Lady Mocs will face Florida in quarterfinals
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.---Chattanooga’s women’s golf team finished stroke play in eighth-place at the NGCA Hooters Collegiate Match Play on LPGA International Legends Course. The Lady Mocs shot 602 for 36 holes in the qualifying stroke play round for the next two days of match play to get into the championship bracket of the prestigious 16-team event.
The tournament features six top 10 teams from 2009 and nine total that ended the year in top 25. Among the eight teams Chattanooga beat included Duke (No. 8 in 2009) and North Carolina (No. 9).
The Lady Mocs were tied for seventh after 18 holes with Alabama at 302 (+14). Kayla Stewart led the way with a two-over par 74 followed by Maria Salinas at 75. Also counting in round one were Emma de Groot with a 76 and Maria Juliana Loza with a 77.
Salinas paced UTC in the afternoon round with an even par 72. The reigning Southern Conference Freshman of the Year played her final six holes at two under. She finished the stroke play qualifying tied for 18th at 147 (+3).
It was a great finish for de Groot. The junior from Australia birdied her final hole to give the Lady Mocs a one-shot cushion over Kent State. She finished tied for 29th at 151 (+7).
Junior Christine Wolf bounced back from a morning 82 to shoot 75 (+3) in the afternoon 18. Loza came in with a 78 to round out the Chattanooga scoring.
Monday features the quarterfinals and semifinals of match play. The Lady Mocs will face Florida in the championship bracket. The Gators led the way with a 585 (+9) on the day. The other six teams in the bracket are South Carolina (586), LSU (590), Auburn (590), Georgia (592), Alabama (600) and Virginia (601).
NOTES:
>Birdie Leaders: de Groot 4, Salinas 4, Wolf 3, Loza 2, Stewart 2
>Par Leaders: Salinas 25, Loza 23, Stewart 23, de Groot 22, Wolf 22
>Teams with 2008-09 final rankings that the Lady Mocs topped: No. 8 Duke (3 strokes), No. 9 North Carolina (5), No. 22 Kent State (1), No. 25 TCU (5), No. 30 Georgia State (8), No. 45 Ole Miss (21), No. 48 Colorado (22), No. 50 UCF (33).
>Lady Mocs played with Duke, LSU and UCF on the day holding a combined 25-stroke advantage trailing only LSU.