Tulane University
Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship
Women's Golf Finishes Fourth At Mercedes-Benz Championship
Oct 21, 2003 | Women's Golf
Oct. 21, 2003
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Sophomore Liliana Alvarez fired a two-under par 70 and the Green Wave shot a season-best 293 as the Tulane University women's golf team finished fourth in the Mercedes-Benz Women's Championship Tuesday afternoon at the par-72, 6,201-yard Fox Den Country Club.
Alvarez tallied six birdies on the day to lead the Green Wave, finished tied for third in the overall running and was just two shots off the lead with a three-day score of 219 (73-76-70). Tulane, which came into the tournament ranked No. 20 in the nation by GolfStat.com and 21st by Golfweek Magazine, bounced back from a rough day two - when they shot a 16-over par 304 - to tally a five-over par over the final 18 holes.
"This is the kind of golf we are capable of playing," head coach Sue Bower said. "This is more like the team that won three events last year. We hit a bump yesterday, but came out strong today with a great finish. Lili had another great day, and the whole team did, really. I'm proud of the way we played, and I look forward to us getting better as the season moves on."
The Green Wave defeated several Top 30 teams (Golfstat.com/Golfweek Magazine) during the tournament, including fifth-place Georgia (11/7), sixth-place Arkansas (29/29), eighth-place Michigan State (9/12), ninth-place UNLV (28/NR), host Tennesse (22/20) and LSU (26/NR) - which finished tied for 10th - 12th-place Kent State (19/26) and 13th-plce South Carolina (23/24).
"The competition we faced in this tournament, and the other two tournaments we played in already this year, was very good," Bower said. "These are the kinds of teams we'll see in the NCAA Regionals, and this will no doubt help us as continue to prepare for the Conference USA Championships in April."
Like Alvarez, senior Carolin Landmann saved her best performance of the tournament for Tuesday, firing a one-over par 73 to finish the event tied for 24th with a 224 (76-75-73). Freshman Mary Ellen Jacobs was next for Tulane with a three-day, nine-over par 225 (71-78-76) to finish tied for 26th, and junior Alexis Wooster rounded out the Green Wave scorers with a 74 on Tuesday to finish 14 over par and tied for 42nd place (81-75-74).
Sophomore Jessica Issler, meanwhile, finished the tourney tied for 75th with a 241 (76-84-81), and rookie Maggie Cuningham - who competed in the tournament as an individual - finished with an identical score after shooting an 81 on Tuesday (77-83-81).
Ohio State's Allison Hanna (73-69-75) tied Courtney Mahon (72-74-71) of Arkansas for the individual title with one-over par 217s, followed by Alvarez, Louis Stahle of the Swedish Jr. Nationals (74-78-67), Annie Thurman of Oklahoma State (77-73-69) and Gabby Wedding of Kent State (75-71-73) with three-over par 219s.
The Buckeyes took home the team title with a 20-over par 884 (296-292-296) to claim the trophy by one stroke over the Cowboys of Oklahoma State (291-298-296).
The Green Wave returns to action on Friday, Oct. 31, when Tulane begins play in the Landfall Traditional Collegiate hosted by UNC-Wilmington in Wilmington, N.C.
TEAM SCORES: 1. Ohio State 296-292-296=884 (+20); 2. Oklahoma State 291-298-296=885 (+21); 3. Swedish Jr. Nationals 291-314-287=892 9+28); 4. Tulane 296-304-293=893 (+29); 5. Georgia 299-292-306=897 (+33); 6. Arkansas305-300-296=901 (+37); 7. Northwestern 307-297-301=905 (+41); 8. Michigan State 301-307-299=907 (+43); 9. UNLV 303-302-305=910 (+46); T10. Tennessee 300-311-308=919 (+55), LSU 301-309-309=919 (+55); 12. Kent State 311-302-308=921 (+57); 13. South Carolina 304-307-315=926 (+62); 14. Alabama 310-307-311=928 (+64); 15. Penn State 318-303-309=930 (+66); 16. Virginia 327-308-297=932 (+68); 17. Purdue 310-308-317=935 (+71).
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS: T1. Allison Hanna (Ohio State) 73-69-75=75 (+1), Courtney Mahon (Arkansas) 72-74-71=217 (+1); T3. Liliana Alvarez (Tulane) 73-76-70=219 (+3), Louise Stahle (Swedish Jr. Nationals) 74-78-67=219 (+3), Annie Thurman (Oklahoma State) 77-73-69=219 (+3), Gabby Wedding (Kent State) 75-71-73=219 (+3).
TULANE INDIVIDUAL SCORES: T3. Liliana Alvarez 73-7670-219 (+3); T24. Carolin Landmann 76-75-73=224 (+8); T26. Mary Ellen Jacobs 71-78-76=225 (+9); T42. Alexis Wooster 81-75-74=230 (+14); T75. Jessica Issler 76-84-81=241 (+25), Maggie Cunningham* 77-83-81 (+25).
*participating as an individual
Players Mentioned
