March 21, 2016
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RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. - The 17th-ranked San Diego State women's golf team split its two matches on Monday at the SDSU March Mayhem event, edging TCU 3-2 in an opening-round thriller before dropping a 3-1 decision to UCLA in the afternoon at The Farms Golf Club.
Darkness ultimately suspended competition at the stacked tournament, meaning the Aztecs will await word of their next opponent in the fifth-place bracket following completion of second-round matches Tuesday morning on the par-72, 6,211-yard track.
Against the Horned Frogs, junior Sirene Blair (South Jordan, Utah) provided SDSU's winning margin with a 2-up victory over Annika Clark. The Aztec junior was three holes down at the turn, but quickly narrowed the gap with birdies at No. 18 and No. 1. Despite a bogey on her next hole, the two-time all-Mountain West performer eventually leveled the match after tallying consecutive pars on the third and fourth greens, while her TCU adversary went bogey-bogey. The two golfers halved the ensuing three holes until Blair went ahead to stay after recording a bogey-5 at No. 8, while Clark was saddled with a double. Then on the decisive par-5, 472-yard ninth hole, Blair drained a clutch birdie putt to give the Scarlet and Black a hard-fought victory.
In addition, Georgia Lacey (Del Mar, Calif.) experienced some tense moments of her own en route to another 2-up triumph over Sabrina Pena. The SDSU sophomore led throughout her encounter but Pena threatened on the back nine, trimming the margin to one after carding a birdie-par-par on holes 4-6, while Lacey went par-par-bogey. The Torrey Pines alumna reclaimed a two-hole advantage after sinking a birdie on No. 7, but promptly gave one back after notching a bogey on the eighth green. Lacey withstood the challenge, however, securing the match with a par at No. 9, while Pena finished with a bogey.
Not to be outdone, Emma Henrikson (Malmö, Sweden) shook off some early rust to register a 4&2 conquest over Brooke Graebe. The Aztec senior, ranked third in the latest Golfstat Cup standings, was down two holes on the front nine, but quickly turned the tables with four birdies and three pars on her final seven greens, while Graebe was unable to overcome the sting of three bogeys on holes 4, 5 and 7.
Earlier, TCU's Brooke McDougald dispatched sophomore Mila Chaves (Asuncion, Paraguay), 3&2, while Kelly McGovern edged fellow classmate Haleigh Krause (Eugene, Ore.), 1-up, setting the stage for Blair's heroics.
Krause had a chance to halve her match with McGovern, but both players recorded pars on the ninth green. Conversely, Chaves nursed a two-hole advantage on the front nine until three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 15-17 allowed McDougald, who pocketed three straight pars during the same stretch, to vault in front for good. Despite two birdies after the turn, Chaves could not prolong the match as a bogey-5 at No. 7 derailed her comeback hopes, while her Horned Frog opponent made par.
San Diego State was unable to repeat the formula in the afternoon as sixth-ranked UCLA posted three victorious decisions in five encounters. Lacey was the Scarlet and Black's lone winner in round two, capturing a 4&3 triumph over the Bruins' Hadas Libman.
On the other hand, UCLA's Bronte Law drained seven birdies to dispatch Blair by a 5&3 count, while Louise Ridderstrom emerged with a 3&2 triumph over Henrikson, who was plagued by a rocky start with three bogeys on her first five holes. Chaves had a chance to halve her match with the Bruins' Bethany Wu, but both players made par on the 18th hole. Elsewhere, the duel pitting Krause and Lillia Vu was dormy after No. 17, with Vu holding a 1-up advantage.
The second round of the SDSU March Mayhem will be completed on Tuesday, followed by a full slate of third-round championship and consolations matches. Live results courtesy of BirdieFire are available on GoAztecs.com.
SDSU March Mayhem
Day One SDSU Results
March 21, 2016
The Farms Golf Club
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
Round One
No. 17 SAN DIEGO STATE 3, No. 40 TCU 2
Individual Results
1. Emma Henrikson (SDSU) def. Brooke Graebe (TCU), 4&2
2. Sirene Blair (SDSU) def. Annika Clark (TCU), 2 up
3. Kelly McGovern (TCU) def. Haleigh Krause (SDSU), 1 up
4. Brooke McDougald (TCU) def. Mila Chaves (SDSU), 3&2
5. Georgia Lacey (SDSU) def. Sabrina Pena (TCU), 2 up
Round Two
No. 6 UCLA 3, No. 17 SAN DIEGO STATE 1
Individual Results
1. Louise Ridderstrom (UCLA) def. Emma Henrikson (SDSU), 3&2
2. Bronte Law (UCLA) def. Sirene Blair (SDSU), 5&4
3. Lillia Vu (UCLA) vs. Haleigh Krause (SDSU), dormy
4. Brooke McDougald (TCU) def. Mila Chaves (SDSU), 1 up
5. Georgia Lacey (SDSU) def. Hadas Libman (UCLA), 4&3