March 25, 2015
RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. - The 24th-ranked San Diego State women's golf team wrapped up the final round of its home tournament on Wednesday in style, knocking off No. 22 Arizona State 3.5-1.5 to capture third place in the championship bracket of match play at the SDSU Farms Invitational.
The Aztecs claimed three victories in the best-of-five series and halved another individual match, finishing with a 3-1 mark in their third annual event, held at the par-72, 6,199-yard Farms Golf Club.
SDSU's biggest win of the day was supplied by No. 1 starter Emma Henrikson (Malmö, Sweden), who posted a 6 & 4 triumph over Roberta Liti. The Aztec junior never trailed in the match, draining three birdies on her first four holes and kept the momentum rolling with seven straight pars from Nos. 8-14 to secure the victory.
Sirene Blair (South Jordan, Utah) also enjoyed an early exit off the course with a 4 & 3 decision over Monica Vaughn. The two golfers were all square after each made five consecutive pars before the SDSU sophomore got her putter working with five birdies over the next 10 holes to raise her individual record to 3-1 for the tournament.
Meanwhile, senior Paige Spiranac (Scottsdale, Ariz.) emerged triumphant as well, dispatching Sophia Zeeb 1-up to clinch the Scarlet and Black's team victory. The two players were deadlocked until the Aztec captain nudged in front to stay after making par at No. 16, while her ASU counterpart recorded a bogey.
Freshman Mila Chaves (Asuncion, Paraguay) also contributed to SDSU's point-total after halving her match with Noemi Jimenez. Chaves found herself trailing by a pair of holes at No. 14, where her Sun Devil adversary imploded with two straight bogeys. The two golfers traded bogeys over the next two holes before each recorded a par on the 18th, resulting in an all-square result.
Tennessee claimed the first-ever team title in the tournament's revamped match-play format with a 4-1 conquest of Colorado, while Oklahoma State downed UNLV 3-2 to finish in fifth in the championship bracket.
San Diego State will have one last tune-up before the Mountain West Championships when it travels to the desert to compete in the PING/ASU Invitational, April 10-12, at Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.
SDSU FARMS INVITATIONALMatch PlayFinal ResultsThe Farms G.C.Par 72, 6,199 yardsRancho Santa Fe, Calif.
SAN DIEGO STATE 3.5, ARIZONA STATE 1.5
Individual Results1. Emma Henrikson (SDSU) vs. Roberta Liti (ASU), 6 & 42. Sirene Blair (SDSU) def. Monica Vaughn (ASU), 4 & 33. Mila Chaves (SDSU) vs. Noemi Jimenez (ASU), AS4. Paige Spiranac (SDSU) def. Sophia Zeeb (ASU), 1 up5. Ashleigh Greenham (ASU) def. Georgia Lacey (SDSU), 5 & 3
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKETChampionship MatchTennessee def. Colorado, 4-1
Third PlaceSan Diego State def. Arizona State, 3.5-1.5
Fifth PlaceOklahoma State def. UNLV, 3-2
Seventh PlacePepperdine def. California, 3.5-1.5
CONSOLATION BRACKETConsolation ChampionshipLong Beach State def. Houston, 3-2
11th PlaceKansas def. Michigan, 3-2
13th PlaceUC Irvine def. New Mexico, 3-2
15th PlaceNevada def. Boise State, 4.5-0.5