Golf gives Arkansas women rare championship
Coach Lance Harter has led the Razorbacks to 33 Southeastern Conference Championships in women’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track, but the University of Arkansas women’s athletic program has garnered no other championships, besides a volleyball tournament title under former coach Chris Poole.
That changed Sunday when Shauna Taylor’s No. 3 Arkansas golf team won the SEC Championship at the Greystone Golf and Country Club in Hoover, Ala.
The championship was not only the first SEC team title for Arkansas’ women’s golf, but Taylor became the first female head coach to lead the Razorbacks to an SEC championship. Taylor was promoted from assistant in 2007 by former women’s athletic director Bev Lewis.
Taylor stayed all about her team after winning the title.
“It means everything,” Taylor told the SEC Network ,which televised Sunday’s winner-take-all match between Arkansas and South Carolina. “These girls have worked so hard. They put in the time, the effort and to finally get a conference championship for our golf program, it’s been a long time coming. I couldn’t be prouder of these student-athletes.”
Arkansas advanced through three rounds of medal play on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, qualifying for match play in third place behind Alabama and South Carolina. Arkansas beat defending SEC champion Florida, 3-2, and top-ranked Alabama, 3-1-1, on a grueling Saturday.
It took Kaylee Benton’s onestroke victory over SEC medal champion Ainhoa Alarra on Sunday for Arkansas to edge South Carolina. Olarra edged Arkansas’ Maria Fassi on a playoff Friday for SEC medalist champion.
Fassi won her match over South Carolina’s Anita Uwadia Sunday to give Arkansas momentum on the final day.
“She’s been a rock,” Taylor said. “She’s been our anchor. She got points when we needed her and she’s been such a great leader. I can’t say enough about her.”
Arkansas’ Dylan Kim’s 2 & 1 over Lois Kay Go gave Arkansas its second match play victory over South Carolina Sunday, but the Razorbacks’ lost a point with
Cara Goriel losing to Marion Veysseyre.
Alana Uriell was tied after 18 with South Carolina’s Ana Pelaez. Despite a superior playoff hole drive, Uriell saw her putt rim out as Pelaez won the playoff by a stroke shortly before Benton clinched Arkansas’ crown.
As the Arkansas assistant who helped former Arkansas coach Kelley Hester, her mentor and fellow University of Georgia alum, recruit and coach LPGA great Stacy Lewis to winning the NCAA title at ArkansAas, Taylor has been a part of some major Arkansas successes, including coaching six players currently on the pro tour.
However, the conference crown seems to top it all.
“It means everything for our team, our university, all the people that help us every day,” Taylor said. “Our families, it’s unbelievable to have such a great group of girls and I knew that we had a special group in the locker room back in August. And now they have come to the golf course and done what’s never been done at the University of Arkansas. Just tremendous.”
Taylor, whose team finished second at the Liz Murphy Classic in Athens, Ga., the previous week was asked Sunday, “What’s next?”
“Sleep,” Taylor replied. “These 4 a.m. mornings. We have been playing so much golf. We came straight from Georgia.”
They do get some time to regroup and practice before NCAA Regional qualifying begins May 7 at either Austin, Texas; Madison, Wisc.; Tallahassee, Fla.’ or Palo Alto, Calif.
Qualifying teams at the four Regionals advance to the NCAA Women’s Championships May 18-23 hosted by Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla.