CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – LSU women’s golfer, Megan McChrystal, posted a bogey-free round of 6-under 66 that forced a playoff for the individual title Sunday in the final round of the Tar Heel Invitational at the UNC Finley Golf Course.
McChrystal’s round and a late bogey by second round leader Brooke Pancake of Alabama left the two tied after 54 holes at 11-under par 205, the tournament record and an LSU record breaking the 10-under 206 mark McChrystal posted last month in winning the NCAA Fall Preview in come-from-behind fashion.
In the playoff, both players parred the par-4 first hole, before Pancake won with a par on the par-4 ninth hole, McChrystal hit her approach shot into the water hazard and ended up with a bogey.
McChrystal and freshman Austin Ernst, playing in her first collegiate tournament, propelled LSU to its second double digit under par round in three tournaments this year with a 10-under par round of 278. The best round of the day moved the Lady Tigers, No. 1 in the nation in two performance ranking polls, past No. 13 Duke into second place in the final tournament standings.
LSU has finished first once and second twice in three tournaments, shooting all nine-rounds under par and posting a combined counting score of 51-under par.
No. 3 Alabama won the tournament with a score of 28-under par 836 (277-274-285), 12 shots better than LSU which finished at 16-under par 848 (285-285-278). Duke was third at 13-under 851 (288-278-285) and Virginia was 11 shots back in fourth at 862. Host North Carolina, which was 12th after the first round Friday, ended up in fifth at 2-over 866.
“Can you believe we shot 10-under on 10-10-10?” said LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen about the numerical date of Oct. 10, 2010. “The girls have shown so much heart and determination in these first three tournaments. They first two tournaments were so tight and there was so much effort expended. We didn’t always have our ‘A’ game this weekend, but the girls really responded (Sunday) and I am so proud of them. “
McChrystal has finished first, fourth and second in the first three tournaments and in her last four events dating back to the NCAA Championships last May, she has rounds of 64, 65, 68 and 66 in the final round of tournaments.
Ernst, playing closer to her home of Seneca, S.C., also had a bogey free final round of 68, moving from 18th place to get her first career top 10 with a tie for 10th place finish at 5-under 211 (72-71-68). Tessa Teachman, the junior from Baton Rouge, also finished nicely with a 1-under 71 to get to even par 216 for the event (75-70-71). LSU’s other counting score on the final day was a one-over 73 by Mary Michael Maggio who finished at two-over par 218 (72-72-74). Jacqueline Hedwall posted a five-over 221.
LSU and Alabama will move on now to the final tournament of the fall, Nov. 5-7, at Palo Alto, Calif., for the SEC/Pac 10 Challenge.
Tar Heel Invitational
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Final Team Results (Par 288-864)
1. Alabama 277-274-285 – 836 -28; 2. LSU 285-285-278 – 848 -16; 3. Duke 288-278-285 – 851 -13; 4. Virginia 290-289-283 – 862 -2; 5. North Carolina 294-284-288 – 866 +2; 6. Michigan State 289-292-289 – 870 +6; 7. Tulane 289-296-287 – 872 +8; 8. Vanderbilt 298-287-289 – 874 +10; 8. Georgia 295-288-291 – 874 +10; 10. Wake Forest 291-288-297 – 876 +12; 11. South Carolina 291-297-290 – 878 +14; 11. Louisville 301-291-286 – 878 +14; 13. Auburn 293-288-299 – 880 +16; 13. Texas A&M 292-291-297 – 880 +16; 15. Florida 288-301-292 – 881 +17; 16. Florida State 299-292-299 – 890 +26; 17. Denver 299-295-304 – 898 +34; 18. North Carolina State 302-303-303 – 908 +44.
Top 5 Individual (Par 72-216)
1. Brooke Pancake, Alabama (won playoff on second hole) 65-69-71 – 205 -11; 2. Megan McChrystal, LSU, 67-72-66 – 205 -11; 3. Camilla Lennarth, Alabama, 69-67-70 – 206 -10; 4. Marta Silva, Georgia, 72-69-66 – 207 -9; 5. Sara-Maude Juneau, Louisville, 70-69-69 – 208 -8.
LSU Scores
T1. Megan McChrystal 67-72-66 – 205 -11
T10. Austin Ernst 72-71-68 – 211 -5
T24. Tessa Teachman 75-70-71 – 216 E
T30. Mary Michael Maggio 72-72-74 – 218 +2
T42. Jacqueline Hedwall 74-74-73 – 221 +5