17th. The rest of the scores for LSU were all pars over those holes, pushing LSU back into second.
“This team has lots of talent and lots of heart,” said Bahnsen. “In the middle of the round, they got a little tight because they have never really been in this position before. But they showed they had the ability to finish it off. It’s a wonderful thing the way this team has come together in the last few tournaments.
Tennessee, with a two under 286 final round, won the regional with an even-par score of 864, six shots ahead of LSU. California finished third at 10-over par 874. Florida State and Arizona State tied for fourth at 14-over 878, with Auburn one shot back in sixth.
Martens’ final round 73 and her two-under finish of 214 put her in fifth place, the freshman’s third top 10 and best finish of the season. LSU also counted an even par 72 from Meck, a 74 from Eaton and a 75 from Rather.
In the first eight tournaments of the year, the LSU lineup averaged a score of 303.8 a round and in the last nine rounds with this lineup, the Lady Tigers are averaging 296 and because of scores like that have one more tournament to play in this 2006 season.
The Lady Tigers were scheduled to return home late Saturday night and some members of the team would finish up final exams Monday and then prepare for the national championships with the first of two practice rounds over the newly renovated Scarlet Course at The Ohio State University set for Sunday.
NCAA Women’s East Regional
Final Team Results (Par 288-864)
Top 8 advance to NCAA Women’s National Championships (Note Alabama wins a one-hole playoff for eighth place).
1. Tennessee 292-286-286 — 864 E; 2. LSU 288-288-294 — 870 +6; 3. California 288-295-291 — 874 +10; 4. Florida State 297-289-292 — 878 +14; 4. Arizona State 307-284-287 — 878 +14; 6. Auburn 293-301-285 — 879 +15; 7. Wake Forest 296-293-294 — 883 +19; 8. Virginia 303-293-291 — 887 +23; 8. Alabama 295-293-299 — 887 +23; 10. North Carolina 296-296-297 — 889 +25; 11. Augusta State 308-293-290 — 891 +27; 11. Vanderbilt 296-300-295 — 891 +27; 13. South Carolina 296-297-304 –897 +33; 14. Maryland 305-294-299 — 898 +34; 15. Charleston 309-292-298 — 899 +35; 16. North Carolina State 303-301-302 — 906 +42; 17. Furman 298-308-304 — 910 +46; 18. Campbell 308-302-301 — 911 +47; 19. East Carolina 313-295-308 — 916 +52; 20. Yale 308-296-315 — 919 +55; 21. Mississippi State 313-304-308 — 925 +61.
Individual Top 5 (Par 72-216)
1. Marci Turner, Tennessee 70-70-69 — 209 -7; 2. ALissa Kuczka, Arizona State 75-68-68 — 211 -5; 3. Mandy Goins, Wake Forest 70-70-73 — 213 -3; 3. Caroline Westrup, Florida State, 71-72-70 — 213 -3; 5. Caroline Martens, LSU, 73-68-73 — 214 -2.
LSU Scores
5. Caroline Martens 73-68-73 — 214 -2
T20. Melissa Eaton 70-76-74 — 220 +4
T20. Rebecca Kuhn 71-71-78 — 220 +4
T26. Kim Meck 74-75-72 — 221 +5
T35. Alexis Rather 74-74-75 — 223 +7
NCAA Championship Field
East Region:
1. Tennessee
2. LSU
3. California
4. Florida State
5. Arizona State
6. Auburn
7. Wake Forest
8. Alabama
Individuals:
1. Lauren Smith, Augusta State
2. Leah Wigger, Virginia
Central Region:
1. Southern California
2. Duke
3. Pepperdine
4. Florida
5. Oklahoma State
6. Texas A&M
7. Kent State
8. Nebraska
Individuals:
1. Devan Andersen, Texas
2. Julia Best, Texas
West Region:
1. Purdue
2. UCLA
3. Washington
4. Stanford
5. Georgia
6. UNLV
7. Arizona
8. Arkansas
Individuals:
1. Rachel Newren, Brigham Young
2. Joanna Klatten, Georgia State