May 7, 2011
After qualifying for a sudden-death playoff in dramatic fashion on the final day of the NCAA East Regional in Daytona Beach, Fla., the Commodores put the cherry on top with a win over Florida State in the playoff and advanced to the NCAA Championship May 18-21 in College Station, Texas. This marks Vanderbilt’s second consecutive trip to the national championship and its sixth overall.
Last year, the Commodores finished in seventh place at 2010 NCAA Championship at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C.
This season’s trip to the NCAA’s was not an easy one. The Commodores trailed Florida State, who was occupying the eighth position towards the end of their round, by two strokes and needed two bogeys in the last three holes by the Seminoles’ top finisher, Jessica Negron, to force a playoff.
In the playoff, Megan Grehan made a birdie to lead off for the Commodores, and it turned out to be the deciding score. Vanderbilt saw pars from Marina Alex and Lauren Stratton, and bogeys from Anna Leigh Keith and Rene Sobolewski to post an even-par 16 (bottom score gets dropped) for the playoff. Florida State could only muster a one-over par, 17, and Vanderbilt came away with the victory and a berth in the NCAA Championship.
“We had to sit around for a 5:10 start, and we didn’t get started until 5:15 or so,” said Vanderbilt head coach Greg Allen, who advanced to his second NCAA Championship as the Commodore head coach and his eighth overall. “But, I felt good out there. We were calm and at peace, and we came through, even after some high scores.
“Greez hit it in within ten feet, and then made the birdie,” said Allen. “It was very cool to see them celebrate, and fitting to see Grehan make that putt.”
Vanderbilt’s round on Saturday was a roller coaster ride from start to finish – three of the four qualifying scores posted a double bogey or worse. Telling, though, was the way the team responded to the adversity. Stratton made double bogey on the eighth hole, her 17th, but turned around and made birdie on number nine. Freshman Rene Sobolewski followed a triple bogey on the second hole, her 11th, with a birdie on three. Junior Marina Alex had two birdies and a triple bogey, which came on hole four, but parred out to keep her team in contention.
Stratton led Vanderbilt with a one-under par, 71, on Saturday, after struggling in her first two rounds at LPGA International. In her first two rounds, she shot an 80 and 77, respectively.
“Our phrase that we kicked around this week was ‘Bullet Proof'”, said Allen. “We listened to a song with that phrase in it and we listened to it a bunch of times in the van. It was a fitting song. We survived a lot, especially in the final round, and moved on. It’s a great feeling.”
The Commodores also counted a 73 from Alex, a 74 from Sobolewski, and a 75 from Grehan. Keith posted a third-round 76. For the day, the Commodores posted a 293, its best total of the three-day event. Vanderbilt finished 10 strokes back of seventh-place Florida, who scorched LPGA International with a three-under par, 285. VU finished the tournament with a 26-over par, 890 (297-295-298).
Alabama won the regional with a two-over par, 866, two strokes in front of North Carolina. Stephanie Meadow of Alabama ran away with medalist honors after carding a nine-under par, 207 (71-67-69), six strokes better than Pia Halbig of California.
T-8. Vanderbilt – 302-295-293=890
T20. Marina Alex – 77-70-73=220
T38. Anna Leigh Keith – 73-74-76=223
T44. Rene Sobolewski – 76-75-74=225
T52. Megan Grehan – 76-76-75=227
63. Lauren Stratton – 80-77-71=228
