Austin, Texas - Elli Brown captured her first top-10 individual finish of the spring season by posting a solid round of 79 to close with a two-round total of 157 at the rain-shortened Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational at the University of Texas Golf Club on Wednesday.
Brown, a senior from Meridian, Idaho, added her seven-over-par 79 in the second round to Monday's opening-round 78 to lead the Huskers at the 17-team event, which featured 13 teams ranked among the top 50 in the nation. Tuesday's second round was canceled by rain.
Unfortunately for the Huskers, Brown was the only Nebraska golfer to break 80 during rugged scoring conditions on the 6,344-yard, par-72 layout in Austin. NU slipped from a tie for fifth after the opening round into 16th place with a final round 342 to finish the 36-hole event at 661.
New Mexico won the team title despite shooting a second-round 320, one stroke worse than NU's 319 in the opening round. UNM finished with a two-round total of 623 after opening the tournament with a 303 on Monday's first 18 holes. Wednesday's best round came from second-place Florida, which carded a 319 to finish one shot back of New Mexico at 624. The hosts from Texas finished third at 630 after a second-round 322.
JC Stevenson settled for a 56th-place showing after a second-round 85 to close at 166 for the tournament. Fellow sophomore Kate White finished a stroke back in a tie for 57th at 167, after managing an 88 on Wednesday. Senior Allison Stewart finished in a tie for 74th (81-90-171), while redshirt freshman Rachel Hanigan concluded her first appearance in the NU lineup in 90th (89-97-186).
Nebraska returns to action at the Mountain View Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz., March 29-30.
Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational
The University of Texas Golf Club
Par 72, 6,344 Yards
Austin, Texas (March 17-19, 2008)
Final Team Standings
1. New Mexico - 303-320-623
2. Florida - 305-319-624
3. Texas - 308-322-630
4. Arkansas - 311-321-632
5T. TCU - 321-321-642
5T. Notre Dame - 317-325-642
7. Ohio State - 321-323-644
8. Iowa State - 320-328-648
9. Oklahoma - 320-331-651
10T. SMU - 323-331-654
10T. Indiana - 320-334-654
12. Wisconsin - 329-326-655
13. Kansas - 325-332-657
14T. Baylor - 329-331-660
14T. Missouri - 320-340-660
16. Nebraska - 319-342-661
17. Kansas State - 329-335-664
Individual Standings
1. Stacy Lewis, Arkansas - 74-77-151
2. Whitney Myers, Florida - 76-76-152
3. Britney Choy, New Mexico - 75-79-154
4T. Mikaela Backstedt, New Mexico - 76-79-155
4T. Ornella Jouven, Florida - 72-83-155
7T. Allyson Ferguson, TCU - 79-77-156
7T. So-Hyun Park, Notre Dame - 78-78-156
7T. Ashley Rollins, Texas - 76-80-156
10T. Elli Brown, Nebraska - 78-79-157
10T. Katie Conway, Notre Dame - 77-80-157
10T. Caney Hines, Texas - 75-82-157
Nebraska Individuals
10T. Elli Brown - 78-79-157
56. JC Stevenson - 81-85-166
57T. Kate White - 79-88-167
74T. Allison Stewart - 81-90-171
90. Rachel Hanigan - 89-97-186