Oct. 15, 2011
Junior Lauren Stratton shot a second-round 67 to lead the Commodores individually and vaulted VU into second place after the second round of the Stanford Intercollegiate on Saturday with a team score of 279, which tied for the lowest round of the day. Freshman Irina Gabasa also added a 69 in her best round of her collegiate career.
#9 Vanderbilt trails the number-one ranked team in the country, UCLA, by four strokes heading into the final round Sunday. The Commodores hold a three-stroke lead over Oregon for second place.
Stratton posted a 67 on Saturday and had the team’s lowest round, but the junior from Spring Hill, Tenn., could have gone even lower in her second time around the Stanford Golf Course. Stratton was seven-under par through 13 holes after notching birdies on two, four, five, six, eight, 10, and 13, but made a triple-bogey six on the par-three 14th. Her ball became embedded on her tee shot, and on her free drop, her ball fell in a hole. She struggled controlling her second shot, and had to settle for the triple.
“I had a hot putter all day,” said Stratton. “I only had 24 putts today, which is a record for me. I made a 15 or 20-foot birdie on two, an up-and-down on three, a 10-footer for birdie on four, and a long putt on five, and when I made that one, it was just like ‘get it on the green and I’ll make it.’ I saw the lines on the putts well all day and they just kept going in.
“I was unlucky on 14,” continued Stratton. “My ball went in a mud hole and I couldn’t get a club on it.”
Freshman Irina Gabasa, competing in only her third collegiate tournament, posted a two-under par 69 in her best career round on Saturday. Gabasa had three birdies and a bogey on Saturday.
Senior Marina Alex, who led the individual field heading into Saturday’s round, carded an even-par, 71, on Saturday, and is still in contention for the individual title. She is currently in a tie for third and trails the leaders, Cassy Isagawa of Oregon and SooBin Kim of Washington, by two strokes.
The Commodores also counted a one-over par 72 – both freshman Kendall Martindale and junior Anna Leigh Keith fired that total on Saturday.
The final round of the Stanford Intercollegiate concludes on Sunday in Stanford, Calif., where the ‘Dores will search for their first team title of the Greg Allen era.
“It’s a great feeling to have a chance,” said Stratton. “We haven’t been in this situation in a while, but we can play with anybody. We’ll just go out tomorrow, do our best, and count them up when we’re done.”
2. Vanderbilt 281-279=560
T3. Marina Alex – 65-71-136
T9. Lauren Stratton – 72-67=139
T31. Anna Leigh Keith – 71-72=143
T41. Kendall Martindale – 73-72=145
T50. Irina Gabasa – 77-69=146
