Big West Conference Championship
Cal Poly Captures Big West Conference Championship by One Stroke
4/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
FINAL RESULTS (pdf)
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Cal Poly women's golf team is coming home with its first-ever Big West Conference championship trophy, edging UC Riverside by one stroke Tuesday at the Oak Quarry Golf Club.
Coach Sofie Aagaard's Mustangs entered the final round 10 strokes ahead of UC Davis and 12 in front of the defending conference champion Highlanders, who were playing on their home course.
UC Davis, Big West champions from 2010-15, made up just three strokes and fell to fourth place. UC Riverside, which erased a three-stroke deficit to win last year's event in Hawai'I, fell one stroke shy of its second conference crown.
"We came out on fire this morning with birdies early on from everyone," said Aagaard. "Midway through the day, things slowed down. Nerves set in and Riverside starting making birdies and an eagle.
"Our team kept its composure, kept hitting fairways and greens and came through with what was needed," Aagaard added. "I'm very proud of them all and excited to represent Cal Poly and the Big West Conference at the NCAA regionals in a couple of weeks."
Cal Poly, which also won the Battle at the Rock on the same course in February, carded a four-person 300 Tuesday for a 23-over-par 887 total while UC Riverside checked in with a 289 for an 888 aggregate. Hawai'I edged UC Davis by one stroke, 893-894, for third place.
Jamie Binns, Mallory Muehlbauer and Desiree Gillaspy all finished in the top 10 to lead Cal Poly to the team title and an automatic berth in one of four NCAA regionals May 8-10.
Binns carded a final-round 73 for a two-over-par 218 total on the 6,141-yard, par-72 course, finishing in fourth place. Muehlbauer posted a 75 for a 222 total and a tie for seventh place while Gillaspy added a 72 for a 224 aggregate and a 10th-place tie.
Binns carded four birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey for her 73 while Muehlbauer added two birdies and five bogeys. Gillaspy recorded two birdies and a pair of bogeys.
Gillaspy birdied the final hole, 520 yards and par 5, to give Cal Poly a two-stroke advantage. In the final twosome, Binns parred the 18th hole and Le carded a birdie, trimming Cal Poly's final margin to a single stroke.
Also scoring for Cal Poly were Sophie Bergland with a 228 total for 21st place and Jamie Harada with a 235 total for a tie for 34th place. Both recorded final-round 80s.
Martina Edberg of Cal State Fullerton captured top individual honors, recording rounds of 71, 68 and 71 for a six-under-par 210 total and a one-stroke victory over Jakeishya Le of UC Riverside. Isabella Leung of Hawai'I was a distant third with a 217 total.
Edberg also earned medalist honors in the 2014 Big West finals.
Binns finished second in par-3 scoring at one under par and sixth in par-4 scoring at three over par. Gillaspy was the top Mustang golfer in par-5 scoring, finishing in a tie for second place at two under par.
Muehlbauer carded nine birdies, the sixth-highest total among the 40 golfers in the field. Binns' 39 pars is tied for first place with Raquel Ek of Hawai'i.
Riverside's Le carded the lone eagle of the tournament in the final round.
The four NCAA regionals will be held May 8-10 at the University of New Mexico Championship Course in Albuquerque, N.M., Ironwood Golf and Country Club in Greenville, N.C., The Rawls Course in Lubbock, Texas, and Scarlet Course at Ohio State Golf Course in Columbus, Ohio.
The 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship is scheduled for May 19-24 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
Selections will be announced Thursday at 8 a.m. on the Golf Channel and streamed live on the Golf Channel website. Seventy-two teams and 24 individuals will be selected to compete in the regionals.
All-conference awards were announced at the end of the tournament.
Bergland was named to the first team while Binns and Gillaspy landed on the second team. Aagaard, in her second season with the Mustangs, was honored as Coach of the Year.
Edberg was named Big West Player of the Year.
