Danielson Is T40, Burnham T45 in NCAA Women's Stroke Play

SUGAR GROVE, Ill. -- Michigan State won the team championship by two strokes over Northwestern at the Big Ten tournament in April. Ohio State finished third, 11 shots behind.

But it's been a month since then, and the tables have turned at the NCAA Women's Division I Championships. After two rounds of stroke-play competition, Northwestern is leading by eight strokes -- 599 to 607 -- over Kent State. Stanford is another two shots behind in third place, and Ohio State is fourth, 11 behind the Wildcats at 610.

As far as all 24 of the teams in the NCAA field are concerned, the goal is to finish the weather-reduced, 54-hole stroke-play portion of the tournament in the top eight -- and qualify for the match-play portion of the tournament. That will begin Tuesday morning with four quarterfinal matches.

It would appear that those top four teams are all in position to advance. 

But what about the Big Ten champion Spartans? They had another bad day Sunday, combining for a score of 316, which put their two-round total at 633. They're in 18th place and out of the running for match play. They're 14 out of eighth place, and 11 behind 12th-place Florida.

Michigan State junior Sarah Burnham got off to a bad start, shooting 79 in adverse conditions on Friday. The former Minnesota state high school champ from Wayzata followed that with a 77 on Sunday and is tied for 45th with her 36-hole total of 156. 

The only other player in the tournament with connections to Minnesota is Casey Danielson, a four-time Wisconsin state high school champ from Osceola who is now a senior at Stanford. She has played occasionally in USGA qualifiers in the Twin Cities. Danielson shot 80 on Friday, but improved to 75 on Sunday and is tied for 40th at 155.

Jennifer Kopcho of Wake Forest is the individual leader after a 2-under 70 on Sunday. She's at 144, one ahead of Purdue's August Kim, who posted a second-round 73. Arizona State's Monica Vaughn and South Carolina's Ainhoa Olarra are tied for third with 146's. 

The head coach at South Carolina is Kalen Anderson, who was an individual runner-up in the Minnesota high school tournament and was part of four state championship teams at Edina. She also played on an NCAA championship team at Duke and was an assistant coach for two more Duke NCAA championship teams. Her South Carolina team should get a crack an NCAA title this week, because the Gamecocks are in sixth place, and therefore are in pretty good shape to be one of the elite eight advancing to match play.  

WOMEN'S COLLEGE GOLF

NCAA Division I Championships

At Rich Harvest Farms

Par 72, 6,343 yards

Sugar Grove, Ill. 

Second-round scores (Saturday's second round was cancelled, and the stroke-play portion of the tournament has been reduced to 54 holes. The final round will be Monday. Match play will begin Tuesday.)

1. Northwestern                301-298--599

2. Kent State                    303--304--607

3. Stanford                        311-298--609

4. Ohio State                    311-299--610

5. Baylor                           311-300--611

6. South Carolina             313-300--613

7. USC                             315-303--618

8. Miami                           316-303--619

T9. Arizona State             311-309--620

T9. Texas                          317-303--620

11. Purdue                         315-306--621

12. Florida                         320-302--622 (+46)

13. North Carolina             314 -- +48 with players on the course (16-18)

T14. Furman                      323-302--625

T14. California                   319-306--625

16. Michigan                      315-315--630

17. Clemson                      321 -- +56 with players on the course (17-18)

18. Michigan State            317-316--633

19. Duke                            325-309--634

20. Florida State                325-310--635

21. Alabama                       328-313--641 

22. Texas Tech                   335 -- +71 with players still on the course (16-18)

23. Pepperdine                   330 -- +72 with players will on the course (16-18)

24. Oregon                          333 -- +73 with players still on the course (17-18) 

Individuals (The individual champion will be determined at the end of 54 holes.)

1. Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest           74-70--144*

2. August Kim, Purdue                           72-73--145

T3. Monica Vaughn, Arizona. State        74-72--146

T3. Ainhoa Olarra, South Carolina         76-70--146

5. Michaela Finn, Kent State                  75-72--147

T6. Andrea Lee, Stanford                       77-71--148

T6. Leona McGuire, Duke                      77-71--148

T8. Dylan Kim, Baylor                             78-71--149

T8. Stephanie Lau, Northwestern           75-74--149

T40. Casey Danielson, Stanford          80-75--155

T45. Sarah Burnham, Mich. State        79-77--156

* -- indicates a player who is competing only as an individual