PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. – The Alabama women’s golf team posted its fifth top-two finish of the season on Tuesday, placing second at the 2018 Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at the par-71, 6,017-yard Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
Individually, senior Lakareber Abe led the Tide on Tuesday with a 1-over par 72 to finish in sixth place overall at 3-over par (73-71-72/216). Sophomore Kristen Gillman finished eighth at 4-over par (69-74-74/217) after a 3-over par third round. Junior Lauren Stephenson tied for eighth place at 5-over par (74-68-76/218) after a finishing at 5-over paron Tuesday. Junior Cheyenne Knight tied for 35th at 11-over par (76-71-77/224) following a final-round 6-over par 77. Freshman Angelica Moresco posted the second-lowest score of the day for Alabama, shooting a 2-over par 73 to tie for 48th at 15-over par (78-77-73/228).
“I feel good about the overall performance,” Alabama head coach Mic Potter said following the tournament. “We had a pretty good climb after the first nine holes on Sunday and we rallied to play the last two-and-a-half rounds at four-under par. I thought the team did a great job overcoming adversity and being resilient on a very tough course. It was good to see us in the battle in the first tournament of the spring.”
UCLA won the team title at 15-over par (292-284-291/867) after a 7-over par final round, followed by Alabama at 19-over par (292-284-295/871). Stanford finished third at 24-over par (295-292-289/876). Arizona was fourth at 31-over par (285-292-306/883) and Arizona State was fifth, one shot back of the Wildcats, at 32-over par (285-298-301/884).
Alabama will return to action at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, March 2-4, at the Long Cove Club on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The Tide has won two straight – and four of the last six (2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 – team titles at the Rucker. UA won last year’s tournament with a 7-over par 859. Cheyenne Knight captured individual honors with an 8-under par 205.
