Mami Yamamoto chipped in from roughly 50 feet to wrap her second 1-under-par 71 round in as many days Wednesday afternoon as Texas Tech concluded its stay at the NCAA Austin Regional in 13th place.
Yamamoto’s ball two-hopped the green before rolling in for eagle, capping another strong round for the junior who ended her three-day stay at the University of Texas Golf Club at 1-over for the tournament and in sole possession of 22nd place.
“As soon as I hit it, I knew it was good but I didn’t know it would go in,” Yamamoto said of the final shot. “It was nice to see it go in and end my day that way.”
Yamamoto benefited from a pair of birdies over her final nine holes, the first of which came at the par-3 2nd where she landed her tee shot just a foot from the pin. She easily tapped in for birdie, Tech’s second at the hole after Lauren Mason drained a putt a short while earlier.
Yamamoto, who finished among the top-25 individuals at the regional round for the second-straight year, took advantage of another tap-in birdie at the par-5 5th hole as she sent her approach shot to the front edge of the green, giving her a long putt for eagle that stopped just inches from the hole.
“It was great to see Mami have a great round and finish with an eagle,” Tech head coach JoJo Robertson said. “What she’s done this spring is gotten better every time she plays. (This week) can only help her. I’m sure she’ll be ready to have a great senior year.”
Backed by Yamamoto, Tech combined for its second 12-over 300 card of the tournament as the Red Raiders matched their score from Monday’s opening round. The round pushed Tech to 35-over for the tournament, keeping the Red Raiders in the same leaderboard position as they entered the day.
Tech’s two freshmen, Amy Taylor and Louisa Brunt, both signed for 4-over rounds to complete their first-ever trip to a NCAA Regional. Taylor ended the tournament at 10-over and in a tie for 49th place, while Brunt was tied for 80th overall at 20-over.
The Austin Regional marked the final collegiate tournament for both Mason and fellow senior Gabby Barker, who will both leave Tech with degrees in hand in pursuit of professional golf careers. Barker closed her career with a 5-over round, pushing her to 13-over for the tournament, just one stroke ahead of Mason, who had a 7-over card.
Barker, who will earn her degree in human development and family studies from Tech in just a few weeks, will play in several Symetra Tour events this summer after advancing to the third stage of LPGA qualifying school this past fall. Mason, meanwhile, will receive her master’s degree in sports management this August and will make her professional debut at LPGA Q-School later that month.
“They’ve both been great for the program,” Robertson said of her two seniors. “They both went to two NCAA Championships. Gabby was an All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year. They together really helped our program get to where it is right now.”
Even with the departure of Barker and Mason, Robertson will benefit from the return of three members of this week’s lineup in Yamamoto, Brunt, and Taylor as well as sophomore Sofia Garcia, who missed all but one tournament this season due to injury. All four will play in several amateur tournaments this season before Tech begins its 2018-19 season in September.
Yamamoto’s ball two-hopped the green before rolling in for eagle, capping another strong round for the junior who ended her three-day stay at the University of Texas Golf Club at 1-over for the tournament and in sole possession of 22nd place.
“As soon as I hit it, I knew it was good but I didn’t know it would go in,” Yamamoto said of the final shot. “It was nice to see it go in and end my day that way.”
Yamamoto benefited from a pair of birdies over her final nine holes, the first of which came at the par-3 2nd where she landed her tee shot just a foot from the pin. She easily tapped in for birdie, Tech’s second at the hole after Lauren Mason drained a putt a short while earlier.
Yamamoto, who finished among the top-25 individuals at the regional round for the second-straight year, took advantage of another tap-in birdie at the par-5 5th hole as she sent her approach shot to the front edge of the green, giving her a long putt for eagle that stopped just inches from the hole.
“It was great to see Mami have a great round and finish with an eagle,” Tech head coach JoJo Robertson said. “What she’s done this spring is gotten better every time she plays. (This week) can only help her. I’m sure she’ll be ready to have a great senior year.”
Backed by Yamamoto, Tech combined for its second 12-over 300 card of the tournament as the Red Raiders matched their score from Monday’s opening round. The round pushed Tech to 35-over for the tournament, keeping the Red Raiders in the same leaderboard position as they entered the day.
Tech’s two freshmen, Amy Taylor and Louisa Brunt, both signed for 4-over rounds to complete their first-ever trip to a NCAA Regional. Taylor ended the tournament at 10-over and in a tie for 49th place, while Brunt was tied for 80th overall at 20-over.
The Austin Regional marked the final collegiate tournament for both Mason and fellow senior Gabby Barker, who will both leave Tech with degrees in hand in pursuit of professional golf careers. Barker closed her career with a 5-over round, pushing her to 13-over for the tournament, just one stroke ahead of Mason, who had a 7-over card.
Barker, who will earn her degree in human development and family studies from Tech in just a few weeks, will play in several Symetra Tour events this summer after advancing to the third stage of LPGA qualifying school this past fall. Mason, meanwhile, will receive her master’s degree in sports management this August and will make her professional debut at LPGA Q-School later that month.
“They’ve both been great for the program,” Robertson said of her two seniors. “They both went to two NCAA Championships. Gabby was an All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year. They together really helped our program get to where it is right now.”
Even with the departure of Barker and Mason, Robertson will benefit from the return of three members of this week’s lineup in Yamamoto, Brunt, and Taylor as well as sophomore Sofia Garcia, who missed all but one tournament this season due to injury. All four will play in several amateur tournaments this season before Tech begins its 2018-19 season in September.
(Courtesy: Texas Tech Sports Communications Department)
