Golf | NCAAs anything but a breeze

NCAAs anything but a breeze

• Martin: Tiffany Joh laughs away all this ‘tornado business’
• Slideshow: Gone with the wind
• Click here for Golfweek's complete postseason coverage

By BETH ANN BALDRY
Senior Writer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – To say teams were blown away by Round 2 of the NCAA Championship is an understatement. Wind gusts over 40 mph plagued most of the day and caused a considerable amount of angst.

It was difficult to tell who players and coaches were most frustrated with: Mother Nature or NCAA officials.

Play was suspended for the first time at 1:10 p.m. May 21, just as the morning wave began to finish. Southern California and UCLA managed to wrap things up and post an 8-over 584 total. Of the teams that finished, Denver posted the day’s lowest round, 6-over 294, and trails by three.

After an initial two-hour, 10-minute delay, teams were sent out to resume play. Officials hoped for a weather lull but instead found even stronger wind gusts.

“I thought it was calmer before they called it off the first time,” said Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst, who was 3 under through 14 holes. When she returned to finish her round, Blumenherst three-putted twice to post 1-under 71.

Then came a rather strange request. After signing her scorecard, Blumenherst had to retrieve her coach’s cap out of a greenside bunker. Duke coach Dan Brooks couldn’t get his own hat because NCAA coaches aren’t allowed in bunkers or on putting surfaces.

Hats, bags, scoreboards, even port-a-poties toppled over on this odd desert day. Just before play was suspended for a second time, a tree blew over and into a hazard on the front side. So much for that lull.

“It was a tough call,” said Brooks of Wednesday’s delays. “Not a good day to be a rules official.”

Arizona State’s Azahara Munoz faced a two-foot par putt on her last hole (No. 9) moments before play was suspended for the day at 4:55 p.m. Munoz placed her ball on the green and then watched it roll 2 feet left. Frustrated, she walked off the green and grabbed a drink of water. She then conferred with rules officials and holed out for an even-par 72 and 3-under total. Munoz trails Southern Cal’s Belen Mozo (71) by one shot.

“I wish we could’ve kept playing because I felt like I was kind of cold when I came back,” said Munoz, who doubled her first hole back out.

Tiffany Joh single-handedly kept UCLA atop the leaderboard with a seven-birdie 69, the day’s best round.

“I’m glad we’re done and off the course,” said Bruin coach Carrie Forsyth, who didn’t stick around for post-round theatrics.

Many coaches were stunned to hear the horn blow the first time. Rules officials saw “ball movement on four different greens,” though no penalties were assessed. Tina Krah, NCAA director of championships, said conditions weren’t dangerous but felt that players were in an “unfair situation.”

“Our intent is to not wait until there are penalties,” Krah said. “Our intent is to protect them from penalties.”

As coaches and players gathered around the UNM clubhouse, many said they never saw the wind blow one ball. Tulsa coach Randy Keck called the decision “one of the worst he’s ever seen.”

At the Conference USA Championship in El Paso, Keck said “the dirt was so thick in the air you couldn’t see the ball.” Tulsa not only finished, they won.

Purdue coach Devon Brouse also oversees the men’s program in West Lafayette, Ind. He counted at least three tournaments this year where the men played in tougher winds.

“I don’t see this as a dangerous situation,” Brouse said. “You have the Rules of Golf to cover balls moving on the greens.”

The majority of coaches felt officials called play prematurely. Was it unplayable early in the day? Many didn’t think so.

“I don’t know what they saw that we didn’t,” said TCU coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin, who observed more difficult conditions earlier in Puerto Rico.

With similar winds forecasted for the rest of the day, coaches saw no need to call play the first time. The fact that everyone sat around and wasted more than two hours before going out to play in even worse conditions didn’t sit well with most folks. Not to mention the fact that any rhythm they had was lost.

Play resumes Thursday at 7 a.m., but Krah said to expect similar winds – plus rain. If all goes as planned, officials hope to re-pair for Round 3 and have a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start.

The NCAA traditionally uses Saturday as a built-in weather day. But six Curtis Cup players are in this field and the five Team USA members are scheduled to fly out early Saturday morning en route to Scotland.

“We haven’t even decided for sure that we’re even going into Saturday,” said Krah. “Everything is an option right now.”

Arkansas senior Stacy Lewis is one of those players who needs to get out of town. The defending NCAA champion was three holes into her second round when play was halted and is 1 over for the tournament.

Lewis was on the other end of a similar situation last September at the LPGA’s NW Arkansas Championship. She led the rain-shortened event after the first round but the event was deemed unofficial because it was less than 36 holes. That week it was the U.S. Solheim Cup team that needed to catch a flight to Sweden.

“If we were going to play we needed to play and not even have a delay,” said Lewis, a Texas native. “I just kind of question what they did, but we couldn’t do anything about it.”

