Revenge is Semi-Sweet at the East Lake Cup

10/31/2017 | by

Stanford Women's Golf was among the teams getting<br>revenge at the East Lake Cup (Golf Channel photo)

All 4 teams who lost in the semis of the Men's and Women's NCAAs last spring came out on top in the rematch

ATLANTA, GA (October 31, 2017) - No coach took the NCAA Championship loss as hard as Vanderbilt’s Scott Limbaugh. He was reduced to tears last May after his dominant, deep team was stunned in the semifinals. “It took me a while to get that image out of my head of Matthias [Schwab] sitting next to his golf bag, knowing it had come down to him and ended,” Limbaugh said Tuesday. “That’s a tough image to let go of, based on how bad they wanted it.” No coach would suggest that an East Lake Cup victory erases the memories of a crushing NCAA loss, of course, but the Commodores at least exacted some measure of revenge Tuesday, defeating Oregon, 4-1, to reach the championship match. “They’ve had our number a little bit,” Limbaugh said. “But I’ve tried not to talk about that. If I’ve gotta rah-rah my guys to get up for that, then we’re not who I think we are.” That was the theme Tuesday, as all four teams that lost in the semifinals in May won their match here at East Lake. Meeting Vanderbilt in the East Lake Cup final is Illinois, which is looking to go 3-for-3 in the event that mirrors the format of the NCAA Championship, with a stroke-play qualifier followed by a match-play bracket. “There’s not a huge secret to it,” Illini coach Mike Small said. “There’s not much science to it. You just have to go out and beat your guy.” Just like at Rich Harvest Farms, Stanford and Arizona State went down to the final hole. In May, the Sun Devils flipped two late matches to deny the Cardinal an opportunity to compete in their third consecutive NCAA final. They couldn’t produce the same drama Tuesday, as Stanford’s Albane Valenzuela birdied the final two holes to earn the decisive point. “It stung a lot in May,” Stanford coach Anne Walker said, “so at least we could get a little bit of revenge today.” The Cardinal will face a familiar foe in the finals. Pac-12 rival Southern Cal easily disposed of Northwestern, 4-1. Related: Will Gordon, Robynn Ree win East Lake Cup Medalist Titles Editors Note Ryan Lavner of Golf Channel

About the East Lake Cup

Started in 2015 and hosted by the historic East Lake Golf Club Atlanta, this collegiate, three-day match play competition features the top-performing teams from the previous year's NCAA Men’s Golf Championships. There is an individual award for the l...

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