BATON ROUGE -- Pac-12 Individual Champion and April's Conference Player of the Month Linnea Strom has punched her ticket as an individual to the NCAA Championships after finishing in a tie for 7th at 1-under 215 (71-73-71) for the three-day NCAA Regional tournament.
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The rookie -- ranked No. 15 in the country by Golfstat.com -- had to be one of the top three players not on one of the low six teams in the tournament, and was in fourth with just two holes remaining. As she did at the Pac-12 Championships, a late birdie and clutch putt helped her move up two spots, eventually qualifying her for the championships in Eugene, Ore. from May 20-25.
"We are extremely disappointed that we did not play well enough to make it as a team to the National Championships," said head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. "We have had a great year, but to end it this way is not what we wanted. Having said that, I am so happy for Linnea qualifying as an individual. She played very well and made a fantastic putt on the last hole to get in. I am confident that Linnea will represent ASU very well in Eugene in two weeks."
Strom's final round was steady, totaling three birdies and just two bogeys along with her 15 pars. She was one of eight players to record two under-par rounds out of the field of 96 women.
What helped Strom the most was her performance on the par-4's, as she ranked fifth in the tournament by playing an even par over the course of the 42 holes.
As a team, the Devils finished their final round with a nine-over 297 and combined for a 27-over 891 for an 8th-place finish.
Strom will be one of 12 individuals to play in the NCAA Championships at Eugene Country Club in two weeks.