Fallgren Wins WCC Championship On First Playoff Hole
4/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
HOLLISTER, Calif. - Gonzaga University junior Victoria Fallgren became the first Bulldog to win the West Coast Conference individual title with a birdie on the first playoff hole Wednesday afternoon, defeating Seattle University's Caitlin McCleary at San Juan Oaks Golf Course.
The two ended the 54-hole regulation at 8-over par 224, Fallgren getting a birdie on the final hole of regulation to catch McCleary, the clubhouse leader and medalist in last fall's Circling Raven Collegiate Invitational at Circling Raven Golf Course in Worley, Idaho, hosted by Gonzaga.
The two players headed to the ninth hole to begin the playoff. Fallgren hit her tee shot safely down the right side of the fairway, while McCleary's tee shot hooked to the left and into the rough. McCleary's second shot also left her in the rough while Fallgren hit her approach shot to within 67 yards of the flag.
McCleary's third shot went into the bunker to the right of the green, while Fallgren's approach shot onto the green left her a 12-foot putt to the left of the pin. McCleary's wedge out of the sand went 6-feet past the pin. But Fallgren ended all doubt by sinking her putt.
"I have no thoughts," Fallgren said when asked about the finish while still standing near the ninth hole. "I couldn't believe it. I distantly heard my teammates scream and I never remember smiling. Hopefully, memories of that moment will come back at some point."
She received congratulations from head coach Brad Rickel, adulation from her teammates and hugs and tears from her parents.
"Tears of joy," said one of her teammates upon seeing the teary-eyed Fallgren.
"My approach was 67 yards, three yards longer than my approach in regulation," Fallgren recalled of the playoff hole that made Bulldog history. "I told my coach yesterday on number two I had an approach at exactly 64 yards I did not hit the way I wanted to. I used one club and I remember thinking if I had a second chance I would hit a 52 (degree wedge club). I got the second chance. I hit the exact same distance in regulation and then tried to hit it again in the playoff."
It was Fallgren's first playoff since junior golf, which she said was against current freshman teammate Han Wu, Fallgren laughed. When asked if she won, Fallgren responded with a resounding "Yes."
The junior form Lakewood, Calif., said the tournament win "could be validation for all the time and effort my parents and I have put in, and validates the hope my coach put in me in recruiting me."
As for what the individual victory does for the Gonzaga program, she said "it puts us on the map. Last year showed everybody we are here for the long run and it showed we are a team to be reckoned with."
"It takes the sting out of the rest of the day because we had a rough day as a team. I'm happy for Victoria," Rickel said following the individual awards ceremony.
But the third-place finish by the Bulldogs, on the heels of last year's runner-up finish, stung a little bit. The Bulldogs entered the day two shots behind perennial champion Pepperdine, which won its 11th straight title and 14th in the sixteen years of the event.
"I think we're past that point with our program. We expect to win and that's how we're going to approach it from here on forward. We'll sit back in a week or two and be happy with our efforts and we'll take third place. But we're never going to be happy with third place again. We'll never be satisfied with third again," Rickel stated.
Last year the Bulldogs became the first team other than Pepperdine or the University of San Francisco to finish in the one of the top two spots. And the Bulldogs seemed ready to take no worse than second again with the ultimate goal their inaugural title and trip to the NCAA Regionals.
Gonzaga had rounds of 309-302-308 for a 54-hole score of 919, two behind USF and eight behind the Waves.
The Bulldogs also got a strong tournament from senior Stephanie Corey. Playing number five for the Bulldogs, she was at to or near the top of the leaderboard through 36 holes, tied for second heading into Wednesday's final round. She finished tied for ninth 229 after round of 77-73-79.
"I'm happy for her," Rickel said of Corey. "She's always been a leader since she got here. I'm happy she was here. I'm happy she helped us have a good finish. We'll miss her."
Freshmen Alice Kim and Wu finished tied for 16th at 235, and sophomore Tai Jade 'TJ' Kliebphipat, who had a quadruple bogey 9 to ruin an otherwise respectable round, was 18th at 237.