• • •

Scores with relation to par from the second round of the NCAA Women’s Championship, played May 21 at the par-72, 6,424-yard University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M. (Note: play suspended due to wind; y-playing as individual):

TEAMS

1. USC	284-300--584	+	8
1. UCLA	289-295--584	+	8
3. Alabama	296-0--296	+	9 thru 3-5
4. Texas A&M	295-0--295	+	11 thru 6-8
4. Denver	293-294--587	+	11
6. Arkansas	298-0--298	+	14 thru 3-6
6. Oklahoma St.	294-0--294	+	14 thru 6-8
8. Arizona St.	290-301--591	+	15
9. South Carolina	306-0--306	+	19 thru 3-6
9. Wake Forest	293-0--293	+	19 thru 6-9
11. LSU	300-0--300	+	21 thru 1-4
12. Duke	299-300--599	+	23
13. UC Davis	298-0--298	+	24 thru 1-5
13. Georgia	297-303--600	+	24
13. Florida	301-299--600	+	24
16. Purdue	298-304--602	+	26
17. Virginia	296-0--296	+	27 thru 6-8
17. Tulsa	297-0--297	+	27 thru 6-9
19. Auburn	289-315--604	+	28
20. Texas	298-0--298	+	29 thru 6-9
21. TCU	298-310--608	+	32
22. UNLV	314-297--611	+	35
23. Furman	312-0--312	+	36 thru 1-5
24. Arizona	307-309--616	+	40

