BOULDER CITY, Nev. – Coach Lisa Johnson kept a little secret from her team during the final round of the Big Sky Conference Women's Golf Tournament. She didn't let the Vandals know how sizzling hot Sacramento State was playing and that Idaho's four-stroke lead entering the final round had evaporated.
But on the 18th tee, she shared that tidbit with freshman Michelle Kim, who parred the final hole to help regain the strokes. Then came Idaho's final player – another freshman. Sophie Hausmann asked if she needed birdie to win. Johnson told her par would do it.
And it did as Idaho won the team title by one stroke over Sacramento State (868-869) before Hausmann went on to a playoff to determine medalist honors. She parred the playoff hole, which happened to be the 18th, to win by one stroke over Eastern Washington's Marissa Borja after both finished regulation in four-under 212.
It was an eventful tournament for Hausmann, who set the Big Sky record and tied the Idaho mark with her 7-under 65 Tuesday. With her title Wednesday, she became just the second Vandal freshman to win a conference championship.
“We felt good about how we were playing,” said Johnson about her on-going conversation with assistant coach Chessey Thomas. “We were trying to decide whether to let them know how Sac State was playing. We decided to just let them play; anything can happen.”
It did. The Vandals trailed by as many as four strokes over the course of the back nine but stayed steady if not spectacular. That, Johnson said, helped them stay close and ultimately win.
“They fought so hard,” she said. “They stayed with our game plan. We were very strong mentally, which is ultimately why we won. We were focused and stayed in the present.”
Four Vandals were in the top 20. Along with Hausmann's title, senior Kristin Strankman tied for third at even par 216, Kim tied for 13th at four-over 220, senior Cassie McKinley (with a miraculous save out of the water hazard on the 18th hole) tied for 17th at six-over 222, and sophomore Kendall Gray tied for 31st at 11-over 227.
The Vandals also raked in a pile of all-conference honors:
· Freshman of the Year – Michelle Kim
· First team – Michelle Kim, Sophie Hausmann
· Second team – Kristin Strankman, Cassie McKinley
· Honorable mention – Kendall Gray
Idaho heads to the NCAA Stanford Regional May 5-7.
