Feb. 15, 2006
The 23rd-ranked University of New Mexico women’s golf team made a nice rally in the final round of the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif. The Lobos, competing short-handed with just four players in their first tournament of the spring season, shot a 23-over 307 at the par-71, 5,912-yard Palos Verdes Country Club to finish in 13th place. The 14-team field featured 13 ranked teams.
New Mexico competed without freshman sensation Mikaela Backstedt, who is sidelined with a broken left thumb. Teams normally use five golfers with the low four scores counting towards the overall team total each day. Backstedt had a fall scoring average of 72.42. She could return for next week’s Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Ariz.
UNM began the final round 19 shots behind 13th-place Washington, but edged the Huskies by two shots, who soared to a 44-over 328. The Lobos improved their team score by 16 strokes from the previous low round of the tournament, a 323 on the first day.
No. 9 Arizona State took team honors with a 40-over 892, edging No. 7 Southern California by one shot. The individual medalist was USC’s Irene Cho at 1-over 214.
New Mexico sophomore Giselle Claux tied her career-low round today with a 1-over 72. She finished in a tie for 22nd place after starting the day in 47th.
Freshman Py Bengtsson tied for 41st at 22-over 235. Sophomore Alexandra Phelps was all alone in 56th place at 25-over 238 while freshman Morgan Grantham was at 44-over 257, good for 72nd place.
The Lobos are back in action in less than a week. They travel to Tucson, Ariz., Monday for the Wildcat Invitational at the Arizona National Golf Course.
Complete results are also available at www.golfstat.com.