Badgers earn runner-up finish at East-West Match Play

Tuesday, September 19

University Ridge Golf Course, Madison, Wis.

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Wisconsin Badgers

East-West Match Play

Badgers earn runner-up finish at East-West Match Play

September 19, 2017 | Women's Golf

UW falls to Iowa State in highly contested match

MADISON, Wis. – One match was decided on the 18th hole and another one needed extra holes but the Wisconsin women's golf team fell to Iowa State, 4-1, in the championship match of the East-West Match Play Challenge Tuesday at University Ridge Golf Course.

"I'm really proud of our effort, not just today but the whole tournament," UW head coach Todd Oehrlein said. "We played some really good golf today but in match play, sometimes the other team just makes a couple more shots. That's what happened today.

"We are a pretty deep team and that depth showed itself throughout the tournament. We kept battling and competing and there's a lot that we can take from this to keep growing the rest of the year."

Senior Gabby Curtis got the Badgers started quickly, going 5-under on her first nine holes to jump out to a 2-up lead at the turn. She then won the next three holes to go 5-up through 12 holes and closed out the opening match with a 2 and 1 win. In all, she made seven birdies in 17 holes.

Junior Jessica Reinecke was all square with Iowa State's Chayanit Wangmahaporn through seven holes but Wangmahaporn birdied four of the next eight holes to take the match, 4 and 3. That evened the team score at 1-1.

Senior Aya Johnson and Nattapan Siritrai of Iowa State were never separated by more than one hole. All square heading to the 17th, Johnson's bogey put her 1 down. When both players made par on 18, Iowa State was one win away from the title.

That win came minutes later on the 17th green as Iowa State's Alanna Campbell closed out UW senior Lexi Harkins, 2 and 1.

The final match of the day was the most dramatic as Wisconsin senior Becky Klongland drained a 20-foot putt on the 18th green to win the hole and extend her match against Amelia Grohn. The pair went back to the first hole, with Grohn draining a birdie putt to seal the victory.

In the individual portion of the match play, freshman Mackenzie Hahn defeated Hannah Thiele in 21 holes. Sophomore Bobbi Stricker fell to Sofia Seldemirova of Ohio State, 2 and 1.