Florida Gators
NCAA Championships
Women?s Golf Team Finishes Season Tied For Sixth At NCAA Championships
Saturday, May 27, 2006 | Women's Golf
The University of Florida women's golf team completed a successful 2005-06 season on Friday by finishing in a three-way tie for sixth at the NCAA Championships. It was the program's best showing since 2002, when it also placed sixth, and marked the fourth time in head coach Jill Briles-Hinton's tenure that the Gators posted a top-10 effort at NCAAs.
UF shaved two shots off its third-round score and carded a 72-hole total of 1,202 (293-307-302-300) (+50) to earn its second-consecutive finish in the top-10 at the national tournament. The Gators, Georgia and Washington occupied sixth, two shots behind California, and the trio trailed fourth-place Arizona State by seven shots. Duke collected its second-straight title and fourth NCAA crown by 10 strokes over runner-up Southern California
Sophomore Sandra Gal (Leichlingen, Germany) made a valiant effort over the four rounds to become the second Gator in school history to win the individual medal at the NCAA Championships. Entering the final round tied for second in the 126-player field, a 74 left Gal five strokes behind medalist Dewi Schreefel from Southern Cal. By placing fourth, Gal joined an elite group of Florida players, including Deb Richard (1985), Karen Davies (1985, 1987), Page Dunlap (1986), Michele Vinieratos (1990) and Andrea Vander Lende (2003), that have secured a top-five NCAA finish.
Gal's day began on the back-nine of the Scarlet Course at the Ohio State Golf Club, where she birdied the 16th hole and seized the lead. However, a pair of bogeys by Gal on the seventh and eighth holes opened the door for Schreefel to make a move. The USC standout made birdie on three of her final five holes to claim the individual medal. Gal finished the tournament tied for fourth with a three-over total of 291, while Schreefel carded a 286 (-2) and was the lone player below par.
“Sandra made a strong run at it,” said Briles-Hinton. “Coming in, she was trying to catch the leader, so she had to play a solid round today. The reason she was in contention was because she played smart. Although Sandra knew that she was playing well and in contention, she never realized that she held the lead at one point.”
Despite wet and windy conditions, the Gators managed to hold their ground on the final day to earn their second consecutive top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships and also improved one spot into sixth. A thunderstorm in the area halted play in the afternoon and there was a steady drizzle throughout the remainder of the day.
“It was brutal, especially in the afternoon,” said Briles-Hinton. “The weather definitely changed the complexion of the course. The greens are usually slower with the rain, but they were not today because they are so good here. I think the conditions played some tricks on our players.”
Competing in her second NCAA Championships, sophomore Tiffany Chudy (Miramar, Fla.) improved upon her 16th-place performance last season by finishing tied for 12th. Chudy turned in a three-over 75 during the final round for a 72-hole total of 295 (+7).
Sophomore Whitney Myers (East Berlin, Pa.) carded a 75 (+3) during the final round for her best performance of the week and finished tied for 105th. Freshman Mallory Blackwelder (Versailles, Ky.) finished her first NCAA Tournament tied for 93rd after carding a 72-hole total of 312 (+24), while redshirt freshman Ornella Jouven (La Ciotat, France) rounded out the Gator lineup with a 29-over 317.
Team Results
| Place | School | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | Total | Par |
| 1. | 297 | 292 | 287 | 291 | 1167 | +15 | |
| 2. | 291 | 300 | 298 | 288 | 1177 | +25 | |
| 3. | 301 | 295 | 298 | 293 | 1187 | +35 | |
| 4. | 292 | 294 | 310 | 299 | 1195 | +43 | |
| 5. | 305 | 301 | 295 | 299 | 1200 | +48 | |
| T6. | 293 | 307 | 302 | 300 | 1202 | +50 | |
| T6. | Georgia | 306 | 305 | 291 | 300 | 1202 | +50 |
| T6. | Washington | 305 | 304 | 293 | 300 | 1202 | +50 |
| 9. | 301 | 295 | 300 | 307 | 1203 | +51 | |
| 10. | 299 | 313 | 298 | 295 | 1205 | +53 | |
| 11. | 301 | 306 | 303 | 297 | 1207 | +55 | |
| 12. | 301 | 298 | 305 | 304 | 1208 | +56 | |
| T13. | 303 | 290 | 315 | 301 | 1209 | +57 | |
| T13. | 307 | 301 | 295 | 306 | 1209 | +57 | |
| 15. | 297 | 312 | 301 | 301 | 1211 | +59 | |
| 16. | 305 | 305 | 301 | 302 | 1213 | +61 | |
| 17. | 296 | 319 | 297 | 304 | 1216 | +64 | |
| 18. | 311 | 299 | 308 | 299 | 1217 | +65 | |
| 19. | Texas A&M | 302 | 306 | 316 | 295 | 1219 | +67 |
| 20. | 311 | 305 | 306 | 299 | 1221 | +69 | |
| 21. | 312 | 307 | 304 | 306 | 1229 | +77 | |
| 22. | 313 | 301 | 304 | 312 | 1230 | +78 | |
| 23. | 298 | 307 | 319 | 308 | 1232 | +80 | |
| 24. | 307 | 317 | 310 | 314 | 1248 | +96 |
Top 10 Individuals
| Place | Name | School | 1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | Total | Par |
| 1. | 73 | 74 | 70 | 69 | 286 | -2 | ||
| 2. | 73 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 288 | E | ||
| 3. | 76 | 72 | 70 | 72 | 290 | +2 | ||
| T4. | 74 | 72 | 71 | 74 | 291 | +3 | ||
| T4. | 68 | 71 | 75 | 77 | 291 | +3 | ||
| T6. | 78 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 292 | +4 | ||
| T6. | 73 | 74 | 76 | 69 | 292 | +4 | ||
| 8. | 76 | 73 | 72 | 72 | 293 | +5 | ||
| T9. | 76 | 74 | 70 | 74 | 294 | +6 | ||
| T9. | 76 | 76 | 76 | 66 | 294 | +6 | ||
| T9. | Virginia | 76 | 74 | 72 | 72 | 294 | +6 |
Florida Results
| Place | Name | Scores | Par |
| T4. | Sandra Gal | 74-72-71-74 = 291 | +3 |
| T12. | Tiffany Chudy | 69-75-76-75 = 295 | +7 |
| T93. | Mallory Blackwelder | 76-80-80-76 = 312 | +24 |
| T105. | Whitney Myers | 82-83-76-75 = 316 | +28 |
| T108. | Ornella Jouven | 74-80-79-84 = 317 | +29 |
-UF-
