Perhaps the only thing USC didn’t do well at the NCAA women’s golf championship was give coach Andrea Gaston the celebratory Gatorade bath.
Gaston was able to outrun her cooler-carrying team on the 18th green Friday, minutes after the Trojans won their third national championship. Led by medalist Annie Park, USC shot par in the final round for a record-breaking 19-under finish, 21 shots ahead of second-place Duke on the University of Georgia Golf Course. The previous 72-hole record in the NCAA championship was the 4 under by UCLA in 2004.
“That was an awesome victory today,” Gaston said. “The girls just played amazing.”
The Trojans extended a school-record with their seventh title this year and added to NCAA championships won in 2003 and 2008.
The race to win the individual title also lacked excitement. Park, the third-round leader, shot 1-under 71 to finish 10 under, six shots ahead of Duke’s Lindy Duncan. A freshman, Park enrolled in USC in the spring. The NCAA individual title was her fourth victory this year. She became the seventh freshman to win the event.
“It was unexpected. I was just trying to play my best every shot,” she said. “It turned out to be good.”
Both victories seemed predetermined.
USC was tied for the lead after the first round, opened a 12-stroke lead after the second round and extended it to 17 entering Friday’s fourth round. USC became the first team since Tulsa in the inaugural 1982 championship to post the day’s lowest score in all four rounds. The Trojans’ margin of victory was the largest since Arizona won by 21 in 2000.
“It was going to be a long day, and we were going to have to play really well,” said Duncan, who ended her college career with an eagle. “We needed to get some help from them, and they are such a solid team and so experienced and have such great coaching. They did such an amazing job.”
It was a much different effort and result than last year, when the Trojans finished second to Alabama by one stroke at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn. They lost their lead and that tournament in the final three holes and said that collapse crossed their minds Friday.
“Last year was pretty brutal,” Sophia Popov said. “This year it was extremely comfortable. … Thanks Annie.”
Like the teams chasing USC, Park’s challengers were blown away on the windy 6,372-yard, par-72 course Friday.
Mississippi State’s Ally McDonald, two strokes behind entering the final round, shot 7 over on the first nine to take herself out of contention. She finished 9 over on the day, 2 over for the tournament.
Alabama’s Stephanie Meadow, who also started two back of Park, shot 3 over on the front nine. She signed for an 8-over 80 to finish 1 over and in a tie for sixth.
Auburn continued one of the bittersweet runs in the tournament. Playing without coach Kim Evans, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer earlier this month, the Tigers rallied from being in last after the first round to finish sixth (31 over).
“It’s unbelievable for the season, for everything that’s happened to us, for coach and for everyone,” said Auburn’s Marta Sanz, who finished tied for 10th (2 over).
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