The Battle at Rancho Bernardo was the toughest challenge yet for Texas and could well be the toughest tournament the Longhorns will compete in this season. The Battle at Rancho Bernardo has been rated the fourth-toughest event in the nation during the spring season, according to Ryan Herrington of <em>golfdigest.com</em>.
The No. 25 Longhorns finished tied for eighth overall with a score of 50 over. They finished the third and final round at 17 over par. Texas managed only three birdies, compared to round one where the Longhorns made 10 birdies.
Texas junior Nicole Vandermade finished the best out of all Texas golfers on the final day of The Battle at Rancho Bernardo. She tied in 13th place after all three days of play. Tuesday was the best performance of the tournament for her. She finished even-par, birdying on the 12th hole and bogeying on the 16th hole. She ended the tournament 7 over.
Freshman Rebecca Lee-Bentham scored five over for round three, tying her for 25th place. She had two of the Longhorn’s three birdies on the fifth and 12th holes.
Sophomores Madison Pressel and Haley Stephens both ended the day six over, and sophomore Katelyn Sepmoree finished 10 over. Stephens ended the tournament tied for 38th place with 14 over, and Pressel ended tied for 55th place with 18 over.
Junior Megan Rosenfeld finished tied for 38th place with 14 over. She ended Tuesday with eight over after starting even-par after round one. She competed in this tournament as an individual.
Of the teams participating, eight teams ranked in the top 25 and four teams received votes to be in the top 25, based on the National Golf Coaches Association. Defending National Champion Purdue, the No. 6 team in the country, competed along other top ranked teams including No. 3 USC and No. 4 UCLA.
The Longhorns’ next tournament is the PING ASU Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., with play beginning on April 1.