“To get a team win and an individual win obviously it was a great weekend,” head coach Todd McCorkle said. “It was particularly satisfying because we’ve been in a little bit of a slump as far as the SECs are concerned.”
The SEC title was the Lady Bulldogs’ league-leading 11th all time, with Florida’s seven crowns as the second most. Georgia also won the conference championship in 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001, McCorkle’s first season in Athens.
Leon is Georgia’s seventh SEC medalist, joining Cindy Schreyer (1985), Anne Cain (1990), Sara Miley (1993), Shauna Estes (1997 and 1999) and Reilley Rankin (1998).
“Taylor played awesome golf today,” McCorkle said. “She seemed hit every one of her iron shots close to the hole. Watching her today, it was like it was effortless.”
The Bulldogs completed play at Old Waverly Golf Club at 1-over 865, 16 strokes ahead of No. 7 Florida in second at 881. Leon’s 54-hole tally of 8-under 208 not only provided a 4-shot edge over teammate Garrett Phillips and Marci Turner of Tennessee, who tied for second, but also came within a stroke of the SEC Championship record.
Georgia entered the final round with an eight-stroke lead and basically wrapped up the team tournament on the front nine. The Bulldogs turned at 3-under and in the process pushed their lead to a nearly insurmountable double-digit edge.
The only drama on the back side was whether Leon, Philllips or Turner would capture medalist honors.
Turner surged to the lead after making the turn at 4-under, but Leon kept within striking distance with birdies at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 7. Phillips, who led after the first and second rounds, turned at even but birdied No. 10 and No. 12 get back into the fray.
Leon continued her steady play while Phillips and Turner faltered thereafter. Phillips posted bogeys at No. 13, No. 15 and No. 17, and Turner bogeyed No. 10, No. 13, No. 14 and No. 17 en route to the clubhouse. Leon, playing a group ahead of Phillips and Turner, birdied No. 14 and No. 16 to pull away.
“I hit every green but one today, and then I got my putts to drop,” Leon said.
Georgia carded an 1-over 289 on Sunday, following a 3-under 285 on Friday and a 3-over 291 on Saturday. In addition to Leon’s 67, the Bulldogs also received counting rounds from Phillips (73), Mallory Hetzel (74), Whitney Wade (75). Alina Lee carded a 77.
In addition to Leon and Phillips, Wade tied for 11th at 5-over 221. Hetzel was 24th at 226 and Lee tied for 35th at 230.
"I never felt like we were going to have to count a bad score all weekend,” McCorkle said. “That’s what team golf is all about.”
“We played a good first round and that sort of got us going,” Leon said. “It feels great to get over this little slump we’ve been in and finally get our first win since the Preview.”
Though the Bulldogs are ranked No. 3 nationally, it was their first team title since September when Georgia led through all three rounds on the Fall Preview on the same course that will host next month’s NCAA Championship.
Georgia will return to action in three weeks with NCAA Regional competition. The top 15 teams in the nation will be split equally among Regionals contested in Baton Rouge, La.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and St. George, Utah. The seedings and Regional fields will be announced on Monday, April 30. The top eight teams from each Regional will advance to the NCAA Championships at the LGPA’s International’s Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Fla., on May 22-25.
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