Duke Women's Golf in NCAA Finals

[Indoor66]

Why would Duke suffer more fatigue than other teams? I don't see any reason for complaint - all play the same course for the same holes.

[sagegrouse]

Why would Duke suffer more fatigue than other teams? I don't see any reason for complaint - all play the same course for the same holes.

Last year the Devils were noticeably slighter than the Baylor team, to whom it lost in the afternoon round.

My point: college golf is an 18-hole per day contest. Why the eff should we have the NCAA quarters and semis on the same day?

[DukieInKansas]

Calling Coach Cut to help with off season training.

[SoCalDukeFan]

This current format is great for the fans but it is a lot of golf.

Why not cut the medal play portion to 54 holes and play the match play over 3 days?

I do think this tournament and this format has had all you could want in a sporting event.

First of all joy and dominance - how else to describe Virginia Elena Carta and her personality and 8 shot individual win.
You had heartbreak as Ok State and Az with good chances don't get into the quarterfinals.
A UCLA player 3 up with 3 to go, getting tied, then losing in the extra hole to a sand shot that went in for birdie.
Or the Washington player, down 3 with 3 to go winning the match with sand shot.
I could go on and on.

Duke will be back next year.

SoCal

[devildeac]

Why would Duke suffer more fatigue than other teams? I don't see any reason for complaint - all play the same course for the same holes.

K makes our ladies play too many minutes, err, rounds. Oh, wait, never mind.

[rsvman]

OMG, the coverage of Oklahoma State's Linnea Johansson final hole was hide-behind-the-couch scary. Linnea needed a par to clinch a spot in the playoffs for Oklahoma State. She made triple bogey. And it seemed like the camera kept a close-up on her face during the entire debacle around the green and for ten minutes afterwards.

Yeah. That hurt. In my opinion, the way she handled herself in that situation was absolutely exemplary.

I had half a mind to pick up a pen and paper and write her a letter telling her how impressed I was, and how much I admire the way she took it. Golf has a way of inflicting cruel punishment on its players, even the good ones. That could've happened to anyone. Most people would have fared a lot worse than she did, IMO.

[grossbus]

yeah, it was almost like they were hoping for tears.

[sagegrouse]

Luo from Washington just pitched in from 61 yards for birdie and the win in what looks like the deciding match between U Dub and Stanford.

[sagegrouse]

Luo from Washington just pitched in from 61 yards for birdie and the win in what looks like the deciding match between U Dub and Stanford.

Kim from Stanford was down three with three left, and won all three holes against Alvarez from U Dub. They are headed to the 19th hole.

Stackhouse from Stanford and Rhee from Washington are on their second extra hole.

Stanford must win both OT's; U Dub needs only to win one.

[awhom111]

Stanford also gets a lotta credit for pulling it together at NCAA tournament time. The Cardinal was ranked only #12 among all the teams participating. Duke was #5; USC and UCLA were #2 and #3, FWIW, Alabama was #1 and didn't come close to making the playoffs.

I am still somewhat ambivalent about "36-hole Tuesday." I mean, for heavens sales! Classes are over! Why not take an extra day? Last year, our trim and slim ladies looked a bit fatigued in the semis against the sturdy Baylor misses, when the players had to carry their own bags. This year the players used push carts, but we played better in the morning against a tough USC team than against Stanford.

Oddly enough, all of the other semifinalists still had classes. A number of the schools involved are on the quarter system thanks to the Pac 12 bias. USC is on semesters, so no excuses for them.

Luo from Washington just pitched in from 61 yards for birdie and the win in what looks like the deciding match between U Dub and Stanford.

It was such a great shot that Danielson of Stanford celebrated with her with as much enthuasiasm as any of the Washington team. I don't recall any Tarheels hugging Kris Jenkins after he made that shot...

[sagegrouse]

Kim from Stanford was down three with three left, and won all three holes against Alvarez from U Dub. They are headed to the 19th hole.

Stackhouse from Stanford and Rhee from Washington are on their second extra hole.

Stanford must win both OT's; U Dub needs only to win one.

Washington wins on the third extra hole -- Julianne Alvarez over Lauren Kim.

[grossbus]

Last couple of hours were fairly exciting.

