Arkansas Defeats Eastern Michigan, 4-1, in East Lake Cup Semifinal
ATLANTA – No. 20 Arkansas women’s golf defeated Eastern Michigan in the East Lake Cup semifinals, 4-1, to advance to Wednesday’s championship at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Hogs will face Oklahoma State in the final. The Cowgirls defeated No. 3 USC 3-2. Arkansas and Oklahoma State faced off in last season’s NCAA Championship quarterfinal match, when the Razorbacks won 5-0 to advance to their first semifinal in program history.
How it Happened
Arkansas started off slow on the front nine and trailed in three of five matches as the pairings made the turn.
Sophomore Sara Brentcheneff turned in the Hogs’ first point with a 3&1 win over Karen Tsuru on the 17th hole. Brentcheneff led by one through seven holes until Tsuru tied the match with a birdie on the par-4 eighth. The pair tied on the next three holes and Brentcheneff regained the lead with a par on the par-3 11th. The Lyon, France native added to her lead with a par on the par-4 13th and a par on the par-3 15th. She had a chance to end the match on the 16th but missed a birdie putt and dropped to a 2-hole lead. Brentcheneff closed it out with a par on No. 17 and improved to 3-0 in match play at Arkansas.
Senior Maria Jose Marin recorded the Razorbacks’ second point with a dominating 5&4 win over Baiyok Sukterm. Marin took a 1-hole lead into the turn and kicked it into gear with four straight holes won through Nos. 10-13. Her match came to an end on the 14th green after both golfers tied the par-5. The Cali, Columbia native improved her match play record to 5-2.
Junior Natalie Blonien also dominated with a 4&2 victory over Laura Gorgees Baeta. Blonien was just 1-up after a double-bogey on the par-4 13th but won her next three holes with a birdie and two pars. Her par on the par-4 16th gave Arkansas its winning point and she improved to 3-1.
Sophomore Ebba Liljeberg was down by three through seven holes but battled back with wins on Nos. 8 and 12 to cut Constanza Quiroga’s lead to one with six holes to play. Liljeberg double bogeyed the par-4 13th, the most difficult hole on the course on Tuesday, to give Quiroga a two-hole lead with five to play. Liljeberg started her run on the par-3 15th, the famous peninsula green, where she hit her tee shot to five feet and Quiroga hit hers into the water. Liljeberg made her putt to get back to a 1-hole deficit with two to go. The pair tied the par-4 16th and Quiroga led by one headed into the par-4 17th. Liljeberg hit her approach on 17 to five feet and made her birdie putt to tie the match. Quiroga again found trouble on No. 18 and bogeyed and gave Liljeberg a par putt to win the match, her first collegiate match play win.
Sophomore Swetha Sathish faced Savannah de Bock, Eastern’s top golfer, and led by one through five holes but fell to a 4-hole deficit. She double-bogeyed the 15th to give de Bock a 4&3 win.
Brentcheneff was 2-under and Marin was 4-under at the conclusion of their matches and neither trailed.
Championship Pairings
11:20 a.m. – Sara Brentcheneff vs. Ellie Bushnell
11:40 a.m. – Swetha Sathish vs. Summer Lee
12 p.m. – Ebba Liljeberg vs. Louise Depadt
12:20 p.m. – Maria Jose Marin vs. Marta Silchenko
12:40 p.m. – Natalie Blonien vs. Tarapath Panya
Wednesday’s championship will be televised live on Golf Channel from 2-5 p.m. CT.
For more information on Arkansas women’s golf, follow @RazorbackWGolf on social media.
