Skip to main content

Duke wins 6th NCAA women’s golf title

By WTOP Staff

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Duke rallied to beat Southern California by two strokes Friday for its sixth NCAA women’s golf title, and the Trojans’ Doris Chen took the individual championship.

Duke, two strokes down on the back nine after taking a six-shot lead over Southern California into the final round, had a 6-under 274 total at Tulsa Country Club to finish at 10-over 1,130. The Trojans, the winner last year, shot 10-under 270.

“To have this special group of people fall behind against a team like USC, knowing what they’ve done in the last several years and that they were getting their momentum, to get those birdies and come back … I can’t imagine one of the other championships being better,” Duke coach Dan Brooks said.

Brooks also led the Blue Devils to titles in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The hail-shortened 1999 event also was played at Tulsa Country Club.

Chen closed with a 3-under 67 for a two-stroke victory over Duke’s Celine Boutier. Chen finished at 6-under 274. Boutier, tied with Chen for the third-round lead, shot 69.

UCLA was third at 25 over, followed by Oklahoma at 27 over and Arizona State at 30 over.

Duke got some help when Chen, 5 under through her first 10 holes, double-bogeyed the 11th. That combined with a run of Duke birdies to give the Blue Devils the lead for good.

Laetitia Beck and Alejandro Cangrejo matched Boutier at 68, and Sandy Choi shot 69. Those four combined for 11 birdies on the back nine. Yu Liu’s 72 didn’t count in Duke’s total.

Sophia Popov led top-ranked Southern California with a 65. Kyung Kim matched Chen with a 67, and 2013 NCAA champion Annie Park and Karen Chung shot 71.

“We had not played the front nine well, but today we got it figured out,” Trojans coach Andrea Gaston said. “We definitely had a chance and had the momentum. But Duke has an incredible team and they did not bow down to our charge. They put up some great scores and really shot well on the back nine.”

Chen made a 45-foot downhill birdie putt on the fifth hole, and rolled in a short birdie putt on the 10th to reach 5 under, but hit her second shot over the green on the par-4 11th and couldn’t get on the green with her third.

“The putts were falling early today and that really relaxed me,” Chen said. “I didn’t stress at all until the final four or five holes.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote