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PROVO — The last time BYU golfer Alex White won medalist honors at a tournament, the Cougars were hosting their annual Entrada-sponsored event during her sophomore season.
With one final chance to win a meet at home, White put on a clinic Saturday.
White claimed medalist honors with a 2-under-par 70 Saturday for a three-day total of 1-over 217, and the 27th-ranked BYU women’s golf team took the top three spots on the leaderboard to roll to their second-straight West Coast Conference championship at Riverside Country Club in Provo.
“To win twice in a row, and here at Riverside, means so much to the program,” said White, who shot 73 and 74 in the first two rounds of the tournament. “We had our athletic directors here, and so much faculty and administration support. It was neat to be able to win at home.”
The Cougars overturned a five-stroke deficit to No. 36 Pepperdine in Friday’s second round to take a three-shot lead into the final 18 holes.
Just having to maintain its lead, BYU’s biggest competition — at times — came from itself. Besides White, Kendra Dalton and Rose Huang also held or tied for the lead round Saturday, and the sophomore duo finished tied for second with a three-day total of 2-over 218.
Dalton was even-par and tied with White for a shot at a playoff before a bogey on No. 16 dropped her to second, and Huang missed a birdie chip on No. 18 to keep her out of a playoff after rallying from 5-over on the front nine with a 3-under performance on the back.
That was no surprise to White; no matter what they are doing, the Cougars have been known to be competitive — even board games at a teammate’s apartment, or finishing lunch the fastest.
“Our qualifier rounds, with all of us being extremely competitive, are so fun,” White said. “It doesn’t matter what we are doing.
“Any rounds, we’re right there competing with each other.”
White shot 2-under on the front nine Saturday, but hit the turn and immediately turned in bogeys on the par-4 10th and 12th holes to slip back to even-par.
Yet she refused to panic, gaining a stroke back on the par-5 No. 15 with a birdie. By the time she birdied No. 17, White had all-but clinched her first tournament win since an 8-under round at the BYU at Entrada Classic in 2015.
“She’s been so steady, and just clutch,” BYU coach Carrie Roberts said. “She’s so confident; what do I like? Everything. She shot 2-under to win a golf tournament. It speaks to how confident she is and how tough she is.”
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Kendra Dalton shot 2-under-par 70 — a five-shot improvement from her opening round — and Rose Huang added a 1-under 71 to help the 27th-ranked Cougars to a three-shot lead over No. 36 Pepperdine ahead of Saturday’s final round at Riverside Country Club in Provo.The team has taken on the personality of its hyper-competitive coach, White said, and that led to back-to-back conference titles Saturday for the first time in the modern era.
Last year’s WCC championship was BYU’s first conference title since 1992. The Cougars couldn’t wait to repeat — and head into the NCAA regional round with a simple message.
“I think we’re here … take notice. Back-to-back (titles) is hard,” said Roberts, before adding with a wry smile, “but I’ve heard three is even better. I’ll get going on that.”
