Maria Jose Marin is an NCAA champion and leads Arkansas into team matches

CARLSBAD Calif AP Arkansas sophomore Maria Jose Marin kept her poise down the stretch and closed with a birdie for a -under for a two-shot supremacy Monday in the NCAA Women s Golf Championship at La Costa Jose Marin became the third woman from Arkansas to win the NCAA title joining Stacy Lewis and Maria Fassi I have mixed emotions and the strongest is I m super happy right now Jose Marin reported I trust my meeting on every single shot I knew I was capable of a great round and it was Arkansas also is among eight teams advancing to the match play for the NCAA company title over the next two days Stanford overwhelmed the field and will be the No seed for the fifth consecutive year Stanford has won two of the last three years Virginia took the No seed when Arizona State and South Carolina faded late Other teams advancing were Oregon Northwestern Florida State Southern Cal and Texas Jose Marin seized control with a in the third round of the -hole individual championship and she stayed in front until Kelly Xu of Stanford and Florida State s Mirabel Ting made a charge Jose Marin made her lone bogey with a three-putt from feet on the th hole and Xu holed an -foot birdie putt on the th to pull within one shot On her next hole the Arkansas sophomore ran her birdie putt a few feet by and holed that for par Xu fell back going long of the par- th chipping to feet and making bogey But then it was Ting running off four birdies in six holes on the back nine to get within two shots Jose Marin didn t blink however and sealed it with a -foot birdie putt on the par- closing hole She finished at -under and earns a spot in the U S Women s Open next week at Erin Hills in Wisconsin Ting also made birdie for a to finish second Moments after Jose Marin made her final birdie Xu hit her tee shot on the par- th into the middle of the pond short of the green and took double bogey She birdied the final hole for a to finish third AP golf https apnews com hub golf Source