Michigan
NCAA Finals
Borja, Lau Shoot Final Round Under Par, Finish Tied for 13th
5/23/2022 9:39:00 PM | Women's Golf
» Hailey Borja (69, -3) and Ashley Lau (71, -1) used final sub-par tallies to post matching 292 NCAA Finals scores and tie for 13th.
» After tying for fifth last year, Borja posted her second straight top 15 national finish, while Lau etched her first.
» Despite not making 54-hole cut, Michigan finished 20th (911) -- its second straight top-20 national finish.
» U-M will return four of its five starters from this season, including Borja and Lau.
Site: Scottsdale, Arizona
Course: Grayhawk Golf Club (Par 72, 6,384 yards)
Tournament: NCAA National Finals (Day 4 of 4)
Top U-M Individual: Hailey Borja (72-76-75-69) and Ashley Lau (72-78-71-71), tie-13th (292, +4)
Next U-M Round: Season completed
• Results (PDF) | Photo Gallery
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- With a closing 69 (-3) from junior Hailey Borja (69, -3) and a second straight 71 (-1) by senior Ashley Lau (71, -1), the University of Michigan women's golf duo each posted matching 292 NCAA Final 72-hole totals Monday (May 23) and finished tied for 13th individually at the Grayhawk Golf Club.
After U-M posted its second straight top 20 national finish, closing 20th (911), the Wolverines were unable to advance at the 54-hole cut, however, Borja (via playoff) and Lau each moved on to the final round. Fittingly, the Wolverine duo finished tied with each other, which helped them to close an event with a 1-2 finish for the fifth time in 12 tournaments.
"Amazing!" said U-M head coach Jan Dowling. "Hailey (Borja) and Ashley (Lau) both played so well today. What a wonderful way for them to finish their great seasons. A top 13 finish at the national championship is just awesome. They've worked so hard for it. I'm so happy their games came together this week, and it's just fitting that they tied since they lead our team all season long."
In a near repeat of her closing round at last year's NCAA Finals (career-low 68, -4), Borja rallied late in this year's finale to card a 69 (-3) -- her eighth sub-par total of the year. Despite bogeying two of her first four holes (Nos. 10 and 13), she stayed calm to make the turn even after birdies on Nos. 12 and 18. Making the turn to the front, Borja went on cruise control and finished that side three-under as she carded seven pars in addition to a third birdie on the par 4, 6th-hole.
Borja highlighted the round with an eagle on the par 5, 7th-hole. After striping her drive, she used her hybrid from 212 yards away to drop it six feet. Draining the putt, she posted her first eagle of her championships and closed with a 69 (-3).
With that tally, Borja tallied a 292 (72-76-75-69) championship total to tie for 13th -- jumping 21 spots on the final day as well as posting a second straight top 15 national finish. In her eight NCAA Finals rounds, she has five rounds of par-or-better.
"Today was just a really fun day especially because I had A.J. (Newell) walking with me on the entire 18 holes," said Borja. "We were able to laugh and talk about things we don't normally talk about and that really helped me stay relaxed and consistent. It always feels great to make the cut and compete on the last day of stroke play but I sure did miss my teammates and competing as a team. However, to do it with Ashley was definitely special. Tying with her is perfect as no one has the bragging rights!"
Getting out of the gates early, Lau birdied three of her first five holes (Nos. 11, 12, 14) to quickly get to three-under in her final round. Just before she made the turn to the front, a bogey on 18 gave one of those strokes back. Following bogeys on Nos. 2 and 4, her fourth birdie on No. 3 helped her stay in the red at one-under. As a fifth birdie (No. 7) erased a bogey on No. 6, she posted a second straight 71 (-1), and finished tied with her teammate in 13th place with a 292 total (72-78-71-71) -- the first 72-hole event in her U-M career.
"I was able to get off to a good start early in the round," said Lau. "As it went on, I focused on wanting to enjoy this last round as a senior. Having coach (Jan Dowling) walk with me all 18 holes was so much fun and it really helped me relax. It's just so crazy to tie with Hailey. Who would have thought that? I am proud of her and this team. We were just glad to represent Michigan."
As a team, Michigan finished 20th with a 911 54-hole total in its second straight NCAA Finals appearance. This season, the Wolverines won four team titles, had five medalists, and won the program's first Big Ten Championship, which included sophomore Monet Chun's individual conference title. U-M also hosted an NCAA regional in Ann Arbor, which saw the Wolverines tie for third to advance to their second straight NCAA Finals and fourth under Dowling.
The Maize and Blue will return four of its five starters next season.
Team Standings (After Day 4 of 4)
1. Stanford 289-292-283-297 = 1161 2. Oregon 297-288-288-291 = 1164 3. Texas A&M 292-297-288-289 = 1166 4. UCLA 295-291-292-291 = 1169 5. Auburn 296-290-299-290 = 1175 6. Florida State 296-295-296-292 = 1179 7. San Jose State 307-296-285-293 = 1181 8. Georgia 303-291-298-290 = 1182 9. Arizona State 302-290-302-290 = 1184 10. USC 298-294-300-293 = 1185 11. LSU 296-291-301-299 = 1187 12. Purdue 301-299-293-296 = 1189 13. Texas 305-295-301-289 = 1190 14. South Carolina 306-300-297-288 = 1191 15. Virginia 304-299-298-300 = 1201 Top 8 advanced to match play
Top Individuals
1. Rose Zhang, Stanford 68-70-69-75 = 282 (-60
2. Natasha Andrea Oon, San Jose State 77-68-70-70 = 285
3. Ingrid Lindblad, LSU 74-70-73-70 = 287
Jennie Park, Texas A&M 73-72-72-70 = 287
5. Tze-Han Lin, Oregon 72-71-71-74 = 288
6. Candice Mahe, Georgia 75-69-77-68 = 289
Jenny Bae, Georgia 76-71-67-75 = 289
8. Chiara Tamburlini, Ole Miss 74-70-76-70 = 290*
9. Beth Lillie, Virginia 73-69-75-74 = 291
Inez Wanamarta, Purdue 74-74-70-73 = 291
Emma Spitz, UCLA 74-72-75-70 = 291
Anna Morgan, Furman 72-71-74-74 = 291*
Michigan Individuals
T13. Hailey Borja 72-76-75-69 = 292* (+4) T13. Ashley Lau 72-78-71-71 = 292* (+4) * playing as individual
