Balser’s final round helps clinch national title

Balser’s low final round during the May 26–30 tournament helped the Vikes clinch the Royal Canadian Golf Association championship over University of British Columbia, four-time defending champs.

As well, her top-five finish earned Balser an invitation to the World University Golf Championships this summer in South Africa.

University official Mike Tucker said the Vikes relied on a different competitor each day to rise to the occasion. The final round belonged to sophomore Balser, who carded a four-over 75 to improve to fifth place overall.

“It's really exciting. I played really well today, just staying relaxed and felt more confident than yesterday,” said Balser. “This team just gets along really well and we had the chemistry to get through. We were prepared all year and this is what we came to do.”

The Vikes finished the 72-hole tournament at Cordova Bay golf course four-strokes ahead of the UBC Thunderbirds.

The Vikes were led by senior Christina Spence, who won the individual title for the second straight year. She finished the tournament at 13-strokes over, defeating her next closest competitor by 12-strokes. The UVic law student, who is in the midst of completing her bar exams, led the field from start to finish.

Entering the final round with a seven-stroke lead over UBC, the Vikes were determined to avoid another T-birds comeback. Last year in Fredericton, the Vikes carried a two-stroke lead into the final day only to be upstaged by the T-birds. This time around the Vikes conceded two strokes on the day, but their 313 team score was good enough to win at 96-strokes over. UBC shot the low round with a 310, finishing at 100-over on the tournament.