• • •

INDIVIDUALS
1. Belen Mozo, USC	69-71--140		-4
2. Azahara Munoz, ASU	69-72--141		-3
3. Nannette Hill, WFU	67-0--67		-2 thru 6
4. Tiffany Joh, UCLA	74-69--143		-1
4. Sydnee Michaels, UCLA	69-74--143		-1
4. Ashley Freeman, Texas A&M	71-0--71		-1 thru 6
4. y-Alexandra Phelps, New Mexico	69-0--69		-1 thru 1
8. Stephanie Sherlock, Denver	71-73--144		E
8. Kathleen Ekey, Alabama	73-0--73		E thru 3
8. y-Caroline Westrup, FSU	72-0--72		E thru 2
11. Chelsea Benton, Denver	72-73--145	+	1
11. Katie Kempter, Denver	73-72--145	+	1
11. Garrett Phillips, Georgia	71-74--145	+	1
11. Sarah Zwartynski, Texas A&M	72-0--72	+	1 thru 7
11. Camilla Lennarth, Alabama	71-0--71	+	1 thru 3
11. Stacy Lewis, Arkansas	73-0--73	+	1 thru 3
17. Amanda Blumenherst, Duke	75-71--146	+	2
17. Danielle McVeigh, Texas A&M	73-0--73	+	2 thru 7
17. Lene Krog, Virginia	70-0--70	+	2 thru 6
17. Helena Blomberg, Alabama	74-0--74	+	2 thru 5
17. Megan McChrystal, LSU	73-0--73	+	2 thru 1
17. Chelsea Stelzmiller, UC Davis	72-0--72	+	2 thru 1
23. Stefanie Endstrasser, USC	72-75--147	+	3
23. Maria Hernandez, Purdue	74-73--147	+	3
23. Paola Moreno, USC	70-77--147	+	3
23. Karin Kinnerud, Okla. St.	73-0--73	+	3 thru 7
23. Amanda Johnson, Okla. St.	73-0--73	+	3 thru 6
23. Kristin Ingram, Arkansas	73-0--73	+	3 thru 3
23. Benedicte Toumpsin, S.C.	76-0--76	+	3 thru 3
23. Bly Worley, S. Carolina	75-0--75	+	3 thru 3
23. y-Sara-Maude Juneau, L'ville	75-0--75	+	3 thru 2
23. y-Angela King, Stanford	75-0--75	+	3 thru 2
23. Amalie Valle, LSU	74-0--74	+	3 thru 2
34. Anna Nordqvist, ASU	75-73--148	+	4
34. Glory Yang, UCLA	73-75--148	+	4
34. Pernilla Lindberg, Okla. St.	76-0--76	+	4 thru 8
34. Michaela Cavener, Tulsa	73-0--73	+	4 thru 7
34. Natalie Sheary, WFU	74-0--74	+	4 thru 7
39. Prisela Campbell, TCU	72-77--149	+	5
39. Cydney Clanton, Auburn	74-75--149	+	5
39. Ornella Jouven, Florida	77-72--149	+	5
39. Jessica Yadloczky, Florida	75-74--149	+	5
39. Jennie Arseneault, Virginia	71-0--71	+	5 thru 7
39. Ashley Rollins, Texas	73-0--73	+	5 thru 6
39. Alice Kim, UC Davis	73-0--73	+	5 thru 2
39. y-Lauren Doughtie, N.C. St.	76-0--76	+	5 thru 1
39. Stefanie Kenoyer, Furman	76-0--76	+	5 thru 1
48. Christel Boeljon, Purdue	73-77--150	+	6
48. Krystle Caithness, Georgia	76-74--150	+	6
48. Melissa Loh, TCU	74-76--150	+	6
48. Jennifer Osborn, ASU	73-77--150	+	6
48. Lizette Salas, USC	73-77--150	+	6
48. Maria Jose Uribe, UCLA	73-77--150	+	6
48. Alison Walshe, Arizona	76-74--150	+	6
48. Tammy Clelland, Okla. St.	73-0--73	+	6 thru 7
48. Leisl Hasbrouck, Tulsa	76-0--76	+	6 thru 7
48. Woori Shin, Tulsa	72-0--72	+	6 thru 6
48. Camila Mori, S. Carolina	78-0--78	+	6 thru 5
48. Lucy Nunn, Arkansas	76-0--76	+	6 thru 5
48. Kelli Shean, Arkansas	76-0--76	+	6 thru 5
61. Kimberly Donovan, Duke	77-74--151	+	7
61. Alejandra Guacaneme, UNLV	78-73--151	+	7
61. Therese Koelbaek, UNLV	75-76--151	+	7
61. Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Purdue	72-79--151	+	7
61. Candace Schepperle, Auburn	69-82--151	+	7
61. Dewi Claire Schreefel, USC	73-78--151	+	7
61. Margaret Shirley, Auburn	71-80--151	+	7
61. Jaclyn Sweeney, Okla. St.	75-0--75	+	7 thru 8
61. Allie Bodemann, WFU	75-0--75	+	7 thru 7
61. Kristin Walla, Texas	74-0--74	+	7 thru 7
61. Courtney Harter, Alabama	78-0--78	+	7 thru 5
61. Rebecca Kuhn, LSU	76-0--76	+	7 thru 3
73. Carrie Morris, TCU	75-77--152	+	8
73. Juliana Murcia, ASU	73-79--152	+	8
73. Jennifer Pandolfi, Duke	73-79--152	+	8
73. Innapha Tantanavivat, Georgia	75-77--152	+	8
73. Caney Hines, Texas	76-0--76	+	8 thru 8
73. Alex Schulte, Arkansas	80-0--80	+	8 thru 6
73. Whitney Simons, S. Carolina	77-0--77	+	8 thru 5
80. Tiffany Chudy, Florida	76-77--153	+	9
80. Jennie Lee, Duke	74-79--153	+	9
80. Sarah Thead, Auburn	75-78--153	+	9
80. Bryana Gregory, UC Davis	78-0--78	+	9 thru 5
80. Sarah Sturm, Alabama	80-0--80	+	9 thru 5
80. Alexis Rather, LSU	77-0--77	+	9 thru 4
80. Jackie Hilea, Furman	77-0--77	+	9 thru 2
87. Junthima Gulyanamitta, Purdue	79-75--154	+	10
87. Natasha Krishna, UNLV	80-74--154	+	10
87. Dawn Shockley, Denver	78-76--154	+	10
87. Maiya Tanaka, UCLA	75-79--154	+	10
87. Amanda Wilson, Arizona	76-78--154	+	10
87. Laura Crawford, WFU	77-0--77	+	10 thru 8
87. Shannon Fish, Texas	75-0--75	+	10 thru 7
87. Whitney Neuhauser, Virginia	77-0--77	+	10 thru 7
87. Sydney Roughton, UC Davis	77-0--77	+	10 thru 4
87. Blair Lamb, Furman	79-0--79	+	10 thru 3
87. Katie Sisler, UC Davis	76-0--76	+	10 thru 3
98. Carolina Andrade, Georgia	77-78--155	+	11
98. Tonya Choate, UNLV	81-74--155	+	11
98. Ellie Givens, Denver	77-78--155	+	11
98. Mallory Hetzel, Georgia	75-80--155	+	11
98. Mary Jacobs, Arizona	78-77--155	+	11
98. Joy Kim, Virginia	79-0--79	+	11 thru 8
104. Hannah Yun, Florida	73-83--156	+	12
104. Julia Best, Texas	78-0--78	+	12 thru 9
104. Calle Nielson, Virginia	78-0--78	+	12 thru 8
104. Corrine Carr, Furman	80-0--80	+	12 thru 4
104. y-Erica Moston, SJSU	81-0--81	+	12 thru 1
109. Valentine Derrey, TCU	77-80--157	+	13
109. Alejandra Llaneza, Arizona	77-80--157	+	13
109. Kelly Fuchik, Tulsa	76-0--76	+	13 thru 8
109. Ashley Baker, Furman	80-0--80	+	13 thru 5
109. Caroline Martens, LSU	81-0--81	+	13 thru 4
114. Mariana Macias, Auburn	76-82--158	+	14
114. Nicole Schachner, Florida	82-76--158	+	14
114. Alison Whitaker, Duke	82-76--158	+	14
114. Lauren Johnson, Texas A&M	79-0--79	+	14 thru 8
114. Taylor Barrett, S. Carolina	84-0--84	+	14 thru 6
119. Tara Goedeken, Tulsa	80-0--80	+	15 thru 9
119. Miranda Orr, Texas A&M	85-0--85	+	15 thru 8
121. Allyson Ferguson, TCU	78-82--160	+	16
121. Liisa Kelo, ASU	76-84--160	+	16
123. Jean Chua, WFU	79-0--79	+	17 thru 9
124. Emily Mason, Arizona	81-82--163	+	19
124. Stephanie Oukeo, Purdue	80-83--163	+	19
126. Kasi Lee, UNLV	83-83--166	+	22

Posted: 5/21/2008

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