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Junior Manon De Roey became New Mexico’s first Mountain West Conference medalist in three years after she won the women’s golf championship Saturday at the Mission Hills Country Club Dinah Shore Course in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Carding a 7-over-par 223 over three days, De Roey sank a 20-foot birdie putt in a playoff and beat UNLV’s Demi Mak for the title. De Roey had her best round Saturday with a 1-over 73 after hitting consecutive 75s in the first two rounds.
UNM had not taken a medal since Jodi Ewart in 2010.
“It feels really good,” De Roey said in a release. “I was a little down for three tournaments before Fresno (April 15-16), but I played well there and that helped this week.”
The conference win is De Roey’s second of the year. She also claimed the fall season-opening Colonel Bill Wollenberg Ptarmigan Ram Classic last September. She joins Caroline Keggi, Kristi Arrington and Ewart as the fourth Lobo to win at least two tournaments in an academic year.
De Roey, a Belgium native, and Mak entered Saturday’s final round in a third-place tie two strokes off the lead. De Roey carded a 34 on the front nine and a 39 on the back. Mak settled for a 73 after a bogey on the 18th hole set up the playoff. De Roey completed her round 90 minutes before Mak finished hers.
Mak missed her birdie attempt in the playoff, securing De Roey’s victory.
“It was a good way to finish,” UNM head coach Jill Trujillo said in the release, referring to De Roey.
San Diego State’s Christine Wong took third behind De Roey and Mak with an 8-over 224. Nevada’s Nikki Prichard and UNLV’s Mayko Chwen Wang were tied for fourth at 9-over, while SDSU’s Paige Spiranac placed sixth at 10-over.
UNM finished sixth in the eight-team tournament with 949 over 54 holes. UNLV took the top team prize with a 904, followed by Boise State (916), Fresno State (918), Nevada (922) and San Diego State (926). Colorado State (950) and Wyoming (969) rounded out the field behind the Lobos.
Junior Sammi Stevens and senior Beth Buchner fired their best scores in the final round, each carding a 75. Stevens shot three strokes better Saturday after posting 78s in the opening rounds, placing 12th in the individual standings with a 231. Buchner improved her second-round 85 by 10 strokes, taking 35th with a 246.
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Also at the tournament, UNM’s Sofia Hoglund was tied for 36th place at 249 and Ira Knopf was tied for 39th at 266.
As a team, UNM scored a 306 Saturday, 14 strokes better than Friday’s second round.
De Roey and Stevens earned first-team All-Mountain West honors for their performances. Stevens made all-conference for the second straight year.
