Purdue Wins Women's Golf Title


Purdue edged Southern Cal by a stroke to win the NCAA Women's Championship Friday at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C.

The Boilermakers became the first university from the Big Ten to win a national title in women's golf and the first northern-climate school to win the NCAA Women's Championship. The team is the fourth in Purdue history to win a national title.

The final tally was Purdue: 1,153 (1-over par), USC: 1,154. The Trojans' Jennifer Song had a chance to tie Purdue for the lead and force a playoff, but she missed.

Southern Cal coach Andrea Gaston said she knew USC had a chance to tie after the Boilermakers' No. 1 player Maude-Aimee LeBlanc bogeyed the 18th hole. Gaston thought to herself, " 'Oh my goodness, we really do have a chance at least to tie it,' " Gaston said later.

"You don't want anybody else in that position," she added about Song, who experienced similar heartbreak in 2009 after three-putting to just miss winning the individual title.

Oklahoma State's Caroline Hedwall fired a 4-under 68 Friday to win the individual title, finishing the 72-hole championship at 12-under 276. Hedwall won by four shots over third-round leader Jennifer Johnson of Arizona State, who had a 1-over 73 in the final round. LeBlanc and Auburn's Cydney Clanton, who carded a 6-under 66 on Friday, shared third at 7-under.