WG: TCU Defends MW Women's Golf Championship

LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. - TCU secured its second consecutive Mountain West Women's Golf Championship on Sunday at Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Ariz. The 34th-ranked Horned Frogs posted a 54-hole total of 40-over-par 904 (304-299-201) on the par 72, 6,208-yard Gold Course. This marks TCU's fourth overall Conference crown since joining the Mountain West in 2005.

 

No. 47 UNLV entered the final round of action down 14 strokes, but fired a third-round score of 4-over 292 to finish as runner-up. The Rebels posted a final team score of 45-over 909 (311-306-292). No. 45 San Diego State rounded out the top three teams with a 54-hole total of 47-over 911. No. 48 New Mexico came in fourth overall with a 54-over 918, and Colorado State followed in fifth at 58-over 922. Boise State finished its first MW Championship in sixth place with a 71-over 935, while Wyoming tallied a 54-hole total of 81-over 945.

 

TCU sophomore Sanna Nuutinen, who tallied a tournament-low 2-under 70 on Saturday, earned her first individual MW championship after carding a 1-over 217 (73-70-74) and surviving a four-hole individual playoff with San Diego State junior Christine Wong. Wong entered the final day of competition trailing Nuutinen by three strokes, but posted a 1-under 71 on Sunday to force the playoff. Her comeback bid fell short after bogeying playoff hole No. 4, while Nuutinen parred each of the four extra holes.

 

Colorado State senior Brianna Espinoza and UNLV freshman Dana Finkelstein also posted under-par performances in the third round at 1-under 71 apiece. Espinoza (75-74-71) and Finkelstein (76-73-71) tied for third place individually with identical scores of 4-over 220.

 

San Diego State's Malin Enarsson and TCU's Rachel Raastad each posted an eagle during the 54-hole championship tournament. Wong and Wyoming's Juanita Rico recorded eight birdies apiece over the three rounds of play, while New Mexico's Manon De Roey collected the most par holes with 43.

 

Complete results and hole-by-hole scoring are available at TheMWC.com and GolfStat.com.