AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) The Auburn Tigers knew they had no choice but to step up and deliver should they want to keep their season alive. Head coach Melissa Lauren’s squad delivered with a program-record 10-under 278 and vaulted themselves to sixth place overall; the performance was sufficient to advance the team to 2021 NCAA Championship match play.
"They were so impressive today," Luellen said. "They have tons of grit and tons of believe. We're a really talented team and they've all shot low before. It's so fun to see them do it at the same time. This is just so sweet."
The Tigers’ record performance — seven strokes fewer than the program’s previous best of 285 — was the best round of the day from any team and proved good enough to propel the team eight spots, securing a birth in Tuesday’s match play.
Auburn’s surge was headlined by a pair of 69s from fifth-year senior Elena Hualde Zúñiga and Senior Mychael O'Berry capped off by sophomore Megan Schofil’s team-best 68.
Lauren’s team now turns its attention to a quarterfinal matchup No. 3 seed Oklahoma State. The head coach claims that her squad's approach will be consistent to that of thus far in the tournament.
"We're going to stick with the game plan for Tuesday," Luellen said. "This team loves match play so we're looking forward to the next step."
Match coverage between the Tigers and the Cowboys will begin at 11:00 a.m. CT on the Golf channel; however, match play begins at 6:20 a.m. local time.
Team Standings
1. Stanford - 1142 (-10)
2. Duke - 1155 (+3)
3. Oklahoma State - 1157 (+5)
4. Ole Miss - 1159 (+7)
5. Texas - 1161 (+9)
6. AUBURN - 1170 (+18)
T7. Arizona State - 1173 (+21)
T7. Arizona - 1173 (+21)
9. LSU - 1174 (+22)
10. Florida State - 1174 (+22)
11. Oregon - 1175 (+23)
12. Wake Forest - 1178 (+26)
13. South Carolina - 1180 (+28)
14. Baylor - 1182 (+30)
15. UCLA - 1189 (+37)
Auburn Individuals
T20. Elena Hualde Z??iga - 75, 73, 74, 69 (+3)
T28. Megan Schofill - 74, 74, 76, 68 (+4)
T36. Mychael O'Berry - 77, 75, 73, 69 (+6)
T59. Kaleigh Telfer - 79, 77, 71, 72 (+11)
T70. Anna Foster - 80, 77, 70, 76 (+15)
