KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The LSU Lady Tigers, fourth-ranked entering the event, was unable to get anything going in the cool and mostly soggy conditions to challenge for a second straight title in the event, but in the end did find out that their expected depth extends well beyond their normal starting five golfers.
Playing without two of their top stars, All-American junior Megan McChrystal and sophomore Tessa Teachman, the Lady Tigers got good performances out of juniors Lindy LaBauve and Abby Oberthier that could help the team later down the road.
LaBauve and Oberthier both shot 12-over par scores of 228 to tie for 40th place. LaBauve had rounds of 79-73-76 and Oberthier posted 77-74-77. Junior Amalie Valle had the best of the three days, but only by a stroke with rounds of 75-76-76 to finish at 11-over 227, good enough for a tie for 29th place.
On the final day, LSU posted a 15-over 303 to finish the 54-hole event at 46-over par 910, good enough for a tie for 11th with North Carolina State. Host Tennessee would go wire-to-wire to win the event with a score of plus-four, 868, 19 shots ahead of second place Louisville who would edge out South Carolina.
The best round of the final day was an impressive two-over 74 from freshman Mary Michael Maggio after Maggio was forced to post a quadruple bogey eight on the fourth hole of the round. But from there she came back with three birdies and one lone bogey to cut the margin in half for her 74 to finish at 230, 14-over and a tie for 51st place (75-81-74).
The individual championship was shared by Laura Anderson of Louisville and Nathalie Mansson of Tennessee at three-under 213.
LSU is back in action next weekend at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington N.C., which is also serving as the NCAA Fall Preview event on the course the NCAA Division I Women’s Championships will be conducted on in May 2010.
Mercedes-Benz Women’s Championship
Final Team Results (Par 288-864)
1. Tennessee 283-291-294 ? 868 +4; 2. Louisville 296-286-305 ? 887 +23; 3. South Carolina 302-290-297 ? 889 +25; 4. Kent State 296-300-301 ? 897 +33; 5. Wake Forest 312-298-289 ? 899 +35; 6. TCU 314-295-291 ? 900 +36; 7. Florida 304-295-303 ? 902 +38; 8. Chattanooga 300-302-305 ? 907 +43; 9. Notre Dame 306-300-302 ? 908 +44; 10. Ole Miss 309-296-304 ? 909 +45; 11. North Carolina State 302-307-301 ? 910 +46; 11. LSU 306-301-303 ? 910 +46; 13. Tulane 304-307-302 ? 913 +49; 14. Arkansas 304-309-397 ? 920 +56; 15. Ohio State 306-313-302 ? 921 +57; 16. Furman 310-306-312 ? 928 +64; 17. Kentucky 322-309-306 ? 937 +73; 18. UTSA 309-318-321 ? 948 +84.
Individual Top 5 (par 72-216)
1. Laura Anderson, Louisville, 72-70-71 ? 213 -3; 1. Nathalie Mansson, Tennessee, 71-71-71 ? 213 -3; 3. Ginny Brown, Tennessee, 70-73-72 ? 215 -1; 4. Sara-Maude Juneau, Louisville, 72-69-75 ? 216 E; 5. Corrine Carr, South Carolina, 73-73-71 ? 217 +1.
LSU Scores
T29. Amalie Valle 75-76-76 ? 227 +11
T40. Lindy LaBauve 79-73-76 ? 228 +12
T40. Abby Oberthier 77-74-77 ? 228 +12
T51. Mary Michael Maggio 75-81-74 ? 230 +14
79. Jacqueline Hedwall 79-78-80 ? 237 +21