PLEASANTON, Calif. – The Washington State women's golf team set a conference-championship team record for the lowest three-round and single-round totals after the third and final round of play at the Pac-12 Championships.
WSU's three-round total of 884 (+20) and first-round 287 (-1) are the lowest conference-championship scores in team history. The previous records were held by the 2004-05 team, which shot a team-total 898 and a second-round 293 at the 2005 event also played at Ruby Hills Golf Course.
In field which featured nine top-25 teams, WSU (+20, 884) finished 11th, three strokes behind No. 15 California, which finished ninth (+17, 881). Oregon State finished 10th (+18, 882). After leading every round, No. 2 USC won the tournament with a three-round total of 846 (-18). No. 1 UCLA (-15, 849) and No. 10 Arizona State finished second and third, respectively.
Rounding out the leaderboard was No. 11 Arizona, finishing fourth (-8, 856), followed by No. 40 Colorado in fifth (E, 864), No. 13 Washington in sixth (+2, 866), No. 12 Stanford in seventh (+7, 71), and No. 20 Oregon in eighth (+14, 878).
"The Pac-12 is the best conference for women's golf in the country so to go out and compete all week with the top teams in the country is a testament to the growth of our team," said WSU Head Coach Kelli Kamimura. "Our start today wasn't what we prepared for, but the fight that the players showed to finish the back nine 2-under as a team shows the development and heart of each player."
Sophomore Alivia Brown and junior Cherokee Kim tied for 23rd at 2-over par (218), the third-best conference-championship score in team history. The duo led the Cougars through each of the three rounds and tied with the No. 45 golfer in the nation, Washington's Ying Luo. Arizona State's Linnea Strom, ranked No. 19, took home individual honors with a three-round 205 (-11).
"I am proud of Cherokee and Alivia's top-25 finish," Kamimura said.
Senior Monica Huang tied for 36th (+6, 222), four strokes behind Brown and Kim. Sophomore Bree Wanderscheid finished 54th (+18, 234) after recording her lowest score of the tournament in the third round, while senior Nani Yanagi finished 55th (+20, 236).
"We are continually getting better and I look forward to what's ahead," Kamimura said.
Washington State Results
T23. Alivia Brown 70 (-2)-72 (E)-76 (+4)=218 (+2)
T23. Cherokee Kim 70 (-2)-73 (+1)-75 (+3)=218 (+2)
T36. Monica Huang 74 (+2)-72 (E)-76 (+4)=222 (+6)
54. Bree Wanderscheid 81 (+9)-77 (+5)-76 (+4)=234 (+18)
55. Nani Yanagi 73 (+1)-79 (+7)-84 (+12) =236 (+20)
