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Pepperdine Women's Golf Wins West Coast Conference Championship
The Pepperdine women's golf team captured the 2008 West Coast Conference Championship on Tuesday, Apr. 15, by one of the largest margins in tournament history, while senior Leanne Bowditch and freshman Taylore Karle shared the individual title. Pepperdine coach Laurie Gibbs was named WCC Coach of the Year for the ninth time and the fourth year in a row.
The Waves, who won their seventh straight WCC title and 10th overall, shot a 307 during Tuesday's third and final round at the par-72 Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Washington. That was good for a total of 905 (299-299-307)-37 strokes better than the runner-up San Francisco. That team shot a 942 (307-310-325).
In the 11 previous WCC Championships, the only greater margins of victory came in 1998 and 1999, when the Waves won by 52 and 50 strokes, respectively.
"I'm really proud of the team, especially because we didn't know what to expect with the conditions," Gibbs said. "The wind was howling and it was so cold. We huddled up before we teed off and said we had to go out and play tough. They did that and really held it together. This win will give us a lot of confidence going into regionals. Leanne and Taylore played great and I'm really proud of them."
Bowditch (Peregian, Australia) and Karle (Scottsdale, Arizona) each earned a share of their first collegiate victory. The tie originally was going to be broken by a playoff, but instead the WCC allowed the two to share medalist honors. It's the seventh straight year a Pepperdine player has won the individual title.
Both players finished with a 4-over 220, which was 12 strokes better than the next competitor. Karle opened the day with a three-stroke lead over Bowditch, but Bowditch shot a 1-over 73 while Karle finished with a 76.
"This really feels great," Bowditch said. "The team pulled together despite the tough conditions and played really well. I was really happy with how I played. I felt I hit the ball great, and to get my first victory as a senior is really special."
Bowditch (73-74-73) led the tournament with a total of eight birdies and had the best scoring average on par-4s (4.00). She became only the fourth Pepperdine player to record four straight top five finishes at the WCC Championships. Karle (71-73-76) topped all players with 38 pars and was the top player on par-5s (4.92).
Two other Waves finished in the top five. Junior Jayvie Agojo (Bangkal, Philippines) shot a 78 Wednesday, Apr. 16, and that was good enough to move her from a tie for eighth place all the way up to fourth place. Agojo, who won the WCC individual title in 2006 as a freshman, finished with a 234 (81-75-78). Senior Stephanie Gelleni (Caracas, Venezuela) posted the best finish of her career as she took fifth place with a 235 (78-77-80). Freshman Martine de Gannes (Diego Martin, Trinidad) finished in a tie for 14th place at 245 (77-79-89).
The NCAA Regional fields will be announced on Monday, Apr. 28, and the NCAA Regional Tournaments will be held Thursday through Saturday, May 8 to 10. The three sites are Sacramento, California; Austin, Texas; and Athens, Georgia.
