Tubert, Razorbacks fourth

AUBURN, Ala. – The 12th-ranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team moved up and down the leaderboard rallying late to finish fourth at the 2011 Southeastern Conference Women’s Golf Championship at the Auburn University Club in Auburn, Ala., Sunday.

Freshman Emily Tubert recorded five pars and birdied 18 tying for fourth as an individual. The Burbank, Calif., native opened the tournament with a 69 followed by rounds of 72-74 for a one-under 215 for the three day event. Tubert was five strokes off the lead.

Redshirt freshman Emma Lavy, also playing in her first SEC Championship, finished tied for 12th overall with a 221. Lavy, a Fayetteville, Ark., native, was solid throughout the tournament shooting 74-73-74 for 221.

Lavy was even on the back nine with birdies on nine, 12 and 17.

Sophomore Victoria Vela finished tied for 36th overall with a 231. Vela shot 73-78-80. Seniors Kelli Shean and Corinna Rees tied for 38th overall shooting 232. Shean carded 73-83-76 rallying from her second round. Shean battled an ear ache that made her unsteady in the second round.

Rees also finished strong scoring her best round of the tournament Sunday. Rees shot 76-82-74 for her 232.

As a team, the No. 12 Razorbacks finished with a 298 in the third round of the windy event. Arkansas finished 28 over with an 892 with rounds of 289-305-298. They were as low as seventh late in the scoring Sunday but the strong finish on the last three holes was the difference in the team finish.

Host and No. 17 Auburn won the event on their home course finished with an 864 in the narrow, tricky venue. Third-ranked Alabama hung on for second. They were 11 strokes off the lead finishing with an 875. Number eight LSU edged into third with 887, followed by Arkansas in fourth with 892.

The rest of the field included No. 37 South Carolina who played well early and fell back on the second nine. The Gamecocks shot 893, followed by No. 14 Tennessee with 895, No. 21 Vanderbilt with 897, No. 11 Georgia with 899, No. 26 Florida with 907, Kentucky with 927, No. 41 Ole Miss with 931 and Mississippi State rounding out the teams with a 955.

Arkansas’ best team finish came in 2008 with a second-place showing. The Razorbacks have won two individual titles, both by Stacy Lewis, in 2005 and 2008 during her freshman and senior seasons, respectively.

The Razorbacks wait word of their NCAA Regional selection next week. The three Regional sites include Washington, Florida and Notre Dame.