Soo's chip-in for eagle gives Oklahoma the title in Clover Cup; Notre Dame finishes fifth

   Oklahoma, No. 15 in the latest Golfstat rankings, rallied past No. 8 Arizona State in Sunday’s final round to capture the team crown in the Clover Cup at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz.

   Oklahoma’s Julienne Soo, a junior from Australia, captured the individual title and delivered the team title to the Sooners with one dramatic stroke, a chip-in for eagle on the 18^th hole.

   That gave the Sooners the best round of the day Sunday with a 4-over-par 292 over the 6,184-yard, par-72 Longbow layout as the wind came up and made conditions a little tougher. Their solid final round gave the Sooners a 54-hole total of 7-over 871. The reigning NCAA champion Sun Devils, who entered the final round with a four-shot lead over Oklahoma, finished up with a 10-over 298 to end up two shots behind the Sooners at 9-over 873.

   Oklahoma has been on a roll  this spring with a team win in the Westbrook Spring Invitational at Westbrook Village Golf Club’s Vistas Course in Peoria, Ariz. and a runnerup finish to host Miami in the Hurricane Invitational at the Biltmore in Coral Gables, Fla.

   No. 63 Kentucky had a final-round 295 to finish third at 17-over 881. No. 49 Ohio State was another shot behind Kentucky in fourth at 18-over 882. The Buckeyes shared the lead with Arizona State after two rounds, but struggled to a 307 in the final round. It was another six shots back to No. 45 Notre Dame in fifth at 24-over 888 after the Irish posted a final-round 302.

   Notre Dame was coming off another solid showing, a sixth-place finish in the Westbrook Spring Invitational. I am, by no means, an NCAA golf bracketologist, but I have a feeling the Irish might still have some work to do to assure themselves a spot when the NCAA Regional fields are selected.

   Two-time reigning Colonial Athletic Association champion Delaware finished eighth in the 16-team field at 907 after a final-round 306.

   Soo’s dramatic chip-in at the 18^th gave her a 4-under 68 in the final round, Sunday’s only sub-70 round, and a 5-under 211 total that was one shot better than Ohio State’s Jaclyn Lee, a junior from Canada.

   Backing up Soo for the Sooners was Hannah Wood, a senior from Centennial, Colo. who finished alone in fifth at 1-over 217. Wood sandwiched a 1-under 71 in Saturday’s second round with a pair of 73s. Rylee Pedigo, a senior from Fort Worth, Texas, finished tied for 18^th at 7-over 223 after a final-round 76.

   Valerie Tanguay, a senior from Canada, finished in a tie for 20^th at 224 after a final-round 77. Tanguay elbowed her way into the starting lineup after finishing tied for second while competing as an individual in the Hurricane Invitational.

   Kaitlin Milligan, a freshman from Norman, Okla. who has had a strong spring, finished tied for 29^th at 9-over 225 with a final-round 75 that was a crucial counter for the Sooners.

   Ohio State’s Lee had a final round of 1-under 71 to finish a shot behind Oklahoma’s Soo at 4-under 212. Arizona State’s Sophia Zeeb, a senior from Germany, also finished up with a 1-under 71 to take third in the individual chase at 2-under 214.

   The Sun Devils lost one of their top players, Linnea Strom of Sweden, to the professional ranks during the midseason break, but the eight-time national champions are still formidable.

   Leading the way for Notre Dame were Emma Albrecht, a junior from Ormond Beach, Fla., and Maddie Rose Hamilton, a junior from Louisville, Ky., both of whom were in the group tied for ninth at 3-over 219.

   Albrecht flashed a little of the form that earned an invitation as an individual to the NCAA Columbus Regional last spring with a 4-under 68 before cooling off with a final-round 75. Hamilton opened with a 2-under 70 and added rounds of 74 and 75.

   Abby Heck, a freshman from Memphis, Tenn., had three consecutive 75s to finish tied for 29^th at 9-over 225.

   Junior Isabella DiLisio, the 2013 PIAA Class AAA champion as a junior at Mount St. Joseph, found her form with a 1-over 73 in Saturday’s second round, but a final-round 77 left her in a tie for 42^nd at 229. Mia Ayer, a sophomore from Waco, Texas, was another shot behind DiLisio in a tie for 44^th at 230 after a final-round 79.

   Notre Dame’s senior captain, Alison Snakard, a teammate of DiLisio’s on Mount St. Joe’s 2013 PIAA Class AAA championship team, competed as an individual and finished tied for 76^th at 247 after a final-round 81.

   Delaware was led by Ariane Klotz, a sophomore from New Caledonia who finished tied for 13^th at 5-over 221. Klotz had a pair of 73s in the first two rounds before finishing up with a 75.

   Valentina Mueller, a junior co-captain for the Blue Hens from Switzerland, finished tied for 25^th at 8-over 224 after a final-round 74. Thitaree Sakulbunpanich, a freshman from Thailand, finished in a group tied for 32^nd at 10-over 226 after a final-round 75. Sakulbunpanich solved the Longbow layout in the opening round with a 1-under 71 before struggling to an 80 in Saturday’s second round.

   Delaware’s other junior co-captain, Ashley Dingman of Fairfield, Calif. finished in a tie for 69^th at 241 after carding an 82 in the final round. Rounding out the lineup for the Blue Hens was Isabella Rimton, a sophomore from Sweden, who finished in a tie for 74^th at 246 after struggling home with an 87 Sunday. Rimton’s 4-over 76 in the second round was a counter for Delaware.