TULSA, Okla. — Following a fast start in the third round of the NCAA Championship, the Mississippi State women’s golf team moved up three spots on the leaderboard into fifth heading into the final round of the NCAA Championship, while Ally McDonald remains in the top 10.
Coming behind the record-setting 285 second-round score, MSU improved by two strokes to set a school record for lowest NCAA Championship round at 3-over-par 283, tying for the fifth-best round of the day. The Bulldogs had nine birdies in the first four holes before ending the round with 19.
Shooting eight shots better than her Wednesday round was Rica Tse, who matched her career-best round with a 1-under-par 69 third round.
Tying Tse for the best round for a MSU player was freshman Ji Eun Baik, who used six birdies in her round to complete a six-shot-turnaround from her second to third round.
All-Southeastern Conference selection McDonald held her spot in the top-10 with a 1-over-par 71 to earn a share of eighth at 2-over-par 212 entering the final round.
Jessica Peng and Mary Langdon Gallagher turned in 4-over-par 74 second rounds with three birdies each to round out MSU’s scorecard. All-SEC Freshman Peng entered the freshman record books again as her 74 birdies on the year is better than any other freshman in school history. The Bulldogs’ only senior Gallagher will play her final collegiate round today, making it the 120th round at MSU.
No. 3 Duke will take the top score into the final round at 16-over-par 856. Celine Boutier of the Blue Devils gained the top individual spot at 3-under-par 207.
Alabama shot 9-over-par 289 in the third round and is tied for 13th entering the final round.
Stephanie Meadow led the Tide with her lowest round of the week, a bogey-free 2-under 68. She made par on the first 11 holes of her third round before making birdie on the par-5 third hole and followed that with a birdie on the par-4 fifth. Meadow enters the final round tied for 11th individually at 3-over 213.
Cammie Gray and Emma Talley shot under par on their final nine holes – the front nine at Tulsa Country Club. Talley was four over at the turn, but birdied the first and sixth holes to shot 1-under on her back nine for a 3-over 73. Talley is 10-over 220 after three rounds in a tie for 41st.
Gray, from Northport, Ala., was 5-over at the turn with two double bogeys but rallied with a birdie on the 16th, first and seventh holes and a lone bogey on her closing nine at the fifth. The 74 was her best round of the week.
Landegren made five straight bogeys early in her round only to respond with back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th holes (her sixth and seventh) to make the turn at 3-over. She birdied the first hole to get back to 2-over but finished with bogeys on the sixth and ninth hole to shoot 74.
Janie Jackson shot 75 on Thursday and did not count toward the team total. The Huntsville, Ala., native is now 9-over 219 after 54 holes in a tie for 35th.
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