BATON ROUGE — There were stories every where you looked in the final round Sunday of the 20th annual LSU/Cleveland Golf Women’s Classic at the University Club.
First there was 12th-ranked LSU, trying to defend its crown against an elite field that was wiping out 20-year tournament records right and left. It was a story with a happy ending as LSU won by eight shots over higher-ranked SEC rivals.
Then there was the final threesome of the day featuring: LSU senior Katy Harris, trying to win her first collegiate title; Reilley Rankin of Georgia, the nation’s top freshman golfer in 1998, who missed all of the 1999-2000 season and the first three events of the 2000-2001 after breaking her back in June 1999; and, Auburn’s Courtney Swaim, playing for the first time together in the same group since she helped rescue her from the water after the diving accident which broke her back.
Either of the three could win and provide a fitting individual climax to the tournament. But the LSU team took care of business in the team competition in spectacular fashion and Rankin edged Harris and Swaim in a shootout that will long be remembered by the large for college golf gallery which gathered on a picture perfect Sunday afternoon to see how it would all play out.
The Tigers, after shooting a school and tournament record 2-under 286 on Saturday, pushed the record to 5-under 283 in the final round to finish 54-holes at even par, 864. The school record for 54 holes was previously an 879 at the Auburn Invitational in 1997. The 864 was 20 shots better than the previous LSU Classic record of 884 set by Arizona in 1996. Last year in winning the inaugural Classic at the U-Club, the Tigers (in much different weather conditions) posted a 918 total, 54-over par.
LSU entered the day at 5-over, one shot better than 5th-ranked Auburn, and extended the advantage early and never looked back, getting to even par for the tournament after six holes, opening the eight-shot advantage at that point which the visiting Tigers could never overcome.
“My team’s performance was awesome, what else can you said,” said a very happy coach Karen Bahnsen after her 26th team win added to her title as the winningest LSU golf coach, men or women. “I have always said that you want the team to come together at the right time and we may just be doing that with some very important tournaments coming up.”
Harris, Meredith Duncan and Lesley McClurg led the charge, each with 2-under 70s, with Lindy Hitdlebaugh posting a 1-over 73. Isabel Dornellas rounded out the team with a 2-over 74. After Harris’ runner-up finish, Duncan would finished tied for fourth, Hitdlebaugh tied for eighth and Dornellas and McClurg would tie for 14th.
“It feels great to win at home,” said Harris. “I still cannot believe our score. I never dreamed we would shoot 5-under par. Three 70s is incredible.”
With the team title secured, fans turned their attention to the individual battle with Harris and Swaim at 1-under entering the final 18, with Rankin, after a Saturday 68, one shot back at even par. Rankin moved to the lead after six holes, starting 3-under through six and bumping it to 4-under after nine, putting her two shots up on Swaim and one on Harris.
For the second straight day, Rankin would get it to 6-under midway through the second nine and that was enough of a cushion to get her home the winner, despite a bogey on 18, with a 5-under 67, setting a University Club women’s scoring record for a single round. Harris birdied 18 to finish second for the second time in the Classic, this time with a 3-under par 213, two strokes behind Rankin. That tied the second lowest 54-hole total in school history held by Wilkinson in the 1997 Auburn Invitational and Jenny Lidback in 1985.
“It is indescribable. I am kind of speechless,” said Rankin afterwards, who broke down in tears after accepting the trophy. “I did well the last couple of tournaments, but this is the best one. To be honest, I was kind of fighting the tears the last few holes.”
Also helping Rankin’s back was the weather. “I do what I can do to keep myself comfortable. Even if I thought it was too hot I would never tell anyone. You just kind of fight it off and not let it control you or bother you. With my back, it was actually pretty good.”
Enjoying the moment, although she finished third was Auburn’s Swaim.
“Reilley played unbelievable. It was great to play with her and see her win. It was pretty special to finally get paired together in the final round of a tournament that she would win.”
LSU now prepares for a rematch with many of the teams in the field in the SEC Women’s Championships, set for April 20-22 in Gainesville, Fla.