Deng, Huskies Finish Strong At The Show At Spanish Trail

LAS VEGAS – Led by a 1-over 73 from sophomore Stefanie Deng, the Washington women's golf team turned in the second-best round of the day Tuesday, and improved two spots to finish in fifth place after the final round of The Show at Spanish Trail.
 
The third round of the two-day, 54-hole tournament, played at Spanish Trail Country Club, was marked by windy conditions, which inflated the scoring for all 16 teams, compared to Monday's first two rounds. Tuesday's best team total was a collective 13-over 301, and no individual was under par for the round. Washington's Tuesday team total was second-best.
 
The Huskies, who shot a 15-over 303 to finish with a three-day score of 889, were led by Deng, whose 1-over 73 was tied for the fourth-best round of the day, behind three players who shot even par. Deng, who began her round on No. 10, was 1-under through the back nine, with birdies on No. 12 and No. 18, and then 2-over on the front. 
 
Deng posted scores of 71 and 75 on Monday, giving her a total of 3-over 219 for the three-round tournament, good for eighth place overall and her second top-10 finish as a Husky.
 
"I'm proud of the way the team hung in there today," said UW head coach Mary Lou Mulflur. "The conditions were incredibly difficult with constant 20-plus mile per hour winds and serious gusts of 40-plus. It would have been easy to give up, so I'm very pleased with their mentality today."
 
After Deng, the next highest overall finisher among the Huskies was Brittany Kwon, who scored a 4-over 76 on Tuesday. Paired with her day-one scores of 75 and 73, her 8-over total was good for a tie for 28th in the 84-player field.
 
Camille Boyd, who was even through the first two rounds, finished the tournament in a tie for 32nd place, with a three-round score of 225.
 
Jamie Hsieh, who made par on 14 holes and bogied the four others, also turned in 4-over 76 in round three. Her three-round total of 229 placed her 47th overall. Kennedy Knox, whose round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole, completed the three rounds with a score of 232.
 
Host UNLV won the team title with a 4-over total of 860. Nevada's Leah John won individual honors with a 4-under 212, despite a 7-over round on Tuesday.
 
Washington will now have two weeks to prepare for the next tournament: the Gunrock Invitational, Feb. 28-March 1 at the Del Paso Country Club, in Sacramento, Calif.