by Lady Raiders Fall 4-1 To Duke in Quarterfinals
BRADENTON, Fla. — When Texas Tech senior Stephanie Bertelsen sat around during the second rain delay of the NCAA San Antonio Regionals on May 9, she wondered if that day would be her last round of college golf, ending her two years at Tech after transferring from Western Texas College as a two-time All-American.
The Lady Raiders were five shots out of qualifying for the NCAA Championships on the final day, trailing rival Texas and leading medalist Bertine Strauss. Bertelsen was struggling, shooting 4-over and 3-over the first two days.
Then she decided it shouldn’t be over.
“I wasn’t ready for it to end,” Bertelsen said. “We knew we could keep going and surprise some people.”
That round changed everything for Texas Tech, who went on to come back from five strokes down with three holes to play to tie for fifth at regionals. The Lady Raiders then pushed through to make the 15-team cut and then the eight-team, match play portion of the NCAA Championships this week.
Five girls who played together for the first time as a team back in February and were ranked as low as 68 to start the season were now one of just eight teams remaining on Tuesday to play for a national championship.
“I want to say yes, I was thinking about it being possible (six months ago),” head coach JoJo Robertson said. “I think (this team) can do anything if they absolutely work hard and put their minds to it. But to actually be here and experience it – it’s the greatest thing to ever happen to our program and it’s been so much fun.”
The Texas Tech women’s golf team’s amazing run came to an end on Tuesday at The Concession Golf Club as the Lady Raiders fell 4-1 to Duke in the NCAA Championships Match Play Quarterfinals.
Tech finishes tied for fifth overall – its best finish ever in a women’s golf national championship in only its second appearance in program history (1996).
“I know we didn’t play our best today,” Robertson added. “But knowing that we have four players returning that have now already been here – I think they are going to do everything they can to try and do this again next year.”
Tech led four of the five matches early on with teams teeing off on No. 1 as junior Sarah Brown bounced back immediately after dropping her first hole to Lisa Maguire and Bertelsen won two of her first three holes to go 2 up on Sandy Choi. Brown would never trail again, winning 3 and 2 after a par on 15 – bouncing back nicely after an 86 on Monday.
“I hit the ball really well,” Brown said. “Out here par is a great score, and that was our game plan from the start — we just wanted to hit the green, two putt and just make our pars. If you can make 18 pars out here you’re gonna win your match.”
But her win would go down as the only one for Tech in the first women’s match play championship as Duke turned its early four-match deficit around at the turn. Tech left the sixth hole up 4-1 but entered hole 14 down 3-1-1 as Annika Award winner and top-ranked amateur Leona Maguire won 5 and 4 against Tech freshman Gabby Barker (Shoshone-Paiute).
Once freshman Lauren Mason fell 3 and 2 on the 16th and junior Kimmy Hill the same on 15, Choi was dormie (two up, with two to play) on the 17th green. Bertelsen conceded to end the quarterfinal.
As much as a fairy tale as it may have seemed at time for Lady Raider fans, the team bought into the philosophy and excitement with their coaches and made a run no Texas Tech women’s golf team had done before.
Tech left Monday’s stroke play with 530 birdies on the season – the most by any Division I team this season, while Barker tied Gabby Dominguez for the lowest round by a Tech golfer in a national championship after a 3-under 69 on Monday that elevated Tech into a tie for 6th to make match play. Her even par 72 was the fourth-lowest round by a Lady Raider while Bertelsen recorded the fifth lowest (73) and Mason the third-lowest with a 1-under 71 Monday.
Needless to say, it exceeded every expectation for Robertson.
“I really didn’t know what to expect this week,” she admitted. “But spending this much time with them and seeing them get to go through this has been so much fun.”
