Sports Writer
Last Modified: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 11:02 p.m.
Three-under was the number in her head, and standing on the tee box of the final hole, Emma Talley figured she needed a birdie to avoid a playoff.
At the time, Talley held sole possession of the lead at 2-under, but with a national championship within reach, instincts told her she needed to birdie the par-four ninth hole at Concession Golf Club in Brandenton, Fla.
The University of Alabama junior golfer played a beautiful fairway bunker shot to within six feet of the flag and calmly rolled in a birdie to polish off a bogey-free round and reach that 3-under number she had in her head, a score that won her the NCAA national championship by one stroke.