Kuna, Idaho - The Nebraska women's golf team overcame "brutal" playing conditions to repeat as Bronco Invitational tournament champions in Kuna, Idaho on Tuesday afternoon. Battling steady cross-winds approaching 40 mph throughout the final round, senior Allison Stewart produced the best finish of her career by sharing the individual title with Kansas State's Michelle Regan.
"We played our round with K-State and their coach and I agreed that this was probably the toughest day we have ever coached in on the golf course. It was just brutal out there." Nebraska's Robin Krapfl said, who is in her 21st season as the head coach of the Huskers. "I think it says a lot about the mental toughness our golfers showed today, especially Allison and Kate (White)."
Stewart, a senior from Vermillion, S.D., earned the first title of her collegiate career with a less than sparkling round of 79. Stewart finished at 233 with rounds of 81, 73 and 79.
White, a sophomore from Waukegan, Ill., and the defending Bronco Invitational champion, added a 79 of her own to match the Huskers' best round of the day and finish in third-place in the 78-player field. White finished just one shot out of a share of her second career tournament title at 234. Sophomore Charlotte Wendner, who played outside of NU's lineup as an individual, also produced the top tournament finish of her career by finishing fourth, just two strokes behind White at 236. Wendner's final-round 79 matched White and Stewart for NU's best final round.
Sophomore JC Stevenson from Grand Island, Neb., managed an 84, to finish in a tie for seventh place at 241, while Meridian, Idaho, native Elli Brown and Omaha native Megan Place each finished at 86 to finish in a tie for 11th place at 243.
The six Huskers in the 78-player field occupied six of the top 12 spots in the final individual standings, despite the high scores on the 6,173-yard, par-72 layout of the Falcon Crest Golf Club.
Krapfl said a 79 on Tuesday was like playing at par or even better on a normal day. The scores across the board support Krapfl's assessment. The Huskers settled for a 40-over-par score of 328 in the final round and still held off Kansas State. NU fired the best round of the tournament in Monday's second round with a 300, 10 strokes better than any other team in the field for the tournament.
"Normally, a 328 is a score you want to forget," Krapfl said. "Today, 328 was really a great score on this golf course."
Nebraska's 328 was easily the best round of the day, surpassing Kansas State's 336. The Huskers finished the tournament with an 11-stroke victory over the second-place Wildcats and 32 strokes in front of third-place Wyoming.
Nebraska wraps up its fall season Oct. 29-30 at the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Invitational in Kiawah Island, S.C. The Huskers will then take November, December and January off from competition before resuming their 2007-08 season at the Central District Invitational in Parrish, Fla., Feb. 18-19.
2007 Bronco Fall Invitational
Final Results (54 holes)
Oct. 8-9, 2007
Falcon Crest Golf Club (Kuna, Idaho)
6,173 Yards, Par 72
Top Five Teams
1. Nebraska (318-300-328-946)
2. Kansas State (311-310-336-957)
3. Wyoming (323-310-345-978)
4. Boise State (331-317-341-989)
5. Portland (325-324-345-994)
Nebraska Individual Results
T1. Allison Stewart (81-73-79-233)
3. Kate White (79-76-79-234)
4. Charlotte Wendner (82-75-79-236)*
T7. JC Stevenson (81-76-84-241)
T11. Elli Brown (77-80-86-243)
T11. Megan Place (82-75-86-243)
*played as an individual