Staff Report
The UNM women's golf team climbed its way to a sixth-place finish at the Landfall Tradition this weekend.
The Lobos were the two-time defending champions at the tournament, held in Wilmington, N.C.
This time, it was Purdue who took home the trophy, defeating runner-up Wake Forest. Purdue was in front the whole tournament, and finished 17 strokes ahead of Wake Forest.
Virginia came in third, with Tulsa placing fourth, and Tulane, ranked 24th nationally, taking fifth.
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The Lobos stood in eighth place after the first of three rounds, but moved up one spot each day en route to their sixth-place performance.
UNM dug itself in a deep hole in the first round, shooting a 29-over-par 317. That pace put them 15 shots behind leader Purdue.
Freshman Mikaela Backstedt had the best score in round one for UNM, shooting a 2-over-par 74. That score had her tied for fourth going into day two.
The other Lobo golfers didn't fare as well. Christine Fernandez shot a 7-over-par 79, while sophomore Giselle Claux put up a score of 81. Freshmen Morgan Grantham and Py Bengtsson finished the day tied with an 11-over-par 83.
In the second round, the Lobos improved their scoring as they shot a 23-over-par 311 to finish the day in seventh place.
Backstedt repeated her first-round performance with another 2-over-par 74. While she stayed at a consistent pace, she dropped two spots, tied for sixth place at 4-over-par 148.
Fernandez shot a 77, putting her at 12 over par. Grantham put up a score of 78, and overall she shot a 17-over-par 161. Claux shot an 83, and had a 20-over-par 164 for the tournament. Bengtsson finished round two with an 82 to put her at 21 over par.
On the third day, UNM shot its best round as a team, with a 13-over-par 301 to snag sixth place.
Backstedt once again led the Lobos, shooting a 3-over-par 75 in the final round. The freshman finished with a 7-over-par 223, which was good for eighth place.
Fernandez shot a 5-over-par 77 again to put her at 17-over-par 233 for the tournament. She finished in a tie for 24th.
Grantham had her best round on day three, shooting a 2-over-par 74. It was also the best score for any Lobo of the day. Grantham finished tied for 29th at 19 over par.
Claux also closed out her tournament well, shooting a 3-over-par 75. She finished tied for 38th at 23 over par.
Bengtsson finished with a 77. Overall, she shot a 26-over 242, leaving her tied for 46th.
