May 10, 2008
The 20th-ranked University of New Mexico women’s golf team put on a spectacular display for 15 holes, but had trouble down the stretch for the second day in a row at the NCAA East Regional in Athens, Ga. The result is UNM falls one shot shy of advancing to the national championship that will be played on its home course later this month. Complete results are available at www.golfstat.com.
The NCAA Championships will be staged in Albuquerque May 20-23 at the UNM Championship Course.
Needing to finish in the top 8 to advance, the Lobos placed ninth with a 54-hole total of 901 at the University of Georgia Golf Course. UNM was a stroke behind Furman (900) and two shots away from sixth place shared by South Carolina and Wake Forest (899). New Mexico began the final round in eighth.
UNM will have representation at the championships, though. Senior Alexandra Phelps qualified as an individual after finishing tied for fourth at 1-over 217, a total that matches her career best for 54 holes. A double bogey at 12 put Phelps at 4-over on her round, but birdies on 13, 15 and 18 helped her close with a 73 for the second consecutive round.
South Carolina’s Benedicte Toumpsin won the individual title at 2-under 214.
Everything started golden for New Mexico as it blazed to 6-under-par on the round after just three holes, climbing into a tie for fourth place. UNM made the turn at 1-under and was still in great shape after leaving the 15th green at 2-over. However, the Lobos dropped six shots on the final three holes to finish with an 8-over 296, which was still the team’s best round of the tournament.
Yes, the last three holes were unkind and none more so than the par-3 16th for sophomore Britney Choy where she took a quadruple bogey 7. Choy was mostly responsible for UNM’s great start, though, as she eagled the 376-yard, par-4 2nd and was 5-under on her round after a birdie at 8. She finished with a 74 after taking the big number at No. 16, and ended the tournament at 12-over 228.
Sophomore Jodi Ewart was even after 15, but made bogey on 16 and suffered a double-bogey on the par-5 closing hole to finish with a 75. She finished at 228.
Lobo junior Morgan Grantham had her best round of the tournament with a 74. She finished at 230, or 14-over.
Junior Mikaela Backstedt got things going for the Lobos with birdies on the first two holes. She played the back nine in 4-over for a round of 78 and a total of 236.
The eight teams advancing to Albuquerque from the East Regional – in order of regional finish – are Florida, Duke, Georgia, Auburn, Virginia, South Carolina, Wake Forest and Furman. The other individual participant is Sara-Maude Juneau from Louisville.