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May 13, 2006
The 23rd-ranked New Mexico women’s golf team made an early run, but came up short in the final round of the NCAA West Regional being played at the Washington National Golf Club (par 72, 6,289 yards) outside Seattle. Needing to finish in the top-8 to advance to the NCAA Championships later this month, the Lobos fired their best round of the tournament – a 13-over-par 301 – but finished in 14th place with a 54-hole total of 926.
After a 30-over 318 in the second round left them 19 shots from eighth place and in the 15th spot overall, the UNM contingent of three freshmen and two sophomores tried to play catch-up. They finished the front nine in a sparkling 2-over and trailed eighth-place Arkansas by four shots. However, as it had been all weekend, the back nine was just too tough to stage a rally.
Purdue, UCLA, Washington, Stanford, Georgia, UNLV, Arizona and Arkansas move on to the Championships at Ohio State May 23-26. The individual winner was Washington’s Paige McKenzie, who won going away at 8-under 208. McKenzie was the only golfer to finish under par.
The Lobos were tightly bunched in the individual race. Freshman Morgan Grantham came into the tournament with the team’s highest scoring average at 79.29, but she tied a career-best today with a 74 to finish in a tie for 40th at 15-over 231.
Sophomore Alexandra Phelps shot 77 and tied for 53rd at 233. Freshmen Mikaela Backstedt and Py Bengtsson were in a group at 234, tying for 57th.
Sophomore Giselle Claux, who shot 81 in each of the first two rounds, showed her mettle by firing a 73, the Lobos’ low score of the day. Claux tied for 59th at 235.