GREEN, SAFFOLD LEAD LATE CHARGE, WOMEN'S GOLF FINISHES SECOND
4/22/2009
CHANDLER, Ariz. — The Sacramento State women's golf team saved its best effort for the last round of the Big Sky Conference Women's Golf Championship on Wednesday. The Hornets tallied a team score of 300 and finished in second place, just six strokes behind champion Northern Arizona. Sacramento State entered the day trailing NAU by 13 strokes.
"We really showed some heart and rallied on the back nine to make it interesting," Sacramento State director of golf David Sutherland said. "Nobody likes to finish second but you have to tip your hat to Northern Arizona because they played well all week."
Junior Brooke Green and sophomore Samantha Saffold each shot an even-par 72 to tie for the second-best round of the day. Wednesday's lowest round belonged to Northern Colorado's Ali Nelson who carded a 71 and claimed medalist honors. Nelson finished the three-round tournament at 77-71-71-222 to win by three strokes.
After shooting a 1-over 37 on the first nine holes, Green was near perfect on the back nine. The junior parred the first two holes before birdying the par-3 12th. Two more pars were followed by birdies on the par-4 15th and par-3 16th. Green closed her round with a double-bogey on the par-4 17th and a par of 18. Green ended the tournament in sixth place with a 54-hole total of 79-77-72-228.
Saffold, who had endured roller-coaster rounds through the first two days, was a model of consistency on Wednesday. The Sacramento native began with four consecutive pars before birdying the par par-4 fifth. Two pars and two bogeys left her at 37 at the turn but she quickly moved back to even with a birdie on the par-4 10th. Saffold then posted six pars and a bogey over the next seven holes and ended with a birdie on the par-5 18th. Saffold concluded the
Freshmen Julie Shutler and Justine Chen overcame rough starts to each post 78. Shutler bogeyed the first five holes and then added a triple-bogey on the par-5 sixth hole to leave her 8-over. From the point, the Manteca, Calif., native played the next 12 holes at 2-under. During the stretch, Shutler had four birdies, six pars and two bogeys. She placed 14th in the field with a total of 76-79-78-233.
Chen doubled the first two holes and then bogeyed the third before playing the next 10 holes even. The Lake Forest, Calif., native tied for seventh overall at 76-75-78-229.
The event was the final tournament for Sacramento State during the 2008-09 season.
BIG SKY WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Ocotillo Golf Resort • Par 72
TEAM SCORES
1. Northern Arizona 298-309-307-914 2. Sacramento State 308-312-300-920
3. Weber State 315-305-304-924
4. Montana 312-317-305-934
5. Portland State 312-319-315-946
6. Northern Colorado 324-317-308-949
7. Montana State 331-314-315-960
8. Eastern Washington 335-320-309-964
9. Idaho State 324-341-319-984
INDIVIDUAL TOP FIVE
1. Ali Nelson, NCOL, 77-74-71-222
T2. Emily Copier, WSU, 79-73-73-225
T2. Alexa Kim, NAU, 72-76-77-225
4. Ali Carter, NAU, 75-73-78-226
5. Carissa Simmons, UM, 75-76-76-227
CHANDLER, Ariz. — The Sacramento State women's golf team saved its best effort for the last round of the Big Sky Conference Women's Golf Championship on Wednesday. The Hornets tallied a team score of 300 and finished in second place, just six strokes behind champion Northern Arizona. Sacramento State entered the day trailing NAU by 13 strokes.
