SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. – When Kaleigh Telfer came up to the par-5, 503-yard No. 9 hole, Auburn's spot in the NCAA Women's Golf Championship was on the line. But the pressure did not get to the senior as she helped secure Auburn's ticket to the championship, drilling an 18-foot eagle putt on her final hole of the day.
"When I hit my drive down the fairway, I said to myself that I need to make an eagle or at least give myself a chance," Telfer said. "I hit a perfect 5-iron just short of the pin. It rolled about 15-18 feet by. I could feel the excitement of the team and they knew I was going to make it and I knew I was going to make it. I could just see it going in. I hit a good putt and it lipped in."
"She (Kaleigh) just has a knack for it," head coach Melissa Luellen said. "She did this for us at SECs when our backs were against the wall. She just gives herself a chance and makes a lot of putts at length."
Telfer finished the day at even par (72), coming in tied for 16th individually with a 218 (+2). The Kyalami, South Africa product added three birdies to go with her eagle.
"I'm always here for the team and we are obviously doing this for each other," Telfer said. "My freshman year, I let the team down at nationals and I didn't want that feeling again. I knew that if I made the putt, I knew that I was going to be happy and the team was going to be happy, too."
Auburn was one of the first teams to finish and played the waiting game as the top teams closed out their rounds. Entering Wednesday at 12th, Auburn soared up the leaderboard to finish in a tie for fourth overall after putting together the lowest round of the day (286, -2) at the University of Louisville Golf Club.
With the gutsy finish, the Tigers punched their ticket to the NCAA Championship for the 19th time in program history.
"This is such a nerve-wracking week, but the team came out and just decided to play great today," Luellen said. "They were so determined and I'm just so proud of them. It was a windy, cold day and the conditions were tough, but the one to cap it off was Kaleigh's eagle putt on the last hole to give us a chance."
"I don't have any words to describe this feeling," Telfer said. "We had to wait a long time before we knew the result. This is obviously what we came to Auburn for, and we didn't want to end our season at regionals."
Before the day began, fifth-year senior Elena Hualde Zúñiga provided the team motivation before they hit the links.
"On the way to the course, I was just thinking about how my career could end here," Hualde Zúñiga said. "I just told the team that we had to step it up and be our best. We had no other option because I didn't want to end my time at Auburn here."
Hualde Zúñiga put together the team's best round of the tournament, firing a 2-under 70 on the final day. The Pamplona, Spain product concluded the week at 11th with an even-par 216, finishing with four birdies on the day and 10 overall.
"I just stayed patient today," Hualde Zúñiga said. "I was playing really well, but my birdies weren't dropping. Finally, on the final stretch, I was able to make those putts. It was all about patience for me."
Sophomore Megan Schofill had her best performance of the week, shooting a 1-under 71 for the day with four birdies. She finished tied for 34th overall at 7-over 223. Freshman Anna Foster came in for the final round after serving as alternate the first two days and put together a 1-over 73 for the squad.
"We put Anna (Foster) in the lineup, and she started out hot," Luellen said. "It was a magical performance for a freshman in that kind of pressure situation and I'm so proud of her."
Senior Mychael O'Berry rounded out the Auburn lineup with a five-over 77 and finished tied for 45th overall.
Florida State won the event at 8-over (872) and will be joined at the NCAA Championships by Texas (875), UCLA (875), Auburn (878), Michigan State (878) and South Carolina (879). The Gamecocks and Arkansas finished in a tie for sixth and South Carolina advanced in a sudden-death playoff.
The NCAA Championships will begin Friday, May 21 from the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Team Standings
1. Florida State - 286-291-295—872 (+8)
T2. Texas – 297-287-291—875 (+11)
T2. UCLA – 291-295-289—875 (+11)
T4. AUBURN – 296-296-286—878 (+14)
T4. Michigan State – 292-293-293—878 (+14)
T6. South Carolina – 295-286-298—879 (+15) (advanced in a playoff)
T6. Arkansas – 299-282-298—879 (+15)
T8. Texas Tech – 301-288-292—881(
T8. UCF – 299-289—588 (+12)
10. Tennessee – 299-294—593 (+17)
11. Louisville – 293-289—582 (+6)
12. North Florida – 302-287—589 (+13)
13. UTSA – 303-298—601 (+25)
14. Mercer – 302-287—589 (+13)
15. College of Charleston – 305-301—606 (+30)
16. James Madison – 303-291—594 (+18)
17. Xavier – 306-299—605 (+29)
18. Fairleigh Dickinson – 314-324—638 (+62)
Auburn Individuals
11. Elene Hualde – 74-72-70—216 (E)
T16. Kaleigh Telfer – 73-73-72—218 (+2)
T34. Megan Schofill – 77-75-71—223 (+7)
T45. Mychael O'Berry – 72-76-77—225 (+9)
X. Elina Sinz – 77-76-X—153 (+9)
X. Anna Foster – X-X-73—73 (+1)
