May 8, 2018
NCAA Tallahassee Regional 2nd Round Scores
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Vanderbilt women’s golf team will need a big effort Wednesday in the final round of NCAA regional competition to advance to the national championship.
The Vanderbilt squad started quickly Tuesday in second-round action at the Don Veller Seminole Golf Club in Tallahassee, but could not maintain the momentum over the closing nine holes. They finished the day tied for 10th in the team standings with a 36-hole total score of five-over par 581.
To reach the national championship, the Commodores must finish among the top six teams in Tallahassee. They enter the third round Wednesday needing to make up 10 strokes on Arizona, currently in sixth position in the standings.
The Commodores were led by freshman Louise Yu for the second straight day. She fired a 1-under par 71 in the second round, and is tied for 13th in the individual competition with a two-day total of 3-under 141.
Vanderbilt head coach Greg Allen acknowledged his team needs one of its best rounds of the season to have a chance of advancing to the NCAA Championship, which begins May 18 in Stillwater, Okla.
“For whatever reason, these first two rounds have been a struggle for us,” Allen said. “But I honestly believe we have a really low round in us tomorrow and that’s what it is going to take. Everybody will have to step up and contribute to make it happen.”
With Yu leading the way with three early birdies, the Commodores got off to a fast start Tuesday, making the turn collectively at two-under par, then adding a pair of birdies at the par-5 10th hole. From there, Allen’s squad struggled getting to the clubhouse, making just five total birdies over the last eight holes.
For the second straight day, Vanderbilt failed to solve the Seminole Golf Club greens. The Commodores frequently missed opportunities to convert close-to-midrange looks at birdie.
“We’re just not making putts. It’s really that simple,” Allen said.
Yu is making the most of her first NCAA appearance. Starting with a birdie on the opening hole, Yu reached three-under on the round by sinking birdie putts on the par-5 No. 4 and par-4 No. 7. After missing birdie attempts on consecutive par-5s at No. 9 and No. 10, Yu recorded bogeys on No. 11 and No. 16 to post the 1-under round.
Yu, from Duluth, Ga., needs a superb round Wednesday to challenge for medalist honors. She is tied for 15h place, seven strokes off the pace of individual leader Jennifer Kupcho of Wake Forest.
Zeng, from Orlando, twice posted back-to-back birdies during the round, but ended the day with bogeys on No. 17 and No. 18 en route to a 1-over par 73.
Yu’s two freshmen teammates, Morgan Baxendale of Orlando and Virginia Green of Fairhope, Ala., recorded scores of 2-over par 74. Both made two birdies in the round.
Abbey Carlson, from Lake Mary, Fla., made three birdies in the round, but struggled with four bogeys on the way to a 3-over par 75.
NCAA Tallahassee Regional
Second Round Scores
Team Results
1. Alabama (-18) 282-276=558
2. Washington (-14) 273-289=562
T-3. Furman (-13) 280-283=563
T-3. Florida State (-13) 286-277=563
4. Clemson (-12) 285-279=564
6. Arizona (-5) 290-281=571
7. Wake Forest (-2) 285-289=574
8. UNLV (+2) 295-283=578
9. Georgia (+3) 287-292=579
T-10. Vanderbilt (+5) 289-292=581
T-10. Tennessee (+5) 285-296=581
12. Missouri (+10) 296-290=586
13. Denver (+11) 297-290=586
14. Kennesaw State (+13) 296-293=589
15. Coastal Carolina (+35) 309-302=611
16. College of Charleston (+37) 307-306=613
17. Richmond (+39) 314-301=615
18. Albany (+49) 314-311=625
Vanderbilt Individuals
T-15. Louise Yu (-3) 70-71=141
T-36. Morgan Baxendale (+2) 72-74=146
T-41. Courtney Zeng (+3) 74-73=147
T-46. Abbey Carlson (+4) 73-75=148
T-48. Virginia Green (+5) 75-74-149
