Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
NCAA Regional Final Round
Texas Tech Captures Bid to NCAA Championship
May 09, 2015 | Women's Golf
May 9, 2015
Photo Gallery
Final Results
Postseason Notes
NCAA Regional Central Page
Final Scores and Stats
SAN ANTONIO -- Texas Tech junior Kimmy Hill sunk a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 and freshman Gabby Barker followed with a four-foot par to help seal Tech's first NCAA Championship bid in 19 years with a 2-under par finish at the NCAA Women's Golf Regional on Saturday at Briggs Ranch Golf Club.
Tech (292-283-287--862) finished 2-under par in a tie for fifth with Washington - the Lady Raiders' highest finish ever in 14 NCAA Regional appearances.
Tech now heads to Bradenton, Florida for the NCAA Championship at The Concession Course, May 22-27. This is Tech's first appearance since finishing 12th in 1996 at the NCAA Championship.
Texas Tech was trailing Texas by just one shot with Hill and Gabby Barker still on the final hole. Hill looked over her 15-footer twice, reading the break then putt it left of the hole and turned almost with disbelief as the ball dropped in, putting Tech at 2-under par and in a tie for sixth.
Then Barker chipped her third shot to within four feet of the hole and sunk it for par to guarantee Tech a 2-under finish for the tournament with Texas still out on the course on the final five holes.
The Longhorns would bogey twice on 18 as Tech finished its final three holes 2-under par, completing its comeback after trailing Texas by as many as five shots on the back nine Saturday.
Hill, Barker and Sarah Brown all finished at par or better for the second consecutive day while collecting 11 birdies total in the final round. Tech played solid top to bottom in the lineup with Lauren Mason and Stephanie Bertelsen finishing with a 1-over 73 and 4-over 76, respectively.
Hill tied for 13th overall at 2-under par while Barker and Brown finished tied for 19th at 1-under. Not bad for three players playing in their first NCAA Regional along with Mason.
The group had to overcome morning frustrations with two weather delays that pushed back the original tee times 90 minutes and then a third delay after Bertelsen, Mason and Brown teed off on the first two holes.
Tech, who played the front nine as its second nine the last two days, lit up the its first birdie opportunities to stay at even par for the round and within striking distance of Texas and sixth place. Then Brown sunk a 22-foot birdie on 11 and tapped in for another on 13 after hitting the 534-yard par 5 in two to get Tech within two shots of the Horns.
But all five players would bogey the 15th hole to push Tech back to five shots with just three holes remaining.
A triple bogey and bogey by Texas on 15 and 16 opened the door for the Lady Raiders as Bertelsen and Brown birdied the par-3 17th before Hill and Barker sealed the comeback on 18.
Brown finished with the third-most birdies this week with 13 while Mason finished with the second-most pars with 42.
Players Mentioned
