The University of Colorado women’s golf team has been competing in conference championships since 1995, and on Wednesday the Buffs set a new program standard.
CU, ranked No. 21 in the nation, beat four teams ranked in the country’s top 15 to finish second in the Pac-12 meet in Tucson, marking the school’s best showing in a women’s golf conference championship.
The Buffs’ previous best showing was a third-place finish at the Big 12 tournament in 2006. Colorado has placed fifth each of the past two years at the Pac-12 Championship.
With a 19-over-par 883 total, CU ended up behind only champion UCLA, the No. 3-ranked team in the nation according to Golfstat. The Bruins finished 21 strokes ahead of the Buffs. It was a close call for CU to get second place alone, but junior Brittany Fan helped the cause considerably by making a 25-foot birdie putt on her final hole as the Buffs came in one stroke ahead of third-place Stanford.
CU, coached by Anne Kelly, finished better than No. 1-ranked Stanford (884, third), No. 14 Arizona (887, fourth), No. 6 Southern California (894, fifth) and No. 7 Arizona State (895).
Individually, Colorado put three players in the top 11 — Fan (seventh place at 220), senior Esther Lee (ninth at 221) and freshman Robyn Choi (11th at 222). UCLA’s Lilia Vu claimed the individual title by six with a 7-under-par 209 total.
Women’s Pac-12 Championship
April 24-26, 2017 (final) in Tucson, Ariz.
2. (out of 11 teams) Colorado 296-286-301–883
7. Brittany Fan 74-72-74–220
9. Esther Lee 76-71-74–221
11. Robyn Choi 72-73-77–222
16. Kirsty Hodgkins 74-70-81–225
54. Lauryn Keating 84-86-76–246
Also
33. Former DU golfer Elyse Smidinger, Oregon State 80-75-76–231
