FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Heading into the NCAA Women's Golf Championship this week, the goal all along was to finish in the top eight during stroke play and make it to match play. That goal became a reality for the Auburn women's golf team Tuesday morning.
It was supposed to happen Monday, but the third round of stroke play at Blessings Golf Club was suspended due to darkness. So the Tigers had to wait. And though they were feeling good, up three strokes on ninth place with just two golfers left to finish, there was a sigh of relief when sophomore Kaleigh Telfer made her par putt on 18 to clinch eighth place.
"I know we only had two holes left, but golf is a crazy game," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said. "You just never really know, but I'm glad to have that behind us. It was our goal. To win a national championship, you have to be in the final eight. So we now have a chance. And that's really what we ask for is just to have the opportunity."
Telfer made par on the last two holes Tuesday morning and wrapped up the third round with a 76 (+3). The sophomore finished in a tie for 16th overall, shooting a team-high 224 (+5) through three rounds.
Auburn would not have been in such a good spot Tuesday if not for the efforts from Julie McCarthy and Brooke Sansom, who both finished their rounds the day before. McCarthy made four birdies as she carded a 78 (+5) for the round, and Sansom was clutch with three birdies on the back nine, including one on 18 (Hole 9) shortly before play was suspended.
"I was feeling confident with my putter," Sansom said. "I even told myself right before I stepped up on the last putt on the ninth hole, 'I'm going to make this.' Sure as the world I did."
McCarthy tied for 36th on the player leaderboard while Sansom finished in a tie for 61st.
Mychael O'Berry had one hole left to play Tuesday, and even with a bogey, the sophomore still shot a round of 78 (+5) that included one birdie. She placed in a tie for 73rd. Rounding out the Auburn contingent was junior Elena Hualde Zúñiga, who finished in a tie for 111th overall.
The Tigers will begin match play at 8:50 a.m. CT against top-seeded Texas, the team winner from the stroke-play portion of the event. The two sides will tee off from the first hole.
"Our team is not afraid or intimidated of anybody," Luellen said. "This is a hard golf course. Pars are going to win holes, and birdies are going to win holes. They just have to come out and keep free swinging."
The quarterfinals will be shown live on Golf Channel. Live scoring can also be found on Golfstat.com.
Team Standings
1. Texas -- 883 (+6)
2. Duke -- 890 (+14)
3. USC -- 893 (+17)
4. Arkansas -- 900 (+24)
5. Wake Forest -- 902 (+26)
6. Arizona -- 904 (+28)
7. Stanford -- 906 (+30)
8. Auburn -- 915 (+38)
T9. Illinois -- 917 (+41)
T9. Purdue -- 917 (+44)
11. Florida -- 918 (+42)
12. Florida State -- 924 (+48)
13. Northwestern -- 925 (+49)
T14. Arizona State -- 926 (+50)
T14. Virginia -- 926 (+50)
T14. Ole Miss -- 926 (+50)
17. Kent State -- 930 (+54)
18. Washington -- 937 (+61)
19. San Jose State -- 938 (+62)
20. UCLA -- 941 (+65)
21. Indiana -- 944 (+68)
22. UCF -- 945 (+69)
23. Vanderbilt -- 946 (+70)
24. Tennessee -- 950 (+74)
Auburn Individuals
T16. Kaleigh Telfer -- 76, 72, 76 (+5)
T36. Julie McCarthy -- 78, 73, 78 (+10)
T61. Brooke Sansom – 78, 80, 75 (+14)
T73. Mychael O'Berry -- 83, 74, 78 (+16)
T111. Elena Hualde Zúñiga – 81, 76, 86 (+24)