It seemed almost fitting for a team that had spent most of the season in contention or in the lead.
A playoff.
The prize: A berth into the NCAA Championships.

One hole to decide it all
For the Ducks, a season in which players exceeded expectations, played to potential and generated buzz around a program that has been mum since 2001, came down to a single hole.
The Ducks had been in this situation before — the sitting and waiting. At the Duck Invitational, Oregon missed out on a playoff with Washington State by a single stroke.
In time, however, they have grown as a team.
In the Colby Invitational in Carmel Valley, Calif., sophomore Michelle Timpani took home medalist honors only after surviving a six-hole, sudden-death playoff. She grew as an individual.
So when the Ducks finished their final round of the NCAA West Regionals at the Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif., in early May, they knew they had a shot. They had been there before. Finishing with a tie for the eighth and final spot that received bids, the Ducks were forced to wait for teams behind them to finish.
“We had to wait about three hours,” Oregon head coach Shannon Rouillard said. “So we had lunch, relaxed, had a team chat to get us focused on what we needed to do.”
Sophomore Therese Wenslow was in the first group of five to tee off in the sudden-death format.
“Since I was in the first group, I knew the scores,” Wenslow said. “I knew that Texas was in the lead, and it was frustrating. It’s hard to stand on the side, because you can’t affect anything.”
Frustration seemed to be the consensus, as four of the Ducks’ birdie putts — including Wenslow’s — lipped out on the only playoff hole, leaving them at even par, while Texas secured the bid with a 2-under effort.
“To work hard all year only to be shattered by one playoff hole,” Roulliard said. “It shouldn’t be easy to swallow.”
Painful, yes. But with no seniors on the team, the Ducks should be one of the best teams in the country not only next year, but for years to come.
The Ducks should be comforted by the fact that their team had one of the best seasons ever, despite their youth.
The Ducks won multiple events and finished with eight top 10s for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. The Ducks also got their first individual medalist honors since Jerilyn White won the 2001 Peg Barnard California Collegiate. Sophomore Erin Andrews captured the year’s first tournament — winning the Lady Vandal Fall Invitational by seven strokes — while Timpani captured the Colby Invitational in the spring.
The team dropped its scoring average by ten shots from last year.
The Ducks will be helped by the fact that the five starting players — junior Johnna Nealy, sophomores Wenslow, Andrews, and Timpani, and freshman Kimberly McCready, who all played together in all 10 events will return next year.
Nealy, who is known for playing well in big tournaments, will anchor the Ducks as the lone senior.

Wenslow, part deux
For the second time in recent years, two sisters will compete for the Ducks next year.
During the break between seasons, Oregon signed Victoria Wenslow to a National Letter of Intent. Wenslow will follow in the footsteps of her sister, Therese.
“It will be fun. We can be closer, and I hope she’ll enjoy it,” Wenslow said. “Part of her decision to come here was mine and I hope she’ll like it.”
Wenslow describes her sister, a senior at Malmo Borgarskola School, as an aggressive player who looks for birdies at every opportunity. She shot a 78-77 in the Swedish women’s team championships as an individual and teamed up with Therese to shoot a 68 in the best-ball format.
“I see her coming in and making an impact right away with the team that we already have,” Rouillard said. “Victoria is going to complement our team very well. She’s a very skilled golfer who will do well in college golf.”
And if this year was any indication, the rest of the team should be just fine as well.