Women's golf finish in third at Pac-10 Championships

The fourth-ranked Arizona State University women's golf team finished in third place at the 2008 Pac-10 Championships. ASU shot a 39-over 891 (296-294-301) at the par-71, 6,060 yard Palos Verdes Golf Club. Tournament host USC took home the Pac-10 title, shooting 8-over for the tournament.

"We were seeded third and we finished third," said head coach Melissa Luellen. "We didn't do anything we weren't supposed to do. That was a positive."

Individually, three Sun Devil golfers finished in the top-ten. Sophomore All-American Anna Nordqvist, last year's Pac-10 Player of the Year, shot a 3-over 216 (74-70-72) to finish in second place. Nordqvist has recorded five top-five finishes this season, including a tie for first at the PING/ASU Intercollegiate earlier this month.

Junior All-American Azahara Munoz finished in seventh place, carding a 6-over 219 (72-71-76). Munoz, ranked third in the nation according to Golfweek, is playing the best golf of her career. Out of nine tournament appearances this season, Munoz has finished in the top-ten eight times. The lone tournament outside the top-ten was a tie for 12th place at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational.

I'm very, very proud of Anna and Aza for finishing in the top-ten at the Pac-10's and Anna was first runner-up," said Luellen. "It was actually a very close race for Pac-10 Player of the year between [UCLA's] Tiffany Joh and Aza and Anna. It is obviously thrilling to have two players in the race."

Joh beat out Nordqvist and Munoz for the 2008 Pac-10 Player of the Year award.

However, the Sun Devils did not leave empty handed, both Nordqvist and Munoz were named first-team All-Pac-10 for their play this season.

Sophomore Juliana Murcia finished in ninth place, shooting a 9-over 222 (74-74-74). Murcia's ninth-place finish is her highest finish of the season.

"Juliana played really consistent and steady," said Luellen. "She has been improving every tournament and now it is starting to show up in her score."

Junior All-American Jennifer Osborn shot a three-day total of 23-over 236 (76-81-79) to tie for 36th.

Murcia and Osborn both received All-Pac-10 Honorable Mentions.

Also competing for the Sun Devils, senior Camila Sola finished in 46th, shooting a 32-over 245 (85-79-81).

This season Arizona State has finished in the top-five in all nine tournaments in which the Sun Devils competed. In October, ASU won the 2007 Stanford Intercollegiate overcoming a 12-stroke deficit to come from behind to beat then No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 Duke.

Luellen is already looking forward to competing at the NCAA Regionals, May 8-10. "Next up, we will get ready for regionals. We need to take one tournament at a time."