BYU took home the Gonzaga Match Play title on Monday at the Manito Golf and Country Club in Spokane. The team won 18 of its 22 individual matches and went undefeated in team play to win the tournament.
“It was a great team win,” BYU head coach Carrie Roberts said. “We were pretty dominant throughout our matches.”
The Cougars squared up with Eastern Washington and Idaho, winning 5-0-1 and 4-2-0, respectively. Aiko Leon, Anna Kennedy, Brooklyn Hocker, Kendra Dalton won their individual matches in the first competition, while Dalton Hocker, Leong and Rose Huang picked up big wins in the second matchup.
“Rose was our highlight versus Idaho.” Roberts said. “She shot 6-under par through 13 holes and played incredible, winning 6 and 5. Kendra played well and Brooklyn was solid. Aiko won both of her matches on Saturday.”
The Cougars clinched the tournament title with a 4-2-0 victory over WCC rival Gonzaga on the final day. Leong, Huang, White and Kennedy picked up the four wins for the team.
“It was good to beat a conference foe in Gonzaga and we had to play well to beat them,” Roberts said. “Match play is a little different because it’s head-to-head. It’s fun and it changes things up.”
Seattle and Portland State tied for second place. Gonzaga and Idaho tied for third, followed by Eastern Washington.
“Overall I’m real proud of how our team played,” Roberts said. “Our goal was to win all three matches.”
The Cougars will compete next week, Oct. 10-11, in the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational in Tacoma.
