Tide Finishes Fifth at SEC Championship
4/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
WEST POINT, Miss. ?? Capitalizing on a strong opening round score, the University of Alabama women’s golf team capped off its record-setting weekend at the 2007 Southeastern Conference Championship with a fifth-place finish, UA’s best at the event since 1998. The Tide fired a 54-hole score of 893 on the Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point, Miss to earn its top-five slot.
After firing a 291 in round one, the Tide shot rounds of 300 and 302 in rounds two and three, establishing new school records at the event along the way. The opening round 291 was the Tide’s best individual round at the SEC Championship and the final tally of 893 was the school’s lowest three-round score at the event.
"Things were actually going pretty well through seven holes today, but we just made too many mistakes down the stretch," head coach Mic Potter said. "You just can't make those kinds of mistakes and stay in it with a field as talented as this one, and that was what happened. But we are very proud of a top-five finish here, with so many great teams, and feel like our team has gotten better this weekend."
Heading a field full of top-ranked teams was No. 3 Georgia, who led wire-to-wire to capture its first conference title since 2001 with an 865. Florida, ranked in the top 10 entering the event, fired a 290 on the final day to earn runner-up honors. Tennessee finished third and South Carolina placed fourth, edging Alabama by six strokes.
The Tide was led by true freshman Helena Blomberg, who continued her strong play in the spring season with a top-10 finish at the SEC Championship. She finished in a tie for seventh place, marking the second time in as many events that she placed in the top 10.
Blomberg, who set a career mark with a 3-under 69 in round one, fired scores of 75 and 74 to finish with a 54-hole 218. That total set another career record for the native of Sweden, bettering her previous best, set at the Liz Murphey Intercollegiate in late March, by a single stroke.
All-American senior Jenny Suh battled back from a tough second round to earn a top-25 finish at her final conference tournament. Suh, who shot rounds of 74 and 77 in rounds one and two, respectively, fired a 1-over 73 on Sunday to finish the Championship in a tie for 21st place with a 224.
Junior Sarah Sturm and Rhea Nair each carded a three-day total of 228 to tie for 30th place in the individual standings for the Tide. Sturm shot rounds of 76, 75 and 77, while Nair utilized a strong second round score of 73 to push into the top 30.
Laura Goodwin, a sophomore from Birmingham, also competed for Alabama at the SEC Championship and finished in a tie for 49th place.
Georgia’s Taylor Leon gave the Lady Bulldogs a sweep of the awards at the conference meet, as she beat teammate Garrett Phillips and Tennessee’s Marci Phillips by four strokes to earn the individual title.
The SEC Championship was the last event of the season prior to the commencement of NCAA competition. Selection for Regional appearances is set to be made on the afternoon of Monday, April 30.
The NCAA Regional events are slated for May 10-12 at a site to be determined, with the Championship scheduled for May 22-25 at Daytona Beach, Fla.
