AUBURN, Ala. — LSU junior golfer Rebecca Kuhn posted a strong finishing round of one-under 71 to finish in a tie for fourth Sunday in the rain-shortened Auburn Tiger-Derby Classic at the University Club of Yarbrough Farms.
Kuhn posted four birdies and three bogeys over the par 72 course to follow Saturday’s four-over 76 to finish the 36-hole event at 3-over par 147.
Kuhn entered the final round in a tie for 12th. Marisa Milligan of Auburn won the event at 1-over par for the tournament after shooting rounds of 74-71 for a total of 145. Two other golfers, Nicole Hage of Auburn and Lauren Hunt of North Carolina, shot 2-over totals of 146.
For Kuhn it was her fifth top-10 finish of her college career.
LSU as a team shot 17-over 305 for the second straight days and a couple of late bogeys dropped LSU out of the third spot it held after the first round to a final finish of a tie for fifth. The Lady Tigers were in a battle all day with seven teams that were trying to get the second spot in the tournament behind eventual winner, the host Auburn Tigers, who ran away from the competition on the second day.
LSU posted a 36-hole total of 34-over 610, tied for fifth with both Florida and South Carolina. Auburn, in second after the first 18 holes, posted a final round of three-over 291 to finish the event at 18-over 594 to win by
12 shots over Alabama as the Tide made a late surge to finish at 30-over par 606. Alabama was two shots clear of Tennessee at 32-over in third, with first-round leader North Carolina falling to fourth at 33-over 609.
“We weren’t able to make some things happen for us when we had the chances,” said LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen. “But the team had the opportunity to experience what it was like to be right in the middle of things and we need to take that to Orlando this coming weekend and learn from that. In the match play event, every hole is important for the team and we have to play it just that way, one hole at a time and treat each one as a separate event.”
LSU will take part in the prestigious Hooters National Match Play Championship, presented by the National Golf Coaches Association, beginning Friday in Orlando, Fla. LSU is the 12th-seed in the 16-team event and will meet fifth-seed Wake Forest in the opening round match on Friday.
Auburn Tigers-Derby Classic
Final Team Results (Par 288-576)
1. Auburn 303-291 — 594 +18; 2. Alabama 308-298 — 606 +30; 3. Tennessee 309-299 — 608 +32; 4. North Carolina 301-308 — 609 +33; 5. Florida 313-297 — 610 +34; 5. LSU 305-305 — 610 +34; 5. South Carolina 311-299 — 610 +34; 8. Florida State 309-303 — 612 +36; 9. Birmingham Southern 315-300 — 615 +39; 9. Nebraska 310-305 — 615 +39; 11. Mississippi 309-308 –617 +41; 12. Baylor 306-313 — 619 +43; 13. Furman 311-309 — 620 +44; 14. Central Florida 322-303 — 625 +49; 15. Kansas 327-309 — 636 +60; 16. Mississippi State 320-317 — 637 +61; 17. Texas 334-320 — 656 +78.
Top 5 Individuals (Par 72-144)
1. Marisa Milligan, Auburn, 74-71 — 145 +1; 2. Nicole Hage, Auburn, 76-70
— 146 +2; 2. Lauren Hunt, North Carolina, 75-71 –146 +2; 4. Rebecca Kuhn, LSU, 76-71 — 147 +3; 4. Margaret Shirley, Auburn, 72-75 — 147 +3.
LSU Scores
T4. Rebecca Kuhn 76-71 – 147 +3
T34. Kim Meck 77-78 – 155 +11
T39. Melissa Eaton 77-79 – 156 +12
T47. Nicola Eaton 80-77 – 157 +13
T47. Alexis Rather 75-82 – 157 +13