University Southern California Trojans
No. 1 USC At PING/ASU Intercollegiate
March 31, 2011 | Women's Golf
March 31, 2011
The USC women's golf team, ranked No. 1 by Golfweek.com, Golf World and Golfstat.com and featuring three of the nation's top 8 ranked golfers, finish the regular season at the 37th Annual PING/ASU Intercollegiate, Friday through Sunday (April 1-3), at the Karsten G.C. in Tempe, Ariz.
USC has won two tournaments this year and has not finished lower than third in any of its seven events. Troy will, however, be playing without junior Lisa McCloskey, who received a special amateur exemption into the LPGA Nabisco Championship (which began today).
The PING/ASU Intercollegiate field includes No. 9 Arizona State, No. 10 Arizona, No. 6 California, Denver, New Mexico, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, No. 14 Pepperdine, San Diego State, Stanford, Texas, TCU, No. 2 UCLA, No. 1 USC, No. 19 Vanderbilt, Washington, Washington State.
Eighteen holes of action begins each day at 7:30 a.m. (PDT) with tee times off the No. 1 and 10 holes on the par 72, 6,230-yard course. Live results will be available at Golfstat.com.
The Women of Troy, under 15th-year head coach Andrea Gaston, have their long-term sights set on challenging for the program's third NCAA title despite losing a pair of All-Americans from last year's NCAA second-place team, Belen Mozo and Jennifer Song.
Featured on this year's USC squad is three-time All-American senior Lizette Salas (ranked third nationally), part of USC's 2008 title team, as well as junior transfer McCloskey (ranked fifth), an All-American at Pepperdine the last two years. Both players are among Golf World's "Top 10 Women's Golf Collegiate Players to Watch" in 2010-11. Freshman Sophia Popov has come on strong in the spring with five straight top 7 finishes.
USC is coming off of its three straight top 2 finishes, including its first two wins of the season, a two-stroke victory at the 2011 Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge (its second straight title at the event) and a four-shot win at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate. Most recently, USC tied for second at the Battle at Rancho Bernardo. The previous back-to-back wins since finishing the 2008 season with four straight victories, culminated with its second NCAA title. In all, USC has two firsts, two seconds, two thirds and a tie for third.
Lizette Salas
Lizette Salas, who is working to become USC's first-ever four-time All-America, is off to another great start with four top 7 finishes and six in the top 14 in seven starts as a senior. Salas, ranked No. 3 in the country by Golfweek.com, opened the season with a third at the 2010 Fall Preview with a 6-under 210 (70-70-70) and finished second at the Edean Ihlanfeldt at 7-under 209 (71-71-67) ... Salas began the spring season with a tie for seventh at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at 8-over 221 (71-77-73) and tied for 14th at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate at 1-over 217 (74-74-69). She then tied for second at the Battle at Rancho Bernardo with a 1-under 215 (73-71-71) ... She has 13 career rounds in the 60s (including three this year), which is tied for second all-time at USC with Belen Mozo. Jennifer Song holds the record (15).
Lisa McCloskey
Lisa McCloskey, ranked No. 5 in the country by Golfweek.com, has got off to a fast start as a Trojan with six top 11 finishes this season. She tied for fourth at the 2010 Fall Preview at 5-under 211 (74-70-67), tied for fourth again at the Mason Rudolph Championship at 7-under 209 (70-72-67), finished fourth at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational at 5-under 211 (72-75-64) and tied for 10th at the Pac-10/SEC Challenge at 3-over 216 (69-73-74) to finish the fall campaign ... She opened spring play with a tie for 11th at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at 9-over 222 (73-72-77) and tied for seventh at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate at 1-under 215 (73-70-72) ... Her final round 64 at the Edean Ihlanfeldt, which included nine birdies and one bogey, tied Irene Cho's school record set at the 2006 Guadalajara Invitational. It broke USC's best round by a Trojan on American soil, which belonged to Salas, who had a 65 at the 2009 Pac-10 Championships at the Stanford G.C. ... McCloskey is tied for team-best with four rounds in the 60s.
Sophia Popov
Sophia Popov, a German native who won the 2010 International European Ladies Amateur Championship, is one of the top freshmen in the country and ranked No. 8 by Golfweek.com after five straight top 7 finishes ... She registered her first collegiate win at the Pac-10/SEC Challenge, winning at 6-under 207 (72-68-67). That followed a fifth-place finish at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational at 2-under 214 (68-74-72) and preceded a tie for seventh at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at 8-over 221 (74-74-73). She tied for seventh at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Invitational at 1-under 215 (74-72-69) and then tied for fifth at the Battle at Rancho Bernardo with a 3-over 219 (74-73-72) ... She is tied with teammate Lisa McCloskey with four rounds in the 60s.
Cyna Rodriguez
Sophomore Cyna Rodriguez, a 2010 Pac-10 honorable mention selection ranked No. 57 in the country, has a pair of top 16 finishes and has six top 31 efforts in seven outings. She tied for 16th at both the Edean Ihlanfeldt at 5-over 221 (76-73-72) and at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at 11-over 224 (74-74-76). She tied for 30th at 4-over 220 (72-70-78) at the Fall Preview, tied for 26th at the Mason Rudolph Championship at par 216 (72-72-72) and tied for 24th at the Pac-10/SEC Challenge at 9-over 222 (76-73-73).
