DANVILLE, Calif. — BYU senior Lea Garner didn’t have her best day on the golf course during the third round of the West Coast Conference golf championships Wednesday.

But she, like her team, did just enough for one accomplishment: a team title.

Garner carded a 5-over-par 77 for a three-day total of 219 to finish tied for second individually, and the No. 38 Cougars — who finished in last place at the 2015 WCC tourney in Ventura, California — took the conference team title with a three-day total of 884 at Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, California.

The Cougar snapped Pepperdine’s 14-year win streak at the WCC championships. The Waves, ranked No. 49 in the nation, finished third. The championship was BYU's first conference golf title since 1992, when it won back-to-back championships in the Western Athletic Conference.

Gonzaga’s Ciera Min shot 6-under 66 to blitz the final day and finish with a three-day total of even-par 216 for individual medalist honors. Santa Clara’s Annie Freman shot 4-under 68 to finish tied for third individually alongside Garner, BYU freshman Rose Huang and Gonzaga’s Bianca Pagdanganan at 219.

Huang finished the three-day tournament with a remarkably consistent 73 in all three rounds for the 3-over par score.

BYU’s Kendra Dalton finished tied for sixth at 221, teammate Alex White shot 228, and Brooklyn Hocker carded a three-day 232 to round out the Cougars’ top five.

Gonzaga nearly made up an 11-stroke deficit going into the final day before finishing second at 887, just three shots back of BYU. Pepperdine (892) was third, followed by Santa Clara (904) and San Francisco (906).

Garner carded three birdies while finishing with four bogeys, a double-bogey on No. 3 and a 3-over 7 on No. 8 to hold on for the second-place finish. The former Bonneville High standout who led the Lakers to back-to-back 4A state titles in 2011 and 2012 took a one-stroke lead over Pepperdine’s Patricia Wong into the final round, but shot 3-over on the first three holes to fall back. Wong was 8-over in the final round to finished tied for ninth.

Garner jumped out to an early lead with a 2-under 70 on the first day of the tournament. BYU’s Dalton and Huang also began the final round in the top five, helping add depth to BYU’s team score as the Cougars took a commanding 11-stroke lead into the final day.

BYU finished the first 36 holes at 7-over 583 to second-place Pepperdine’s 594.

But it was just enough to claim the team title.

MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

At Danville, California, Patrick Fishburn finished fourth with a 3-under 69 on the final day to lead the BYU men’s team to a third-place finish at the WCC championship.

Saint Mary’s cruised to the team title at 25-under 839 over three days. The Gaels were paced by individual medalist Johnathan De Los Reyes, who carded a 6-under 66 the final round to finish at 197.

Pepperdine, the 2015 WCC champs, finished second at 7-under 862, followed by BYU and San Diego (872). Gonzaga rounded out the top five, edging Santa Clara by one stroke. BYU’s Spencer Dunaway finished at 1-over 217 for an 11th-place finish, and teammate C.J. Lee was tied for 17th for the Cougars.

Related topics