No. 2 Razorbacks' SEC Championship Run Ends in Semifinals
BELLEAIR, Fla. – The second-ranked Arkansas women’s golf team started its 14-hour day with a 3-2 quarterfinal victory over No. 6 Texas, but fell to No. 25 Florida, 3-2, in Thursday afternoon’s SEC Championship semifinal match at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.
Both matches were tied 2-2 headed into the final hole.
The Hogs started slow against the Longhorns but took the lead in 3 of 5 matches after sophomore Abbey Schutte upset the twelfth-ranked player in the country, Texas’ Farah O’Keefe, 2&1. Kendall Todd, in the first pairing of the day, turned in the Razorbacks’ first point with a 4&2 win over Angela Heo.
Maria José Marin took a one-hole lead over Texas’ Bohyun Park headed into the final hole, the par-3 ninth hole. José Marin just needed to tie Park to secure the win, and the both finished with three strokes. The victory gave the Hogs their first SEC match play win since 2018.
Following a short break, Arkansas began its match with the Gators, who crushed LSU 5-0 in the quarterfinals. Todd, down by two holes before the turn at No. 9, lost just one hole on the back nine and surged past Florida’s Karoline Tuttle in the final four holes for a 2&1 win. José Marin turned in the Razorbacks’ second point, 3&2, and never trailed Gator golfer Jessica Guisler. Schutte and freshman Clarisa Temelo dropped their matches 1 up and 2&1, respectively.
The final match came down to Reagan Zibilski in the anchor position, paired with Florida’s Addison Klonowski. Zibilski maintained a lead from the second hole to the 12th hole, but Klonowski picked up back-to-back wins on Nos. 13 and 14 to tie the match and another win on the par-4 16th hole to go 1 up. Klonowski had a short putt to clinch the win on No. 17, but missed. Zibilski needed a win on the 18th hole to tie the match and force a 19th hole playoff. Both golfers found the green in two shots but the pair two-putted and tied the hole to give Florida the 3-2 victory.
Up Next
Arkansas will learn its NCAA Regional placement on Wednesday, April 23.
For more information on Arkansas women’s golf, follow @RazorbackWGolf on social media.
