DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — LSU captured what proved to be deciding holes in three matches late in the semifinal match with No. 1 seed Florida to advance Monday to the championship match of the NGCA/Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championships at the Legends Course of LPGA International.
It was a strong day for the 11th-ranked Lady Tigers, the fourth-seed in the championship bracket, after taking down fifth-seed Georgia, 4-1, and then knocked off the Lady Gators, 3-2 in the afternoon semifinal.
LSU will face Auburn at 7 a.m. CT in the SEC-dominated championship bracket. Auburn advanced in a most-holes-won tiebreaker to defeat Virginia after the teams tied at 2.5 points each. Auburn defeated Alabama, 3.5-1.5 in the morning first-round match.
LSU had the lead in three matches most of the afternoon against the Gators, but as the matches moved to the final holes, Florida would have a 1-0 lead as Mia Piccio won a 3 and 2 decision over LSU sophomore Tessa Teachman in the fifth spot. Florida got its second point in the No. 4 spot as Amalie Valle was unable to hold a 4-up front nine lead against Florida’s Andrea Watts. Watts won the match with a par on the 18th hole.
LSU’s first point came in the No. 1 march as sophomore Jacqueline Hedwall won the 16th and 17th holes with pars to take an all-square match to a 2-1 victory over Florida’s Evan Jansen. LSU All-American junior Megan McChrystal found herself all square with Marika Lendl of Florida. Lendl had tied the match with a birdie on the par five 16th after McChrystal had parred the 15th to take a one-up lead. But the Stuart, Fla., native came right back for the Lady Tigers, parred the par-4 17th while Lendl bogeyed and then posted a par on 18 to win the match for a second LSU win.
Freshman Mary Michael Maggio again showed her ability in the third match that was all square going to 18. Maggio bogeyed the hole, but Florida’s Amelia Lewis could muster no more than a double bogey six, giving LSU a 1-up decision.
“It was quite a match and I am so happy for the girls to come out and play like this for 36 holes two days in a row,” LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen said. “Once we qualified on Sunday, the match play is fun, but it’s important because we have a lot of the SEC teams in here and obviously it was important to get those two wins (Monday). Now we’ll see if we can put it together for one more match against a very tough Auburn team.”
McChrystal shot a one-over 73 on her ball in the afternoon match, while Hedwall was even par when her match was halted.
In the morning matches, LSU was never really in trouble against the Lady Bulldogs.
McChrystal was a 3 and 1 winner over SEC champion, Marta Silva Zamora, while Maggio in her first collegiate event continues to impress with a 4 and 2 decision over Burger. Valle took advantage of two late bogeys by Georgia’s Caroline Andrade to win 2 and 1, while Teachman, inserted into the lineup for the matches Monday, was a 4 and 3 winner over Kendall Wright.
LSU’s only loss came in the No. 1 match as Hedwall fell late to UGA’s Milena Savich, 1 UP.
This will be the first All-SEC final in the seven-year history of the event.
NGCA/Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championship
Championship Bracket
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Florida 3, No. 8 Chattanooga 2
No. 4 LSU 4, No. 5 Georgia 1
No. 7 Virginia 3, No. 2 South Carolina 2
No. 3 Auburn 3.5, No. 6 Alabama 1.5
LSU Results
1. Milena Savich (UGA) d. Jacqueline Hedwall, 1 Up
2. Megan McChrystal (LSU) d. Marta Silva Zamora, 3 and 1
3. Mary Michael Maggio (LSU) d. Emilie Burger, 4 and 2
4. Amalie Valle (LSU) d. Carolina Andrade, 2 and 1
5. Tessa Teachman (LSU) d. Kendall Wright, 4 and 3
Semifinals
No. 4 LSU def. No. 1 Florida, 3-2
No. 3 Auburn def. No. 7 Virginia 2.5-2.5 (tiebreaker, holes won)
LSU Results
1. Jacqueline Hedwall (LSU) d. Evan Jensen, 2 and 1
2. Megan McChrystal (LSU) d. Marika Lendl, I up
3. Mary Michael Maggio (LSU) d. Amelia Lewis, 1 up
4. Andrea Watts (Fla) d. Amalie Valle, 1 up
5. Mia Piccio (Fla) d. Tessa Teachman, 3 and 2