Inah Park
Junior Inah Park has three top 27 finishes this season, highlighted by a tie for 11th at the Edean Ihlanfeldt at 3-over 219 (74-71-74). She tied for 23rd at 1-under 215 (71-75-69) at the Mason Rudolph Championship and opened the spring season with a tie for 27th at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge.
Rachel Morris
Freshman Rachel Morris, another top amateur who joined the Trojans this year, has a pair of top 20 finishes. She was 18th at the Mason Rudolph Championship at par 216 (73-72-71) and tied for 16th at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at 11-over 224 (78-71-75). She most recently tied for 36th at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate at 8-over 224 (76-75-73) and tied for 34th at the Battle at Rancho Bernardo.
Season Recaps
NCAA Fall Preview
Lizette Salas finished third and Lisa McCloskey tied for fourth, leading the pre-season No. 1 USC women's golf team to third place in an NCAA Championships-caliber field at the 2010 Texas A&M Fall Preview at the Traditions G.C. in College Station, Texas. USC finished in third at 8-under 856 (289-282-285), seven back of first-place Alabama (849) and six behind second-place LSU (850). Duke was fourth (860) while Georgia was fifth (864) in the 18-team field. Salas fired her third consecutive 2-under 70 to finish at 6-under 210, four back of individual winner Megan McChrystal (206). McCloskey finished at 5-under 211 (74-70-67).
Mason Rudolph Championship
Lisa McCloskey notched her then-best round as a Trojan while Lizette Salas was under par for the second straight day as No. 1 USC combined for the low round of the day and finished tied for third at the 2010 Mason Rudolph Championship at the Legends G.C. in Nashville, Tenn. USC tied with UCLA at 13-under 851 (286-287-278), eight strokes behind LSU (843), which led the entire event. Purdue, defending NCAA champion, was second (845). McCloskey began the day tied for 20th but her 5-under 67, which included six birdies against only a bogey on 16, enabled her to climb north to tie for fourth at 7-under 209 (70-72-67). Salas, meanwhile, tied for 21st at 2-under 214 (76-68-70) after a four-birdie, two-bogey outing,
Edean Ihlanfeldt
Lisa McCloskey tied USC's record for low round with an 8-under 64 while Lizette Salas carded a 5-under 67 as the No. 2 Women if Troy put together a furious rally to come within two strokes of first place on the final day of the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational on at the Tacoma (Wash.) Country and Golf Club. Troy also shattered its school-record for low combined round with a 13-under 275, three better than the previous mark of 278, which was done three times, most recently on Sept. 26 at the Mason Rudolph Championship. The Trojans entered the final day of play seven strokes back of conference rival Cal and made up most of the difference. But on a day when only three teams were under par, the Bears' 8-under was just good enough to stave off USC's record-setting performance.
Pac-10/SEC Challenge
Freshman Sophia Popov won her first career collegiate title and helped USC to third place at the Pac-10/SEC Challenge at the Stanford G.C. on Sunday (Nov. 7). USC, playing without senior Lizette Salas, still finished a solid 23-over 875 (294-291-290) for its fourth top 3 finish in as many outings. Popov, who started the day tied for fifth, won at 6-under 207 (72-68-67), one better than UCLA's Stephanie Kono (5-under). It was her second straight top 5 finish. She had five birdies against just one bogey during the round.
Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge
Battling rainy weather and a sluggish start, the No. 2 USC women's golf team, led by senior Lizette Salas and freshman Sophia Popov, rallied midway through the final round -- from third to first -- to claim its second consecutive title at the 2011 Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. Troy finished at 32-over 884 (290-295-299), two strokes ahead of the Sun Devils (886) and three ahead of UCLA (887). Salas (71-77-73) and Popov (74-74-73) tied for seventh at 8-over 221.
Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate
A late surge from senior Lizette Salas and another strong effort from freshman Sophia Popov propelled the No. 2 USC women's golf team to its second consecutive victory on the final day of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate at the English Turn Golf & Country Club in New Orleans, La. USC began the round four strokes back of No. 1 Alabama and still trailed heading into the back 9, but a rally led by Salas helped the Trojans pass the Crimson Tide over the final holes. Troy won at 4-over 868 (297-289-282) with Alabama four back at 872 (295-287-290). Host Tulane tied with No. 6 Duke (879) while No. 7 Purdue and No. 8 Virginia tied for fifth (880). Popov (74-72-69) and junior Lisa McCloskey (73-70-72) tied for seventh at 1-under 215. It was Popov's fourth straight top 10 finish and McCloskey's sixth top 11 finish in as many events this year.
Battle at Rancho Bernardo
Senior Lizette Salas tied for second and freshman Sophia Popov tied for sixth as No. 1 USC finished second after the final round of the "The Battle at Rancho Bernardo Inn" event on Tuesday (March 22) at the Championship Golf Course at Ranch Bernardo Inn Golf Resort and Spa in San Diego, Calif. USC's two-match win streak was snapped, but it did post its seventh top 3 finish in as many events this year after taking second at 22-over 886 (299-295-292), seven back of first-place Purdue (879). Salas notched her third top 3 finish and fourth in the top 7 with a tie for second at 1-under 215 (73-71-71), six off the lead. During her final round, she was 1-under on the front 9 and even on the back with four birdies on the day.
