University of Oregon
Duck Invitational
Cal Edges Oregon by a Stroke to Win Women's Oregon Duck Invitational
03/22/05 | Women's Golf
JUNCTION CITY, Ore. ? California shot a final round 302 and edged Oregon by a stroke to win the Oregon Duck Invitational women's golf tournament, played Tuesday at the par-72, 6,103-yard Shadow Hills Country Club.
Oregon got solid performances from Johnna Nealy and Kim McCready, who both carded 76 Tuesday, but finished second by a stroke in its own tournament for the second straight year. Cal recorded a 908 three-round total, one better than Oregon's 909.
No. 18 Stanford shot a 304 Tuesday, rallying to finish third at 913. Two-time defending champion and 22nd-ranked Washington State finished fourth at 917, Long Beach State was fifth 919, Fresno State took sixth at 921 and No. 4 Washington struggled to finish seventh at 938.
Three-time defending individual champion Kim Welch of Washington State fell a stroke short in her bid to win an unprecedented fourth Duck Invitational title. Welch, a senior from Sacramento, Calif., came into the final round with a one-stroke lead and had a 76 Tuesday, which was still one of the better scores on the rain-lengthened Shadow Hills Course.
But it left the door open for Long Beach State's Kay Hoey, who's 73 was the second best score of the final round. The 49er, who began her round on the fourth hole, birdied No. 16 for a two-stroke edge on Welch and then came home one over par in her final five holes for a 218 three-round total. Meanwhile, Welch bogeyed No. 16 and missed a 20-foot putt for birdie on No. 18 that would have forced a playoff and finished at 219.
McCready, a sophomore from Placerville, Calif., recorded the best finish of her career by tying for third with California's Sofie Anderson and Fresno State's Laura Luethke at 4-over 220. It was McCready's fourth top-10 finish in seven tournaments this season.
Nealy, a senior from Grants Pass, Ore., notched her third top-10 finish of the year by finishing seventh at 224. Oregon's Erin Andrews, a junior from Las Vegas, Nev., recorded her best finish of the season by tying for 15th at 231.
- www.GoDucks.com -
