NCAA South Region Champions! Lynn Women’s Golf & Kreuzer Take Top Honors

May 8, 2019

Women’s Golf

1^st of 12 teams, FINAL Round

Cleveland, Tenn. – Lynn University’s women’s golf team showed why they are one of the hottest teams in the nation after taking first place at the NCAA Division II Women’s South Regional Tournament. Helen Kreuzer won the individual title for the Fighting Knights to become the first golfer in program history to win the NCAA Regional outright while she ties the school record for tournament victories in a season with three.

The Fighting Knights advance to the 2019 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf National Championship May 14-18, at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. This will be the first NCAA National Championship appearance for Lynn since 2015 and the fifth overall.

INSIDE THE TOURNAMENT:
Results: 1^st of 12 teams
Location: Cleveland Country Club | Cleveland, Tenn.
Par/Yardage: 72/5,957
History at Event: Eighth consecutive appearance and 16^th overall (played at Cleveland CC on Oct. 2, 2018); Won
Get Social: Twitter – @Lynn_Knights | Instagram – @Lynn_Knights | Facebook – /LynnFightingKnights

HOW IT HAPPENED:

· Lynn, ranked No. 7 in the country, ended the tournament strong, tying the round low of 293 for an 884 total over 54-holes. The Blue and White won by six strokes ahead of No. 11 Limestone College (890). Top-ranked Barry (892) finished third while No. 5 Florida Tech (899) earned the last championship qualifying spot.

· Kreuzer was nearly as efficient as her second round, shooting an even par 72 to end with a three-round total of two-under 214. She connected on 16 pars, one birdie and one bogey.

· Matilda Wahren placed fifth following a 219 total. She fired an even par 72 with three birdies, three bogeys and 12 pars.

· Kristina Ortiz was the last of the top-10 finishers for the Fighting Knights, tying for seventh individually with a 221 total. Ortiz was even through nine and missed on a bogey and double bogey late in the round only to birdie her final hole to end the day with a 74.

· Amber Lee Svendsen added a three-over 75 in the final round for a 230 total. Svendsen bookended her day with birdies to go along with six bogeys and another birdie in between.

· Cristina Gutierrez showed improvement for the third consecutive round, closing out play with a 77, five shots better than her opening round total. Gutierrez sank two birdie putts along with seven bogeys.

BEYOND THE SCORECARD:

· Lynn previously won the NCAA Regional in 2013 and 2014, both of which the team went on to win the national title.

· Head coach Marcelo Huarte is the second coach to win an NCAA Regional in his first season at the helm (Rocky Orezzoli – 1998).

· This is Lynn’s third win of the year, the most since the 2014-15 season.

· The Fighting Knights have won two consecutive tournaments (SSC Championship and NCAA South Regional) to go along with two runner-up finishes and seven top-four finishes in the Spring semester.

· Kreuzer becomes the second Lynn women’s golfer to win the individual regional title and first outright. Ellen Chambers shared medalist honors in 2014.

· The victory is the third of the season for Kreuzer as she joins Jessica Bradley (2013-14 & 2014-15) and Maha Haddioui (2007-08) as the only golfers in program history to win three tournaments in a single season.

· Kreuzer moved into a tie for fourth with Samantha Smolen (2012-13) with nine top-10 finishes this year. She can tie Smolen for third (10 in 2013-14) with a top-10 at the national championship.

· Her 214 is the second-lowest 54-hole total in her career and fourth-lowest in program history. Kreuzer now owns three of the five lowest 54-hole totals at Lynn.

· Three more top-10 finishes gives the Fighting Knights 21 on the season, the seventh-most in program history and most since the 2014-15 season (22).

· Ortiz has finished in the top-10 in three consecutive NCAA Regional Tournaments while her 221 total is the lowest of those four NCAA Tournament appearances.

· Gutierrez topped her previous NCAA Tournament score by nine strokes.

· This is the first tournament Svendsen has logged three consecutive sub-80 rounds.

NEXT COURSE:

Lynn takes part in the 2019 NCAA Division II National Championship beginning on Tuesday, May 14, at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Fans can follow live scoring at LynnFightingKnights.com.

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