W-Golf Finishes 11th At Big 12s

Friday, April 22

Austin, Texas

All Day

Colorado

All Rounds

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

April 24, 2005 | Women's Golf

By: CUBuffs.com

AUSTIN, Texas ?The University of Colorado women's golf team shot a final round 325 and finished 11th with a three-round total 955 at the Big 12 Championships here Sunday. Barring an at-large bid to next month's NCAA Championships, senior Allison Rella (70-82-81-233) closed out her collegiate career with a career conference championship best 19th place finish on the University of Texas Golf Course.

“I think we learned a lesson today. We get around a difficult golf course and learned that we need to be more precise in practice so we can handle these conditions,” said assistant coach Brent Franklin. “They're learning, but it's going to take a lot of polish and a lot of experience to handle difficult rounds.

“Without the winds that we had yesterday, the course didn't play as hard today as it did yesterday. I think they were thinking that they had to play a little too perfect and that, coupled with some inexperience more than anything, contributed to today's round.”

Oklahoma State returned to dominance and won its fifth Big 12 title. The Cowgirls shot a final round 298 and had a three-day combined Big 12 record score of 900 to edge defending champion Texas (901) by a single stroke. The single stroke win is the third such team victory and first since OSU beat Missouri 909-910 in 2003. The two programs separated themselves from the field as Baylor (914) finished third, Missouri (923) and Texas A&M (930), fifth.

OSU's Annie Thurman-Young won her second straight conference title as she shot a 4-under 70-71-71-212 for the tournament, giving the program their fifth medalist in the ninth annual championship. Her 10-stroke victory over Texas' Lisa Ferrero (73-77-73-222) and Perry Swenson (75-73-74-222) is the second largest margin of victory since Texas' Heather Bowie defeated Texas A&M's Isabelle Rosberg by 11 in the inaugural championship in 1997 in Lawrence, Kan.

The only player in the 60-player field to card three-straight identical rounds, Hannah Hoch carded her third straight round of 78 for a 54-hole total 234 and a three-way share of 22nd place. Coincidently, as a freshman she had a 76-76 scorecard before the third round was cancelled. The sophomore opened her final loop and blistered her front nine as she was even at the turn with nine straight pars. She hit par on her 10th hole before going 6-over on her remaining back nine with four bogeys and a triple. She closed out the round with a birdie putt on 18.

If the season goes into the books today, Hoch would own two more school records, including season low strokes per average (74.8) and low strokes per average following two seasons (75.8).

Likely the last round of her career, Rella had one birdie, seven pars and 10 bogeys for a final round 81 and combined 233 score for a share of 19th place with Texas Tech's Kim Kolb and Kelley Louth of Texas. She will graduate with a 78.25 strokes per average, which is third all-time at CU, trailing Hoch (75.8) and Erin Kerr (76.40).

Maria Persson-Gulda carded a final round 82 and finished in sole possession of 45th place with a 78-81-84-243 scorecard. She shot par on her first hole before three ensuing bogeys set her back as many strokes. Three more pars over the next four holes had her at +4 before a double as she made the turn. She connected on five straight pars to open her back nine before going another 4-over on her last three holes.

Jess Ellis (85-87-82-254) shaved five strokes off her second to third round Sunday and her final round 82 scored on the team's final round. She opened with three straight pars, matching her first round start, before going 4-over on the last six. She shot four more pars on the back nine, but couldn't make up ground on the round. She finished with a share of 58th place with teammate Jessie Malcolm whose first conference championship card read 81-82-91-254. Her final round was a season high 91 and was the second highest of the field. As she did Saturday, she opened +2 after the first three holes but ended 8-over on her front nine before disaster set in on the back where she went +11 with just one par on 13.

“Overall, we saw some improvements. I'm not there in Austin, but I'm sure the team is disappointed. It's not a nice way to end the season,” said head coach Anne Kelly from Boulder. “A lot of good things happened this year. It was nice to see Ally (Allison Rella) have a better season, and Hannah did some great things for our program. It will be a good building block for next year. We'll just have to regroup, work, and go on from here.”

An NCAA bubble team, the Buffs will learn of their remaining postseason fate Monday on a conference call announcing the regional championship field. Should the Buffs be awarded an at-large bid, they would play at the NCAA West Regionals May 5-7 in Las Cruces, N.M. The NCAA Championships are slated for May 17-20 in Corvallis, Ore.

“I don't know where we stand. It's hard to tell what the Big 12 does to us because we're the only team in the west,” added Kelly. “Today's round didn't help, so we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully if the team doesn't make it, Hannah (Hoch) will.”

If Hoch advances as an individual, she would be the second Buff to do so as Erin Kerr played in the NCAA West Regionals in both 2002 and ?03

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

University of Texas Golf Club (Austin, Texas)

TEAM SCORES

1. Oklahoma State........ 295-307-298- 900

2. Texas ...................... 297-306-298- 901

3. Baylor...................... 305-314-295- 914

4. Missouri................... 306-313-304- 923

5. Texas A&M.............. 310-316-304- 930

6. Texas Tech............... 305-323-304- 932

7. Nebraska ................. 305-324-313- 942

8. Kansas State............ 320-314-317- 951