SOUTH BEND, Ind. – LSU equaled its best finish ever in an NCAA Regional women’s golf event and easily advanced as a team to the 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship after another solid final round Saturday at the Warren Golf Club.
LSU’s second place finish equaled a second place finish in 2006 at the Bryan National Golf Club in Browns Summit, N.C. and marked the third time in the last four years that LSU has advanced to the national championship from a regional.
Plus it was the perfect vindication for nearly the same LSU lineup that missed qualifying a year ago in the West Regional by one shot.
But starting the day in second place with a double-digit advantage over the eighth and final regional qualifying spot did not mean Coach Karen Bahnsen and her team wanted to play it safe. The eight-ranked Lady Tigers were looking ahead at UCLA’s six-shot lead and winning the tournament.
For most of the day, UCLA knew it had a challenger, at one point early in the round surrendering the lead to LSU for about 30 minutes.
“To be honest, we were really trying to win it all,” head coach Karen Bahnsen said. “We made a few bogies at the end, but the girls played tough and I’m proud of them because they kept fighting all the way through the end and that’s what it takes.”
LSU posted a final round of 8-over 296 to finish at 30-over par 894, solidly in second behind UCLA’s 26-over 890. The Lady Tigers finished three shots ahead of Minnesota (897) with Arkansas of the SEC making a big rally to get to fifth at 899. Host Notre Dame took the fifth qualifying spot with Ohio State in sixth and Stanford in seventh.
Individually, senior Megan McChrystal will win her fifth individual title of her career, tying for the honor with Stephanie Kono of UCLA with 54-hole scores of two-over par 218. Since both advanced through team qualifying there was no need for a playoff and both will be credited with tournament wins. McChrystal started strong in the final round and posted a one-under par 71 to go with 72-75, while Kono posted a four-under 68 to go with 74-76.
McChrystal will be returning to the site of her earlier victory at the Traditions Course in Bryan, Texas in the NCAA Fall Preview.
“I was at four-under after eight holes,” McChrystal said. “And that was just really solid golf. This is a tough golf course, and you have to grind your way around, and as soon as you shoot a bad shot, you are penalized. You can’t get away with any bad shots out here.
“I am heading in the right direction,” McChrystal said of her seventh top five this season in nine tournaments. “I had a couple of rough tournaments at Georgia and the SECs, so it was good to strike the ball well here and make some putts, and really just try to remember how to play well. There are still a few things that I have to work on for (the NCAA Championship), but I am glad we have a week to go home and get ready.”
Freshman Austin Ernst for the Lady Tigers was again at the top of her game as well, finishing at 3-over 219 (74-72-73). Senior Amalie Valle just missed a top 20 finish, posting a tie for 22nd at 10-over 226 (72-77-77). The Lady Tigers also used a final round 3-over 75 from junior Jacqueline Hedwall.
“They had to stay mentally tough and they did it from top to bottom,” said Bahnsen, who will take her 10th team to the Championships. “Last year (missing by a shot) made them mad and taught them a lesson. They weren’t going to be on the bubble or leave it to chance this time around.”
“This tournament has been a building block for us. We had a great fall, and then in the middle we weren’t playing our best golf, but you have your ups-and-downs, and I feel like our team is really on the rise and we have really good form.”
The eighth and final qualifying spot was decided after the round completed in near darkness after a two-plus hour rain delay as Wake Forest rallied to get the eighth spot over Duke, meaning the Blue Devils won’t make the championship for the first time in 13 years. Tulane finished in a tie for 12th. The Wave’s Maribel Lopez Porras finished in a tie for eighth at 7-over 223 and parred the first playoff hole to advance as one of two qualifiers from outside the top eight qualifiers. .
The Lady Tigers will have final exams this week and leave on Sunday, May 15, with competition to begin May 18 after two days of practice rounds.
NCAA Central Regional
Warren Golf Course, South Bend, Ind.
Final Team Results – (Par 288-864) (Top 8 qualify for nationals)
1. UCLA 291-301-298 – 890 +26; 2. LSU 295-303-296 – 894 +30; 3. Minnesota 301-297-299 – 897 +33; 4. Arkansas 307-303-289 – 899 +35; 5. Notre Dame 298-305-298 – 901 +37; 6. Ohio State 306-301-298 – 905 +41; 6. Ohio State 306-301-298 – 905 +41; 7. Stanford 302-306-300 – 908 +44; 8. Wake Forest 312-304-293 – 909 +49; 10. Northwestern 302-306-306 – 914 +50; 11. Texas 306-307-303 – 916 +52; 12. Chattanooga 303-309-305 – 917; 12. Tulane 313-302-302 – 917 +53; 14. Kent State 304-311-304 – 919 +55; 15. Wisconsin 314-305-310 – 929 +65; 16. North Texas 311-314-311 – 936 +72; 17. Oklahoma State 312-312-313 – 937 +73; 18. Michigan 316-307-315 – 938 +74; 19. Illinois 313-309-318 – 940 +76; 20. East Carolina 315-316-311 – 942 +78; 21. UNLV 318-325-311 – 954 +90; 22. Morehead State 319-326-310 – 955 +91; 23. Illinois State 329-317-320 – 966 +102; 24. Butler 318-325-325 – 968 +104.
Top 5 Individuals (Par 72-216)
1. Megan McChrystal, LSU, 72-75-71 – 218 +2; 1. Stephanie Kono, UCLA, 74-76-68 – 218 +2; 3. Austin Ernst, LSU, 74-72-73 – 219 +3; 3. Emily Tubert, Arkansas 75-69-75 – 219 +3; 5. Cheyenne Woods, Wake Forest, 75-76-70 – 221 +5.
LSU Scores
T1. Megan McChrystal 72-75-71 – 218 +2
T3. Austin Ernst 74-72-73 – 219 +3
T22. Amalie Valle 72-77-77 – 226 +10
T51. Jacqueline Hedwall 77-79-75 – 231 +15
T95. Tessa Teachman 81-82-78 – 241 +25