ASU women's golf junior Monica Vaughn had a comeback victory that won't soon be forgotten.
Vaughn started her day sitting at two over par, putting herself five strokes behind the tournament leaders after two days. However, a nearly flawless afternoon on Tuesday helped elevate her.
She began her round on the fifth hole and got birdies on two of the ensuing ones. Her first and only bogey came on her sixth hole of the day, a 355-yard par-4 on the 11th hole. She birdied the next.
Vaughn finished her last ten holes with four birdies to put herself 4-under par.
The field contained four of the top ten collegiate players in the nation, but Vaughn's final round score of 65 was the best of the week by any competitor. She finished 6-under par on the tournament, which is a new career best for the junior. She picked up her second collegiate win.
While Vaughn stole the final round show, her team managed to impress in the first spring showcase.
Coming into the tournament, ASU was ranked as the No. 13 team in the nation. Despite the high ranking, the Northrop-Grumman Regional Challenge boasted a field of elite programs that included the top three schools in the nation: USC, Duke and UCLA, respectively.
ASU couldn't match pace with the powerhouses. After Vaughn, the next best Sun Devil score came from freshman Linnea Strom, who finished with 8-over par to tie for 20th place.
This finish comes after a strong Sunday in which she carded a 1-over, helping put herself squarely in the mix. However, the next day, Strom found trouble on the back nine. She shot three bogeys and a double bogey en route to a 5-over in the second round.
She bounced back the next day, shooting a 2-over.
ASU finished with a team stroke total of 891 (+39) over the three days, placing seventh in the 16-team tournament. It was a positive start for a young team that gives them opportunities to improve and fix mistakes before the next tournament in San Luis Obispo, California, in the Bruin Wave Invitational on Feb. 28 through March 1.
Related Links:
Jon Rahm, Monica Vaughn look to lead ASU golf
ASU golfer Jon Rahm's relaxing summer helped him prepare for the season
Reach the reporter at Braxton.Fox@asu.edu or follow @braxton_fox_II on Twitter.
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