University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vol Golf Team Qualifies For NCAA Championships
May 13, 2000 | Women's Golf
Tennessee fires 296 in final round to finish fourth
COLUMBUS, Ohio The Tennessee Lady Vol golf team saved its best for last, carding a 296 in Saturday's final round of the 2000 NCAA East Regional to qualify for the NCAA Championships. The team finished fourth overall with a 54-hole score of 902, and Tennessee will make its third trip to the national tournament in the program's history.
The Lady Vols opened play under rainy conditions, but the sun eventually peaked through and fueled all five players to rounds in the 70s on The Ohio State University's Scarlet Course. Leading the pack was senior Stacey Bergman (Fort Dodge, Iowa), who tied her career-low with a two-under 70 for a share of ninth place. She finished the first nine holes three under par, marking her lowest collegiate nine-hole score. Bergman also recorded the lowest round on the day, carded her best 54-hole score this season, and notched her best finish this season.
Two Lady Vols finished with rounds of 75 on Saturday: sophomore Young-A Yang (Tae-Gu City, South Korea) and freshman Rosanna Zernatto (Treffen, Austria). Yang closed out the tournament tied for 17th place (73-77-75=225) and Zernatto was just two shots back to end tied for 25th place (75-77-75=227). Also finishing strong were freshman Erin Simmons (The Woodlands, Texas) and sophomore Tina Schneeberger (WR-Neustadt, Austria). Simmons carded a 76 in the final round for a share of 34th place performance (75-78-76=229), and Schneeberger made up nine strokes from the previous day, carding a 77 (82-86-77=245).
Tennessee's 296 tied the Lady Vol record for lowest round at an NCAA Regional, with the other coming just last year. It also marked the team's lowest round of the tournament and second-lowest this season. In addition, fourth-place was UT's second-lowest finish at a regional, just behind 1997's second-place performance. That season the Lady Vols also advanced to the NCAA Championships.
The East Regional title was claimed by Duke with a three-round score of 897. The list of additional teams to qualify for the NCAA Tournament are: Purdue (900), Northwestern (900), Louisiana State (903), Michigan State (906), Auburn (907), Wake Forest (907), Ohio State (914), Georgia (914), and Florida (915). The Lady Vols finished as the top qualifier from the Southeastern Conference.
Tennessee also advanced to the NCAA Championships as a team in 1994 and in 1997. This year's tournament will be held at the Crosswater Golf Club at the Sun River Resort in Sun River, Ore. The four-day event is being hosted by Oregon State University and runs May 24-27.
TENNESSEE EAST REGIONAL SCORES T9 Stacey Bergman 77-74-70=221 T17 Young-A Yang 73-77-75=225 T25 Rosanna Zernatto 75-77-75=227 T34 Erin Simmons 75-78-76=229 T110 Tina Schneeberger 82-86-77=245 4 Tennessee 300-306-296=902
