Louisville takes top honors at the 2014 Clover Cup at Longbow Golf Club

Buffs fade as Cardinals take off

With the help of four players who finished in the top 25, Louisville edged out tournament host, Notre Dame, to earn first place at the 2014 Clover Cup — a collegiate women’s golf tournament held at Longbow Golf Club, March 14-16. The Cardinals earned victory after recording a 24-over-par 888, one stroke better than Notre Dame’s 889. Colorado finished 3rd at 29-over par (893), while Mississippi and Michigan finished tied for 4th place at 32-over par (896).

On the bright side for Notre Dame — Kristina Nhim earned medalist honors, posting a 3-under-par 213 for the 54-hole tournament. She set the tone early by shooting the week’s lowest score, 4-under-par 68, on the first day, and she went on to finish the tournament strong with birdies on three of her last four holes.

The Colorado Buffalos led the stampede early in the week. Only two years ago they dominated this event, and it appeared like they were on their way to another victory after leading by two strokes through the second round. However, after the dust settled, they slid to five strokes behind Louisville.

“We struggled today, and it was just kind of odd because it seemed like everybody was just a little off,” CU head coach Anne Kelly said. “They were hitting good shots, but just couldn’t get any putts to drop. We have no excuses because the weather was perfect and the course conditions were perfect.”

Indeed, despite occasional gusts, Mesa’s wonderful weather certainly offered a welcome respite for the teams and families escaping what has become a historically difficult winter for much of the country.

Final Results:
Place    Team    Par    Score
1        Louisville    +24    888
2        Notre Dame    +25    889
3        Colorado    +29    893
T4    Mississippi    +32    896
T4    Michigan    +32    896
6        UNLV    +34    898
7        East Carolina    +38    902
8        Nebraska    +39    903
9        Kennesaw State    +47    911
T10    Florida International    +53    917
T10    Cincinnati    +53    917
T12    Tulsa    +58    922
T12    Maryland    +58    922
14    New Mexico State    +60    924
15    St. John’s    +70    934