ATHENS, Ga. — The LSU Lady Tigers hopes of making a move in the Southeastern Conference Women’s Golf Championships took a bad turn on the slippery greens of the University of Georgia Golf Course as LSU fell from seventh to eighth on the second day of the three-day event.
LSU’s team score of 313, 25 over par, was 10 shots higher than Friday’s opening round, leaving LSU at 40-over 616 for 36 holes. The Lady Tigers are five shots out of seventh, held by Alabama, which moved in front of LSU on Saturday with a 306 score and 16 shots behind sixth-place Georgia. If LSU could move to sixth, it would keep alive a seven-year streak of upper division finishes in the tournament.
LSU has never finished worse than eighth on two occasions (1993, 1994) in the first 20 years of the league women’s championships.
LSU senior Meredith Duncan, the defending United States Women’s Amateur Champion and named a first-team All-SEC member for the third straight year, had just two birdies on her card, including a chip in on the par-4 15th, but couldn’t over come a three-hole stretch of three-putt bogies which led to a round of three-over 75, putting her back at even par 144 for two rounds, following her college career low of 3-under 69 on Friday.
She is tied with Nick Cutler of Vanderbilt at even par 144 for two rounds in ninth place. The pair are six shots out of the lead held by defending champion Kristy McPherson of South Carolina. McPherson posted a second consecutive 69 on the day to stand tops on the leader board at 6-under par 138.
Auburn’s expected march to the team title on Friday after shooting an 8-under par 280, the lowest round in 13 years in the tournament, were surprised to find company waiting in the form of South Carolina. The Gamecocks were the team well under par on Saturday, posting a round of six-under 282, helped by McPherson’s 3-under round. That, combined with Auburn shooting a still impressive 3-over round of 291 leaves the two teams tied for the lead after 36 holes at 5-under par 571.
Tennessee, in third, is very much in contention for the championship as well, after also shooting a six-under 282 on the day and stand at 1-over 577 for 36 holes, six shots out of the shared team lead of Auburn and USC.
LSU besides Duncan’s 75, also counted seven-over 79 from Lindy Hitdlebaugh and Devon Day (just one over on the back nine) and an 80 from sophomore Isabel Dornellas.
Besides Duncan being named first-team All-SEC for the third consecutive year on Friday night at the annual SEC Women’s Golf Banquet, freshman Brooke Shelton was named All-SEC Honorable Mention. She entered the SEC Tournament second on the team in stroke average.
2002 SEC Women’s Golf Championships
University of Georgia Golf Course — Athens, Ga.
Team Results (288-576)
1. Auburn 280-291 — 571 -5
1. South Carolina 289-292 — 571 -5
3. Tennessee 295-282 — 577 +1
4. Florida 298-295 — 593 +17
5. Vanderbilt 300-294 — 594 +18
6. Georgia 298-303 — 600 +24
7. Alabama 305-306 — 611 +35
8. LSU 303-313 — 616 +40
9. Arkansas 320-301 — 621 +45
10. Ole Miss 310-314 — 624 +48
11. Miss. St. 317-310 — 627 +51
12. Kentucky 312-317 — 629 +53
Individual Top 10
1. Kristy McPherson, USC, 69-69 — 138 -6
2. Celeste Troche, Auburn, 70-71 — 141 -3
2. Young-A Yang, Tennessee, 69-72 — 141 -3
4. Tina Schneeberger, Tennessee, 71-71 — 142 -2
4. Kacy Thompson, S. Carolina, 72-70 — 142 -2
6. Whitney Code, Florida, 70-73 — 143 -1
6. Mary Jan Fernandez, Tennessee, 77-66 — 143 -1
6. Courtney Swaim, Auburn, 71-72 — 143 -1
9. Nicki Cutler, Vanderbilt, 72-72 –144 E
9. Meredith Duncan, LSU, 69-75 — 144 E
LSU Scores
t9. Meredith Duncan 69-75 — 144 E
t32. Lindy Hitdlebaugh 75-79 — 154 +10
t42. Isabel Dornellas 78-80 — 158 +14
t48. Devon Day 81-79 — 160 +16
t55. Brooke Shelton 82-81 — 163 +19
2002 SEC Women’s Golf Awards
First Team All-SEC — Danielle Downey, Auburn; Courtney Swain, Auburn; Celeste Troche, Auburn; Angela Jerman, Georgia; Summer Sirmons, Georgia; Meredith Duncan, LSU; Kristy McPherson, South Carolina; Young-A Yang, Tennessee.
Second Team All-SEC — Kinglsey Barrett, Auburn; Sarah Johnston, Alabama; Jeanne Cho, Florida; Brittany Straza, Florida; Anna Gertsson, Mississippi State; Tina Schneeberger, Tennessee; Nick Cutler, Vanderbilt; Meredith Ward, Vanderbilt.
Honorable Mention — Anne Hutto, Auburn; Andrea Vander Leade, Florida; Towa Okiyama, Kentucky; Brooke Shelton, LSU; Anna Knutsson, Mississippi State; Adrienne Gautreaux, South Carolina; Jessica Shepley, Tennessee; Courtney Wood, Vandy.
SEC Coach of the Year — Kim Evans, Auburn; SEC Player of the Year — Angela Jerman, Georgia; SEC Freshman of the Year — Kinglsey Barrett, Auburn.