Oregon Ducks Shoot Final Round 272, 16-under to take 2nd at ANNIKA Intercollegiate

LAKE ELMO, Minn. - The Oregon Ducks women’s golf team finished the final round of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate at a staggering 16-under, 272 as a team on Wednesday. They caught fire in the final round to move up four spots and place second in a loaded 12-team field at Royal Golf Club.

After finishing Tuesday's second round in sixth place and 12 strokes off the lead, the No. 2-ranked Ducks put together by far the best team round of the week and at one point moved into a tie for the lead with No. 11 Wake Forest. 

The Demon Deacons ended up winning the team title at 8 under, but Oregon came in just three strokes behind at 5 under while edging out No. 4 USC (-4), No. 3 Texas (-2) and No. 10 Northwestern (-2).

The Ducks were led by junior Kiara Romero and freshman Sophie Han, who tied for the best individual round of the week with 6-under 66s. Sophomores Tong An and Suvichaya Vinijchaitham each added 2-under 70s to put all four of Oregon's counting scorers at par or better.

“Super proud of our team today," head coach Derek Radley said. "We didn’t get off to the start we wanted to, but we stayed positive, improved yesterday, and then came out and played some really good golf today. To be able to move up and finish second in an elite field like this is a great way to start our season off.”

Oregon's 16-under 272 is the third-lowest team round vs. par in program history as well as the third-lowest team round in the 11-year history of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate.

The Ducks stayed hot on Wednesday as the four counting scorers combined to make 23 birdies against just seven bogeys. Oregon shot 5 under on the front nine before going 11 under on the back nine on the strength of 12 birdies and just one bogey.

Romero and Han had nearly identical rounds, each carding seven birdies and just one bogey. Romero was 4 under on the front and 2 under on the back, while Han came in at 2 under on the front and 4 under on the back.

After opening the fall with an uncharacteristic 3-over, 75 on Monday, Romero bounced back with a 3-under 69 on Tuesday and then played a near-flawless final round. The No. 1 ranked amateur in the world made birdie on four of her first six holes and five of her first 10, and then bounced back from her lone bogey of the day at No. 12 to shoot 2 under across her final six.

Romero's stellar final two rounds earned her a third-place finish on the course where she won in her collegiate debut two years ago.

Oregon placed second at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate for the third year in a row and the second place finish marked the 54th top-five finish under head coach Derek Radley.

The Ducks will have a quick turnaround as they prepare to play in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup beginning on Monday in Lake Bluff, Ill. Action will begin on Monday and run through Wednesday and will be featured nationally on Golf Channel.