STEPHANIE MEADOW NAMED IN ALL-AMERICAN COLLEGE TEAM

BRYAN, Texas – UCLA won its third NCAA Division I Women’s Golf National Championship on Saturday evening, defeating second-place and defending national champion Purdue by four shots as darkness fell at Traditions Club.
Louisiana State University freshman Austin Ernst, pictured right, won the individual title, finishing at 7-under-par 281 for the championship after posting a second 66 on Saturday that included a hole-in-one - her first-ever ace - on the par-3 second hole (165yd).
Ernst, from Seneca, South Carolina where her father is a club pro, is the first freshman to win the Division I individual title since USC’s Jennifer Rosales did it in 1998.
For all of the contending teams, Saturday was a very long day. UCLA, Purdue and LSU each had to finish their third-round play early Saturday morning after Friday’s play was suspended due to darkness. Then all had to return for fourth-round play late Saturday afternoon.
UCLA began the final round with a seven-shot advantage on Purdue. Slowly, the Boilermakers chipped away at the lead, taking the top spot by a stroke as the final group played the 13th hole. In the end, however, it was the Bruins who pulled away in the closing moments, getting nothing worse than a par from any of its players over the closing four holes.
Stephanie Kono and senior Glory Yang – who said earlier this week that Saturday’s final round may be her last (as an amateur) – each birdied the 18th hole.
By day’s end, a teary UCLA head coach Carrie Forsyth was drained.

“It was pretty intense out there,” she said. “We were not playing very well for a while, then it got a little too close for comfort for a little while, but we came back and made some birdies.

“It was awesome, but I’ve got more gray hairs than I did when we started this day, that’s for sure. At the end of the year, this is the one that everybody wants to win.

The final margin may well have been closer, but Purdue senior Thea Hoffmeister was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. The total score on her card (75) was correct, but she had signed for a score higher than she had on the par-4 12th, but also signed for a five on the par-5 18th hole when she had actually scored a six.

According to head NCAA rules official Heidi Olson, signing for a higher score than what you shoot carries no penalty, but signing for a score lower is an automatic disqualification, even when the total score is correct.

“The player is responsible for the hole-by-hole score, not just the total,” Olson said.

As a result of the disqualification, Purdue was forced to take a 77 from Maude-Aimee LeBlanc instead of the 75 that Hoffmeister shot.

Teams start five players and keep the top four scores.

Purdue head coach Devon Brouse was bothered by the error.

“You shouldn’t have to teach that lesson too many times because if you do that in the last round of the NCAA tournament, obviously there are going to be some consequences.”

Still , Brouse said he did soften the message to Hoffmeister.

“I just gave her a hug and said, ‘You know what? It’s a mistake. We all make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect.’

“It’s a little surprising because she’s a very bright girl, but you get excited, you get nervous, things happen.”

Tiffany Lua led the Bruins, finishing at 1-under for the tournament, good enough to tie for fourth in the individual race.

“For me, the whole back nine was a bit of a blur,” Lua said. “We definitely just fought for every single shot out there. “

Lua said winning a national championship caused her to get a bit reflective.

“At the beginning of the year, we set our goals and everybody wants to win the national championship and you think about all the extra workouts and all the extra practices that you dreaded to go through but you did it as a team.

“You look back now and you think to yourself that it’s all worth it.”

For much of Saturday, there was doubt as to whether or not the final round would be completed before dark on Saturday. Tournament officials were even planning to put utility vehicles with lights on the area surrounding the 18th hole to light the green if need be. In the end, the tournament ended was mere minutes of daylight to spare, a fact Forsyth was glad for.

“We definitely didn’t want to come back and play tomorrow,” she said.

In individual contest, Austin Ernst's 281 total gave her a three-shot win from Kelli Shean (Arkansas) with former British girls champion Laura Gonzalez (Escallon) third on 286.
Joint fourth on 287 were Tiffany Lua (UCLA) and Georgia's Marta Silva who will be in the field for the British women's open amateur championship at Royal Portrush GC, Northern Ireland next month.
So too will Stephanie Meadow (Alabama) and Sally Watson (Stanford). Stephanie, who is a member at Royal Portrush, did not have the scores that reflected the outstanding freshman season she has had at Alabama.
She scored 75, 74, 77 and 72 to shared 32nd place on 298 - one head of Spanish ace Carlota Ciganda who has played her last round as an amateur. The past British women's open amateur champion  will officially turn pro next week.
Sally Watson from Edinburgh finished joint 45th,  in a field of 126 players, on 301 with disappointing scores of 73, 78, 71 and 79.
LATER NEWS:
Stephanie Meadpw was named in the Division 1 First Team all-American at the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) banquet last night following the NCAA Championship.
LEADING INDIVIDUAL TOTALS



Par 288 (4x72)
281 Austin Ernst (Louisiana State) 72 66 77 66.
284 Kelli Shean (Arkansas) 75 70 71 68.
286 Laura Gonzalez (Purdue) 74 71 70 72.
287 Tiffany Lua (UCLA) 71 71 70 75, Marta Silva (Georgia) 71 71 72 73.

SELECTED SCORES
297 Jacqueline Hedwall (Louisiana State) 72 76 73 76 T26).
298 Stephanie Meadow (Alabama) 75 74 77 72 (T32).
299 Carlota Ciganda (Arizona State) 72 73 78 76 (T30).
300 Megan McChrystal (Louisiana State) 72 77 76 75 (T43).
301 Sally Watson (Stanford) 73 78 71 79.
Field of 126 players.
LEADING TEAM TOTALS
1173 UCLA.
1177 Purdue.
1181 Louisiana State.
1186 Virginia.
1190 Southern California, Arkansas.
Selected totals:
1193 Alabama (8th).
1125 Stanford (23rd).