[rsvman]

That was so much more compelling than the Cavs-Raptors game, wasn't it?

Alvarez had about a 15-foot putt to win the National Championship on 17, and then had to 2-putt the 18th for Washington to win. To be fair, it wasn't the world's easiest 2-putt on 18, up over a ridge and about 30-ish feet. She left the first putt about 5 feet short and lipped out the putt that would've won the thing.

Pretty impressive for her to still win the match in extra holes after losing 16, 17, and 18. And remember that she is a freshman, playing against a seasoned senior with lots of pressure experience.


What a great win for UDub!

[duke79]

That was so much more compelling than the Cavs-Raptors game, wasn't it?

Alvarez had about a 15-foot putt to win the National Championship on 17, and then had to 2-putt the 18th for Washington to win. To be fair, it wasn't the world's easiest 2-putt on 18, up over a ridge and about 30-ish feet. She left the first putt about 5 feet short and lipped out the putt that would've won the thing.

Pretty impressive for her to still win the match in extra holes after losing 16, 17, and 18. And remember that she is a freshman, playing against a seasoned senior with lots of pressure experience.


What a great win for UDub!

Yes, Congrats to UWash. Great win for them ! Very exciting and nerve-wracking finish. Looked like UWash would win quite easily, then Stanford came back to even the match and I thought that they would win with the momentum on their side. But the Freshman from UWash hung on to win her match on the 20th hole for the team win ! One of those matches where neither side deserved to lose. I actually felt sorry for the Stanford players (even though they beat Duke).

[jimsumner]

That was so much more compelling than the Cavs-Raptors game, wasn't it?

Alvarez had about a 15-foot putt to win the National Championship on 17, and then had to 2-putt the 18th for Washington to win. To be fair, it wasn't the world's easiest 2-putt on 18, up over a ridge and about 30-ish feet. She left the first putt about 5 feet short and lipped out the putt that would've won the thing.

Pretty impressive for her to still win the match in extra holes after losing 16, 17, and 18. And remember that she is a freshman, playing against a seasoned senior with lots of pressure experience.


What a great win for UDub!

Taking the trash out to the curb was more compelling than the Cavs-Raptors game.

[grossbus]

I did that, actually.

[MCFinARL]

Oddly enough, all of the other semifinalists still had classes. A number of the schools involved are on the quarter system thanks to the Pac 12 bias. USC is on semesters, so no excuses for them.



It was such a great shot that Danielson of Stanford celebrated with her with as much enthuasiasm as any of the Washington team. I don't recall any Tarheels hugging Kris Jenkins after he made that shot...

Yes, I agree. That was particularly nice to see in this tournament--the generous way the players responded to other people's success. They showed the whole Stanford team after that shot and, after their immediate shock, all smiled and acknowledged the the great play.

[johnb]

It looks like the team loses only Celine to graduation. How likely is Virginia to go pro? Have they announced recruitments for next year? I didn't find anything online, and there are lots of countries not yet represented on the squad.

Btw, since Leona was ill, why didn't they sneak her twin sister onto the course since she's also on the team, and they look alike? Or are there rules about cheating in golf?

[duke79]

It looks like the team loses only Celine to graduation. How likely is Virginia to go pro? Have they announced recruitments for next year? I didn't find anything online, and there are lots of countries not yet represented on the squad.

Btw, since Leona was ill, why didn't they sneak her twin sister onto the course since she's also on the team, and they look alike? Or are there rules about cheating in golf?

Very good questions. I also was wondering about what next year's team might look like. Unless Virginia turns pro (is this a consideration?), everyone will be back, with the exception of Celine. I have not read anything about recruits but we may only need one or two new players to fill out the team. Not to be a "homer", but it might be nice to have a U.S. player on the team.

Also, I wonder if there are NCAA rules that would allow for the substitution of another team member for a player who is too sick to play? (and I like your creative suggestion of surreptitiously substituting her twin sister !) I thought it was almost cruel to force Leona to play 36 holes of golf in one day when she was suffering from Vertigo. Frankly, she did not look good when walking around the course. (and she played very gutsy golf, under the circumstances. Credit to her!) I would have been furious as her parent, if she were my daughter.

[rsvman]

...Or are there rules about cheating in golf?

LOL!