LSU Gold

Women's Golf Sets Record in Mason Rudolph Win

by Kent Lowe (@LSUkent)
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Women's Golf Sets Record in Mason Rudolph Win

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – The LSU Lady Tigers found themselves in another match-play type situation in the final round of the Mason Rudolph Championship and this time they are bringing home the team championship after another record-setting performance.

LSU and defending national champion Purdue went back-and-forth with the lead throughout the final round Sunday of the 54-hole event and the teams were virtually tied entering the final three holes. But LSU got pivotal birdies from Jacqueline Hedwall and Mary Michael Maggio at the 18th hole and birdies on 17 and 18 from Megan McChrystal to offset Purdue and claim the championship by two strokes.

Eleven days ago, LSU and Alabama went head-to-head in the final round of the NCAA Fall Preview and the Lady Tigers fell by one stroke despite shooting a school record 54-hole total of 14-under par 850.

Now, the Lady Tigers have upped that school record low score by seven more shots after totaling a three-day total of 21-under 843, two shots better than Purdue at 19-under 845. Southern California made a move to third on the final day shooting 10-under as a team to finish at 13-under par 851, tied with UCLA.

In two fall tournaments, the Lady Tigers as a team are a combined 35-under par with all six rounds under par. Prior to the NCAA Fall Preview, LSU had never posted a 54-hole tournament team score under par.

The round started off with Purdue getting an advantage as LSU was four-over as a team before the par-five seventh hole turned LSU’s round in the right direction that would lead to a title as LSU counted a birdie from McChrystal and eagles from Hedwall and Maggio.

“I believe these two tournaments have really shown the quality of play in women’s golf these days and what our team is capable of doing. I am so proud of the girls for the way they just got in there and fought all weekend. They deserved to win this. Amalie (Valle) came up big for us (Sunday). She’s been so close to being right there. It was a total team effort and showed the heart this team has,” said LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen.

The team title was the 33rd in the history of the women’s program and the 32nd in her 27th years as head coach.

Valle’s round coming out first for LSU in the final round was solid with an early bogey erased by two birdies to finish at 1-under 71. LSU also counted a 71 from Hedwall, a 73 from Maggio and a 4-under 68 from McChrystal as the senior All-American continued her final round magic that has seen her average 65.7 in the final round over her last three tournaments dating back to last year.

McChrystal finished in a group tied for fourth place at 7-under 209 (70-71-68), four shots behind winner Pia Halbig of California at 11-under 205 (68-67-70). It was McChrystal’s second top-10 in as many tournaments this year, giving her 15 for her career, tying for eighth all-time in LSU’s women’s golf history.

Hedwall (72-69-71) and Maggio (69-70-73) both tied for 14th place at four-under par 212. Tessa Teachman finished at 1-under par 215 for the event (67-72-76), tying for 23rd.

LSU is back on the course Oct. 8-10 at the Lady Tar Heel Championship in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Mason Rudolph Women’s Championships
Franklin, Tenn. – Vanderbilt Legends Course

Final Team Results (Par 288-864)
1. LSU 278-282-283 – 843 -21
; 2. Purdue 279-282-284 – 845 -19; 3. Southern California 286-287-278 – 851 -13; 3. UCLA 284-288-279 – 851 -13; 5. California 279-284-293 – 856 -8; 6. Alabama 285-286-288 – 859 -5; 7. Georgia 284-286-292 – 862 -2; 7. Vanderbilt 289-285-288 – 862 -2; 9. Wake Forest 286-284-297 – 867 +3; 10. Florida 286-295-291 – 872 +8; 10. Duke 283-297-292 – 872 +8; 12. Auburn 294-288-294 – 876 +12; 13. Texas 294-293-291 – 878 +14; 14. North Carolina 289-303-293 – 885 +21; 15. Stanford 298-294-297 – 889 +25; 16. Oklahoma State 293-300-300 – 893 +29; 17. Charleston 307-30-311 – 921 +57.

Individual Top 5 (Par 72-216)
1. 1. Pia Halbig, California, 68-67-70 – 205 -11; 2. Michelle Shin, Wake Forest, 65-70-71 – 206 -10; 3. Cydney Clanton, Auburn, 72-69-67 – 208 -8; 4. Ani Gulugian, UCLA, 70-70-69 – 209 -7; 4. Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Purdue, 67-69-73 – 209 -7; 4. Camilla Lennarth, Alabama, 68-71-70 – 209 -7; 4. Megan McChrystal, LSU, 70-71-68 – 209 -7; 4. Lisa McCloskey, Southern California, 70-72-67 – 209 -7.

LSU Scores
T4. Megan McChrystal 70-71-68 – 209 -6
T14. Mary Michael Maggio 69-70-73 – 212 -4
T14. Jacqueline Hedwall 72-69-71 – 212 -4
T23. Tessa Teachman 67-72-76 – 215 -1
T67. Amalie Valle 78-77-71 – 226 +10