BATON ROUGE – From leading qualifier to match play champion, LSU rising freshman women’s golfer Raegan Denton Friday captured the championship match of the 124th Pacific Northwest Golf Association’s Women’s Amateur at the OGA Golf Course in Woodburn, Oregon.
Denton, from Australia, who will join the Tigers in August, captured the 36-hole championship match 5&3 over Gabriella Kano of Fullerton, California. Fullerton played this past season at Nevada.
Denton, in the stroke play qualifying earlier in the week, was the medalist after stroke play with rounds of 70-69 for a 5-under 139.
After a bye in the opening round, Denton won three matches to advance to the championship match.
In the finals, Kano won the fourth, fifth and sixth holes to go three up in the match, but Denton won the seventh, ninth, 12th and 13th holes to turn the match back in her favor 1Up. The morning 18 ended with Kano scoring a birdie on the 18th hole to tie the match.
In the afternoon round, Kano won the first hole to take her final lead of the day, before Denton won five of the next 11 holes to go 4Up in the match after 30 holes. Denton played the first nine of the afternoon round in 3-under par 33. She closed the match out with a birdie on the 15th hole.
Denton is already qualified for the United States Women’s Amateur, along with LSU teammate Ryleigh Knaub. That event is set for The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee, Aug. 4-9.