Women's Golf Repeats at Top

The 27th-ranked Tulane women's golf team captured its second straight Conference USA Championship on Tuesday (April 20) by 14 strokes, and sophomore Ashley McKenney claimed the individual title.

With its win, Tulane receives the league's automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Regionals, which take place May 6–8 at a site to be determined.

Playing in the Hattiesburg, Miss., tournament, Tulane closed out the most dominating effort in Conference USA women's golf championship history with a sweep of the team and individual titles for the second straight year. Its three-round total of 6-over 858 (290-283-285) shattered the previous mark of 886 by 28 strokes, a record set by Texas Christian University in 2002.

"Our girls were awesome this week," Tulane head coach John Thomas Horton said. "They have put in a lot of time and hard work this season, and they deserve every minute of this championship."

While the fight for the team title was never in doubt on Tuesday, McKenney found herself in a battle with East Carolina senior Abby Bools, the 2008 C-USA Player of the Year, in the individual race.

"Ashley McKenney might be one of the most underrated players in college golf. She has a huge amount of potential and today is just the first of many great tournaments for her," Horton said.

With McKenney blazing a trail toward the individual title on Tuesday, it was Tulane junior Janine Fellows that quietly produced the best single round in C-USA Championship history with her 4-under 67 during her final round.

East Carolina finished in second place with a three-round total of 872 (296-288-288), while Tulsa netted an 889 (297-300-292) and claimed third place.

Since the women's golf program was reinstated less than two years ago, Tulane has five tournament titles and 13 top-10 finishes out of a possible 21 tournaments.