Sept. 21, 2011
Final Results
VAIL, Colo. - Beverly Vatananugulkit shot a 1-under 71 to tie for fifth, Demi Runas tied for eighth, and the UC Davis women's golf team took second at the Golfweek Conference Challenge, rallying on the final day which saw seven teams have at least a share of the lead at some point.
The Aggies, whose lineup featured a pair of true freshmen including Vatananugulkit, led after Monday's first round and were fifth heading into Wednesday's final 18 holes. They fired a 9-over 297 on Wednesday, finishing 40-over 904 at the 6,236-yard Fazio Course at the Red Sky Golf Club.
UC Davis was one of the teams that had the lead in the final round but Oklahoma charged from sixth place with a 291 team score to post a five-shot victory over the Aggies. Tulsa (906) was third and was followed in the top seven by Pepperdine (907), Oregon and Mississippo (908), and Denver (912).
Vatananugulkit vaulted from a tie for 14th after 36 holes into a top-five finish among the 90 players. Runas had a 74 to tie for eighth, junior Amy Simanton posted a 76 to tie for 19th, sophomore Jessica Chulya tied for 43rd after shooting 77, and freshman Blair Lewis tied for 61st after her 76.
Oklahoma's Chirapat Jao-Javanil took medalist honors at 1-over 217, firing a 72 on the last day.
Vatananugulkit enjoyed her best round of her new Aggie career after two early birdies pushed her two shots in the red after six holes. A pair of bogeys brought her to par but a birdie on the par-5 18th hole made her 1 under again before pars the rest of the way gave her a 71. She was 5 over for the week
Runas, starting the shotgun round on the fourth hole, had two birdies and three bogeys on Wednesday, helping her post her second-best round of the tournament. She jumped six spots into a tie for eighth overall at 8 over.
Two birdies on her first three holes helped Simanton get off to a solid start and she remained at par or better for the first 12 holes before going 4 over down the stretch but still maintaining the tie for 19th she started the day with. She was 11 over for the tournament.
Chulya had three birdies, including two sandwiched around a double-bogey which helped keep her score at 3 over - and came in with a 77 which put her 17 over overall. Lewis had a birdie early in her round and then another on her 17th hole as she posted a 76 for a 22-over 238 total.
The Golfweek Conference Challenge featured 18 teams from 18 different conferences. UC Davis was fourth last year.
The Aggies, who won their season opener last week at Colorado State, will return to action in early October at the Northwestern Invitational.
GOLFWEEK CONBFERENCE CHALLENGE
Vail, Colo.
Red Sky GC (Fazio Course)
Par 72, 6,236 yards
Final
TEAMS
1. Oklahoma, 301-307-291-899
2. UC DAVIS, 294-313-297-904
3. Tulsa, 305-305-296-906
4. Pepperdine, 300-306-301-907
T5. Oregon, 297-304-307-908
T5. Mississippi, 300-306-302-908
7. Denver, 299-307-306-912
8. TCU, 307-311-295-913
T9. Notre Dame, 302-311-304-917
T9. Coastal Carolina, 297-313-307-917
11. Georgia State, 304-319-301-924
T12. Kennesaw State, 304-317-309-930
T12. UTSA, 304-314-312-930
14. Chattanooga, 305-325-302-932
15. New Mexico State, 312-311-311-934
16. Minnesota, 302-324-312-938
17. Pennsylvania, 313-325-321-959
18. Western Michigan, 320-332-319-971
INDIVIDUAL
1. Chirapat Jao-Javanil, Oklahoma, 70-75-72-217
UC DAVIS
T5. Beverly Vatananugulkit, 73-77-71-221
T8. Demi Runas, 73-77-74-224
T19. Amy Simanton, 73-78-76-227
T43. Jessica Chulya, 75-81-77-233
T61. Blair Lewis, 79-83-76-238
