May 11, 2013
NORMAN, Okla. - San Diego State's Paige Spiranac (Scottsdale, Ariz.) tied for 19th place on the individual leaderboard on Saturday to lead a trio of Aztec women's golfers during the final round of the 2013 NCAA Central Regional at the par-72, 6,298-yard Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. The SDSU sophomore carded an even 72 over the final 18 holes to finish the three-day event with a combined score of 3-over 219.
Spiranac found herself in early trouble following a double-bogey and a bogey on the fourth and fifth holes, respectively. However, the first-team all-Mountain West honoree completed the front nine with three birdies and a par to get back to even. After a pair of bogeys at No. 12 and No. 15, Spiranac closed with a rush, draining two straight birdies, including the longest hole on the course, the par-5, 545-yard 18th. With her performance, Spiranac posted the Aztecs' fourth-highest finish ever in regional play following Heather McRae (t-11th - 2010), Malin Enarsson (t-12th - 2011) and Hiroko Fukushima (18th - 1999).
In addition, Christine Wong (Richmond, B.C.) logged her lowest score of the tournament on Saturday, matching Spiranac's 72 to tie for the 35th position at 6-over 222. The SDSU senior turned in another steady round with 14 pars, while offsetting two bogeys with a pair of birdies. With her effort, Wong, the 2011-12 Mountain West women's golfer of the year and four-time all-conference selection, closed out her stellar collegiate career with her best 54-hole total in four consecutive regional appearances.
Meanwhile, Emma Henrikson (Malmö, Sweden) climbed four places on the leaderboard, tying for the 57th spot at 9-over 225 following a final-round 74. Despite finishing with a double-bogey, the 2012-13 MW Freshman of the Year managed to shave six strokes off of Friday's round with the help of three birdies.
Spiranac, Wong and Henrikson, who completed their rounds on Saturday before a two-hour lightning delay, were three of six players who received individual bids to the Central Regional. In addition, 24 teams were selected to play in the Central Region for a total of 126 golfers. The top eight teams and top two individuals from non-advancing teams from each regional qualify for the NCAA Championships, set for May 21-24, in Athens, Ga.
Third-ranked Duke (-13) shot a collective 12-under 276 on Saturday to overtake No. 4 and tournament host Oklahoma (-7) for the Central Regional title, while Mississippi State (+8), Florida (+13), Arizona State (+14), UC Davis (+16), Wisconsin (+19) and Michigan State (+20) earned a trip to the finals as well.
Individually, Mississippi State's Ally McDonald (-10) took home medalist honors with a five-stroke victory over Alejandra Cangrejo of Duke and Oklahoma's Emily Collins and AC Tanquay, who all tied for second at 5-under, while Lindy Duncan of Duke (-4) rounded out the top five. Wake Forest's Olafia Kristinsdottir and Ying Luo of Washington tied for eighth at 1-under to grab the two individual berths from the Central Regional in the NCAA finals.
NCAA Central Regional ChampionshipsFinal ResultsJimmie Austin OU G.C.Norman, Okla.Par 72, 6,298 yards
Individuals Leaders (Top 5 of 126)1. Ally McDonald, Mississippi State 69-69-68--206 (-10)T2. Alejandra Cangrejo, Duke 72-69-70--211 (-5)T2. Emily Collins, Oklahoma 67-70-74--211 (-5)T2. AC Tanguay, Oklahoma 71-70-70--211 (-5)5. Lindy Duncan, Duke 69-72-71--212 (-4)
SDSU IndividualsT19. Paige Spiranac, SDSU 72-75-72--219 (+3)T35. Christine Wong, SDSU 74-76-72--222 (+6)T57. Emma Henrikson, SDSU 71-80-74--225 (+9)