BATON ROUGE – The LSU women’s golf team remained No. 4 in the nation according to the Golf World/National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) coaches’ poll announced on Wednesday.
There was only one change in the top six as USC passed UCLA for the No. 2 spot on the strength of the Trojans victory in the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge. Alabama remains at No. 1 after an opening spring win in the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. The Crimson Tide claimed all 23 first-place votes to be the unanimous choice for the No. 1 ranking.
After UCLA comes the Lady Tigers, 19 points out of third place off its second place finish Tuesday in the Central District Invitational in Parrish, Fla. Duke is eight points back in fifth and it is another 10 back to sixth-ranked Purdue.
No new schools appear in the top 10 but two newcomers join the top 25: No. 16 Arizona State, which did not compete in any events as a team in the fall but has recorded a third-place and second-place finish in two spring starts; and No. 19 Iowa State, the winner of the Central District which is making its first-ever appearance in the Golf World poll.
LSU next plays in New Orleans beginning Sunday at English Turn in the Tulane-hosted Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate and the Lady Tigers host the LSU Tiger Golf Classic, March 11-13, at the newly renovated University Club in Baton Rouge.
GOLF WORLD/NGCA GOLF COACHES’ POLL
Women’s Division I
Rank Team Points Last
1. Alabama (23) 575 1
2. USC 544 3
3. UCLA 499 2
4. LSU 480 4
5. Duke 472 5
6. Purdue 462 6
7. California 408 9
8. Virginia 400 7
9. Arizona 386 8
10. Georgia 356 10
11. Vanderbilt 316 11
12. North Carolina 292 12
13. Arkansas 279 13
14. Tulane 229 15
15. Tennessee 220 17
16. Arizona State 192 NR
17. Wake Forest 184 20
18. Auburn 174 14
19. Iowa State 170 NR
20. Michigan State 148 18
21. Notre Dame 147 19
22. Oklahoma 119 16
23. Colorado 92 21
24. Kent State 70 23
25. Texas 68 22
Also receiving votes: TCU, 31; UC-Davis, 25; Florida State, 20; Pepperdine, 18; South Carolina, 17; UC-Irvine, 16; Central Arkansas, 15; N.C. State, 14; Oregon, 11; Ohio State, 8; Coastal Carolina, 6; Washington, 3; Florida, 2; Stanford, 2; Kentucky, 1; Louisville, 1.