BROWNS SUMMIT, N.C. — LSU sophomore Megan McChrystal posted a final round of 3-under 69 to rally to win her second collegiate individual golf title of the year and help cement the ninth-ranked LSU women’s golf team’s second team win of the season as well Sunday at the Bryan Park National Collegiate.
McChrystal, from Stuart, Fla., birdied four holes on the back nine with just one bogey on the second hole of the day to score her 69 and post the only 54-hole under par score of the tournament, finishing with one-under 215 for the three-day event. McChrystal posted one-over rounds of 73-73 in the first two rounds that put her in position.
McChrystal becomes the seventh golfer in LSU women’s golf history to win at least two individual titles in her career and she is only completing her second year at LSU. The others are: Jenny Lidback (7), Kristi Coats (6), Ashley Winn (3), Meredith Duncan (3), Jackie Gallagher (2) and Lisette Lee (2). The win certainly has to put her also in contention for possible SEC Player of the Year honors.
McChrystal wins by three shots over second-round leader Nannette Hill of Wake Forest and Abby Bools of East Carolina at two-over 218. McChrystal was the only player in the field to play the par-4 holes under par at two-under par. She also had 39 pars, third best among the field of golfers.
LSU put the tournament away in the first round with a two-over 290 that gave the Lady Tigers a 14-shot advantage and in the end, the team posted a team score of 295 that was right on the team average and good enough to win the event by four shots over No. 3 Virginia. The Tigers had rounds of 290-302-295 for a 23-over par 887, four shots better than the Cavaliers. Virginia finished with 891 with a final round of one-under 287.
The Tigers win twice in the same season for the first time since the 2004-05 season and the seventh time in the 30 years of the program that LSU has won twice in a season. The team win is the 30th for Coach Karen Bahnsen in her 25th year as head coach.
“I am so proud of the team from top to bottom,” said Bahnsen. “This gives us a lot of momentum going into the SEC Tournament in a couple of weeks. We just battled all the way to the end and Megan put three wonderful rounds together and I’m happy for her to get this second title. It’s hard to lead start to finish. It was a great learning experience for the girls.”
LSU also had two other golfers finish in the top 10 in the event as freshmen Jacqueline Hedwall and Tessa Teachman tied for ninth at seven-over 223. Hedwall shot rounds of 75-74-74 and Teachman posted rounds of 68-77-78.
Senior Caroline Martens had a good tournament, finishing in a tie for 13th place at 10-over 226 (74-78-74).
LSU now will look to continue their strong play at the Southeastern Conference Women’s Championship at the Cobblestone Park in Blytheville, S. C., April 17-19.
Bryan Park National Collegiate
Final Team Results (Par 288-864)
1. LSU 290-302-295 ? 887 +23; 2. Virginia 304-300-287 ? 891 +27; 3. Wake Forest 304-298-292 ? 894 +30; 4. North Carolina 307-294-299 ? 900 +36; 5. East Carolina 305-306-291 ? 902 +38; 6. South Carolina 311-301-295 ? 907 +43; 7. Louisville 306-307-297 ? 910 +46; 8. Tennessee 314-303-294 ? 911 +47; 9. Arkansas 310-305-300 ? 915 +51; 9. Michigan State 315-303-297 ? 915 +51; 11. North Carolina State 316-306-296 ? 918 +54; 12. Charleston 307-311-308 ? 926 +62; 13. TCU 311-316-303 ? 930 +66; 14. Notre Dame 309-309-315 ? 933 +69; 14. Georgia318-304-311 ? 933 +69; 16. NC Wilmington 314-316-305 ? 935 +71; 17. Ohio State 320-316-301 ? 937 +73; 18. NC Greensboro 320-318-315 ? 953 +89
Individual Top 5 (Par 72-216)
1. Megan McChrystal 73-73-69 ? 215 -1; 2. Abby Bools, East Carolina, 75-73-70 ? 218 +2; 2. Nannette Hill, Wake Forest, 75-68-75 ? 218 +2; 4. Laura Kueny, Michigan State, 76-71-72 ? 219 +3; 5. Catherine O’Donnell, North Carolina, 73-72-75 ? 220 +4.
LSU Scores
1. Megan McChrystal 73-73-69 ? 215 -1
T9. Tessa Teachman 68-77-78 ? 223 +7
T9. Jacqueline Hedwall 75-74-74 ? 223 +7
T13. Caroline Martens 74-78-74 ? 226 +10
T63. Amalie Valle 78-78-79 ? 235 +19