Horned Frogs Close Season At NCAA East Regional
5/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
May 7, 2011
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- TCU shot a final round 294 Saturday in Daytona Beach, Fla., its best round at the NCAA East Regional, but fell just three strokes shy of qualifying for the NCAA Championships for a fifth straight year.
The top-eight teams at each of the three regional sites advance to the NCAA Championships. TCU had reached the national tourney a school record four straight years. The Horned Frogs were one of just seven teams to finish in the top 20 at each of the last four NCAA Championships.
The Horned Frogs, who finished 10th, lowered their score each day at the NCAA East Regional, from an opening-round 302 to 297 Friday and Saturday's 294.
TCU, ranked 32nd, concluded play with an 893, three shots behind No. 29 Florida State and No. 19 Vanderbilt who tied for eighth at 890. Vanderbilt won a subsequent playoff to advance to the NCAA Championships.
Top seed and No. 3 Alabama finished first with a 2-over-par 866.
With a final-round 73, Brooke Beeler was TCU's top finisher, tying for 28th with a 5 over 221. Beeler birdied two of her opening three holes Saturday en route to a team-best four birdies on the day.
Sanna Nuutinen and Melissa Loh led TCU Saturday with 72s.
Loh, a senior from Singapore in her final collegiate tournament, recorded par on 15 holes and added two birdies Saturday. She tied for 31st with a 222.
Nuutinen, the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, birdied four consecutive holes, her second through fifth holes of the day. The Helsinki, Finland, native lowered her score each round in tying for 38th at 223.
TCU senior Prisela Campbell and junior Rachel Raastad recorded final-round 77s. With back-to-back fourth-place results, Campbell had been the Horned Frogs' top finisher in their last two tournaments.
Alabama's Stephanie Meadow took medalist honors with a 9-under 207.
The 2010-11 season saw the Horned Frogs win the Mountain West Conference championship for the second time in five years and reach the postseason for a 16th consecutive campaign. TCU won two tournaments in the same season for the first time since 1997-98.
Team Scores
1. Alabama - 287-284-295=866
2. North Carolina - 293-282-293=868
3. Arizona State - 295-288-288=871
4. Coastal Carolina - 286-298-292=876
5. California - 290-295-293=878
6. Purdue - 295-285-299=879
7. Florida - 298-297-285=880
T8. Vanderbilt - 302-295-293=890
T8. Florida State - 297-295-298=890
10. TCU - 302-297-294=893
11. Michigan State - 297-299-298=894
12. Louisville - 301-302-296=899
13. Auburn - 302-299-302=903
14. Mississippi - 303-293-310=906
15. UNC Wilmington - 304-308-302=914
16. Texas Tech - 316-303-298=917
17. Augusta State - 302-302-314=918
18. Colorado - 306-307-306=919
19. Stetson - 304-309-312=925
20. Kentucky - 306-309-312=927
21. Florida International - 311-301-317=929
22. Yale - 310-309-311=930
23. Fairleigh Dickinson - 312-324-323=959
24. Alabama State - 334-334-337=1005
TCU Scores
T28. Brooke Beeler - 77-71-73=221
T31. Melissa Loh - 75-75-72=222
T38. Sanna Nuutinen - 76-75-72=223
T85. Prisela Campbell - 74-81-77=232
T98. Rachel Raastad - 83-76-77=236
Players Mentioned
