Alabama
NCAA Central Regional
Albuquerque Bound; Women's Golf Moves on to National Championship
5/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
May 10, 2008
Individual Results in PDF Format 
AUSTIN, Texas - The Alabama women's golf team rounded out its NCAA Central Regional stay with a berth into the national championship. The No. 3 seed Crimson Tide turned in a final round score of 299 (+11) Saturday at the University of Texas Golf Club. Alabama placed sixth overall with a final score of 896 (+32).
The Crimson Tide earned the bid for the third consecutive year under third year head coach Mic Potter. The appearance marks the fourth time in program history that Alabama will compete at the NCAA National Championship.
The top eight team finishers and top two individuals not playing on the eight qualifying teams earned bids to the 2008 NCAA Championship which runs Tuesday-Friday, May 20-23 in Albuquerque, N.M. at the University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course.
No. 2 ranked UCLA, the top seed in the Central Region, claimed the Central Regional team title after leading for the entire tourney. The Bruins played two rounds under par and ended with a three-under 861 over the 6,301-yard, par-72 course. UCLA held a six-stroke edge over Purdue and a nine-stroke advantage over TCU heading into the final round.
In her first career NCAA appearance, freshman Camilla Lennarth finished tied for 10th overall with a final score of 218 (+2). The Stockholm, Sweden native carded a final round score of 71 (-1), the lowest on the day for the Crimson Tide.
Fellow countrywoman Helena Blomberg followed with a final score of 226 (+10) to finish in a tie for 35th. Blomberg turned in a final round score of 77 (+5). The sophomore had two birdies on the day and eight over the course of the 54 holes.
Junior Kathleen Ekey followed in a tie for 47th overall with a final score of 229 (+13). Ekey fired a final round score of 75 (+3), her best round over the three days. The Wadsworth, Ohio native sank four birdies on the day, including three in a row that led to a 36 on the front nine.
Freshman Courtney Harter concluded her first regional appearance with a 54 hole score of 230 (+14), to finish in a tie for 53rd overall. Harter recorded a final round score of 81 (+9). The newcomer sank eight birdies over the course of the tournament.
Senior Sarah Sturm will not hang up the Crimson colors just yet as the Spartanburg, S.C. native shot a final round score of 76 (+4) to help the Tide earn a championship berth. Sturm finished in a tie for 64th overall with a final score of 233 (+17).
Purdue, ranked sixth nationally, finished second, 10 strokes behind the Bruins with a seven-over par 871. Rounding out the top six squads were No. 11 Denver (+18, 882), No. 30 TCU (+20, 884), No. 24 Texas A&M (+21, 885) and No. 9 Alabama (+32, 896). Texas A&M posted the low round of the day as the Aggies posted an even-par 288 - tying for the third-lowest round of the Central Regional.
The host Longhorns placed seventh at the NCAA Central Regional Saturday, carding a three-round score of 35-over par 899. The eighth and final NCAA Championship spot went to LSU in dramatic fashion as the Lady Tigers had to defeat Florida State in a playoff for the right to go to Albuquerque. Both were tied at +38 (902) after regulation.
Players Mentioned
