LSU senior golfer Taylor Riley
LSU PHOTO
If it’s time for the NCAA women’s golf championships, it means the LSU Tigers are still playing.
LSU has appeared in the past six championships, one of just eight programs to do so. The Tigers will tee it up Friday morning at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
“It’s hard to do in a sport where there’s no defense,” coach Garrett Runion said of LSU’s streak.
“I don’t want a good team, I want a good program. To have a good program, you’ve got consistently be at national. I’m very proud of what we’ve done.”
The Tigers got to Carlsbad by finishing fourth last week in the NCAA Waco (Texas) regional.
“All the credit goes to the players that have bought in, worked hard, and showed up when they needed to in the most stressful tournament of the year (NCAA regionals),” Runion said. “I think that just helps them understand what we’ve done back home to prepare them, and handle that pressure.”
The Tigers will use the same lineup from the regional with sophomore Francesca Fiorellini, seniors Elsa Svensson and Taylor Riley, sophomore Josefin Widal and freshman Ryleigh Knaub. Sophomore Rocio Tejedo will be the alternate. Knaub leads the team with a 71.96 stroke average, just ahead of Fiorellini’s 71.97.
Riley, who grew up in nearby San Diego, is the daughter of former PGA touring pro Chris Riley and former LSU golfer Michelle Louviere. She becomes the 13th LSU player to compete in at least three NCAA Championships.
“She’s a little sentimental, knowing it’s her final college tournament in her hometown,” Runion said.
The NCAA Championships are a marathon, not a sprint. The field of 30 teams will be cut to 15 Sunday, followed by a final round of stroke play Monday when the NCAA individual champion is crowned. The top eight teams begin match play Tuesday to determine the team champion Wednesday.
Live scoring is available at , with streaming pay coverage on . Television coverage switches Monday to The Golf Channel.