RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. – The San Diego State women's golf team advanced to the championship round of the Lamkin Invitational with a pair of impressive team wins and two dominating outings by Sara Kjellker Monday at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
The Aztecs opened the day with a 4-1 victory over UC Irvine in match play and then dispatched Central Arkansas, 4.5-0.5, in the championship bracket in the afternoon. SDSU now plays San José State in the championship on Tuesday with the two Mountain West foes teeing off at 8:24 a.m. PT.
Kjellker, a Hollviken, Sweden, native, put together back-to-back 7&6 wins to get San Diego State a crucial point in each match. Starting on the par-5 third hole in the opener against the Anteaters, Kjellker spotted Sienna Lyford an early lead when she parred and Lyford birdied. Kjellker matched Lyford's birdie on the par-4 fourth hole before going on a tear by winning six consecutive holes, including a stretch of four straight birdies. After back-to-back pars on No. 11 and No. 12 gave Lyford hope, the Aztec junior birded the par-4 13th hole and used a par on No. 14 to go up seven just 12 holes in. Each competitor parred the 15th, giving Kjellker a 7&6 triumph.
Against the Bears in the afternoon, who were coming off an upset win over Colorado that went to a tiebreaker, Kjellker again claimed a 7&6 victory, this time over Pim-orn Thitisup. Starting once again on the third hole, Kjellker won the first two holes with a par and a birdie and then reeled off eight consecutive pars to extend her lead to five up after 10. She then birdied the par-4 13th and sealed the victory with a par on No. 14.
In the morning battle with UCI, Fernanda Escauriza (Asunción, Paraguay) and Gioia Carpinelli (Boppelsen, Switzerland) each took down their opponents with a 3&2 finish. Escauriza was at 2-over par through 15 against Megan Yang before tying the 16th to secure the point. Over the 16 holes, the senior held steady with 13 pars. Carpinelli, meanwhile, lost only one hole against former Aztec Cameron Lee, birdieing three holes with nine pars, including a par on the par-4 first hole (her 16th hole of the match) to take the match.
April Ranches (San Diego) picked up SDSU's other point with a hard-fought come-from-behind win over UC Irvine's Maddie Riggs. Down by three holes after a Riggs birdie on No. 11, Ranches went bogey-birdie-par-par to tie the match on 15. She then parred the 16th and 17th with the latter clinching the dramatic comeback.
San Diego State's only blemish in the Anteater match was Ella Adams (Adelaide, Australia) against Angela Bagasbas. Adams led by as many as three holes, but Bagasbas rallied late to keep UCI off the scoreboard.
The Aztecs picked up where they left off in the afternoon with a 4.5-0.5 win over upstart UCA. Kjellker wasn't the only SDSU player to pick up a dominating win as Escauriza (4&3), Ranches (4&3) and Carpinelli (3&2) all took care of business with time to spare.
Escauriza was even-par through 15 holes, erasing a one-hole deficit after three against Elin Kumlin, and winning the sixth, seventh, 10th, 11th and 12th before finally bogeying the 13th and dropping a hole. She followed with consecutive pars to notch another point for San Diego State.
Ranches, meanwhile, once again rallied from an early deficit to pick up her second point of the day. Down one after eight holes vs. Gracen Blount, Ranches squared the match with a par on No. 10. She then won four straight holes starting on No. 12 with two birdies, a par and a bogey to take a four-hole lead. She followed with a par on the par-3 16th to secure the point.
Carpinelli trailed by a hole after three against Camila Moreno, but quickly squared the match and won three straight holes on the ninth, 10th and 11th to take a three-hole lead. Over the final 11 holes, Carpinelli had only one bogey with 10 pars to finish with a 3&2 victory.
Adams tied Tania Nunez in a back-and-forth affair to get an extra ½ point for SDSU.
For tomorrow's championship match against the Spartans, who beat Cal State San Marcos, 4-1, and Washington State, 3.5-1.5, on Monday, San Diego State will send out Carpinelli at 8:24 a.m. against Antonia Malate, Ranches at 8:33 a.m. vs. Ysabel Tran, Escauriza against Maddie White at 8:42 a.m., Kjellker vs. Natasha Andrea Oon at 8:51 a.m. and Adams against Kaisa Arwefjall at 9 a.m.
Lamkin Invitational
Day One Results – Monday, Feb. 10
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
The Farms Golf Club
Par 72, 6,318 yards
First Round
San Diego State def. UC Irvine, 4-1
Sara Kjellker (SDSU) def. Sienna Lyford (UCI), 7&6
Fernanda Escauriza (SDSU) def. Megan Yan (UCI), 3&2
Gioia Carpinelli (SDSU) def. Cameron Lee (UCI), 3 up
April Ranches (SDSU) def. Maddie Riggs (UCI), 1 up
Angela Bagasbas (UCI) def. Ella Adams (SDSU), 1 up
Central Arkansas ties Colorado (UCA wins tiebreaker), 2.5-2.5
Washington State def. Brigham Young, 4.5-0.5
San José State def. Cal State San Marcos, 4-1
Championship Bracket
San Diego State def. Central Arkansas, 4.5-0.5
Sara Kjellker (SDSU) def. Pim-orn Thitisup (UCA), 7&6
Fernanda Escauriza (SDSU) def. Elin Kumlin (UCA), 4&3
Gioia Carpinelli (SDSU) def. Camila Moreno (UCA), 3&2
April Ranches (SDSU) def. Gracen Blount (UCA), 4&3
Ella Adams (SDSU) ties Tania Nunez (UCA), AS
San José State def. Washington State, 3.5-1.5
Consolation Bracket
Colorado def. UC Irvine, 3-2
Cal State San Marcos def. Brigham Young, 3-2
Tuesday Schedule
Championship, 8:24 a.m. (Hole 1)
San José State vs. San Diego State
Third Place, 7:30 a.m. (Hole 1)
Washington State vs. Central Arkansas
Fifth Place, 8:24 a.m. (Hole 10)
Colorado vs. Cal State San Marcos
Seventh Place, 7:30 a.m. (Hole 10)
Brigham Young vs. UC Irvine
Women’s Golf Advances to Championship at Lamkin Invite
