May 16, 2019
Women’s Golf
NCAA Division II National Championship
9th of 16 teams, FINAL Round – Stroke Play
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – It came down to one mere stroke but Lynn University’s women’s golf team finished ninth after 54-holes at the NCAA Division II National Championship to miss out on the championship match play. The Fighting Knights posted a 945 total, one shot behind Findlay, in the quest to win their first national title since 2014.
Playing in the final tournaments of their career, seniors Kristina Ortiz and Cristina Gutierrez posted rounds of 75 and 85.
INSIDE THE TOURNAMENT:
Standing: 9th out of 16 teams
Location: PGA National – Champions Course| Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Par/Yardage: 73/6,081
History at Event: Fifth NCAA National Championship Appearance (Won 2013 & 104)
Get Social: Twitter – @Lynn_Knights | Instagram – @Lynn_Knights | Facebook – /LynnFightingKnights
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Scores where the highest of the tournament in blustery winds with the Blue & White shooting 323 as a team en route to their 945 total. A playoff was nearly forced between Lynn and Findlay as the Oilers shot four-over par on the final hole but the Fighting Knights were still one stroke shy.
- Florida Tech had the best day on the course and ended with the top-seed at 923. Cal State San Marcos (927) is second followed by Indianapolis (931), Barry (938), Southwest Oklahoma State (938), Limestone (939), Dallas Baptist (940) and Findlay (944).
- Ortiz shot the third-lowest score of the day with her 75. The senior out of Puerto Rico was just one-over par before the turn and birdied her next two but a tough stretch in the Bear Trap dropped her to three over before a huge birdie on No. 18 kept Lynn alive. She ended the tournament tied for 12th.
- Matilda Wahren posted a seven-over 80 with two birdies, five bogeys and two double bogeys.
- Gutierrez started the day with a birdie but went on to shot bogey or worse on the next five holes. She was just three-over on the back nine for a 239 three-day total.
- Helen Kreuzer and Amber Svendsen shot rounds of 83 and 87 to end the tournament with 240 and 254 totals.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- Kreuzer was honored as a Women’s Golf Coaches Association First Team All-American in an evening ceremony. This is the first, First Team All-America honor for the program since Jessica Bradley in 2015.
- Ortiz ends her career with 15 top-10 finishes, ninth-most in program history.
- This is the first tournament Lynn has finished outside the top-five all season.
- Lynn was making its first NCAA National Championship appearance since 2015 when it finished third.
- Only Indianapolis was better on par four holes than Lynn (+55).
- The Fighting Knights were fifth in total pars with 144.
- Cal State San Marcos’ Jaime Jacob won the individual national championship with an even par 219.
- Only one team shot better than 22-over par on the day (Florida Tech – +13).
NEXT COURSE:
Lynn returns three starters and six letterwinners for the 2019-20 season, including All-American Helen Kreuzer and All-Region honoree Matilda Wahren. For more information about the team check out LynnFightingKnights.com.
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Chad Beattie
Assistant Athletics Director – Communications & Digital Strategy
Lynn University
