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THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA'S EMMA TALLEY WINS THE NCAA INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP! and play was suspended for 52 minutes for lightning in the area. After the delay Talley would sink the putt, to close the first, and one of only two, bogey- free rounds of the championships at 3-under 69. "I came back out [from the clubhouse], and all the nerves hit me again," Talley said. "It was really nerve-racking, but I think my past experiences really helped me be able to take care of that pressure." "That was nerve-wracking. I know now how my parents feel watching us play now for sure," was how she described the lengthy wait after she finished her round to see if she would win individual honors. On a course that averaged 77.82 strokes per round and penalized golfers with 685 double bogeys and higher, Talley did not have a score over bogey. She played the par-4s best in the field at 1-under, 3.98 shots per hole. Talley was the only player to average an under-par score on par-4s. "This golf course is so pure," Talley said. "It's really difficult, but it tests you, and I love that. I love the challenge. I had boxes on the fairways and boxes on the greens, and I just put [my ball] in place, and tried to put it in position every time." The round goes down as Talley's lowest at the NCAA Championships in her career and her second round of under par of the week. The 69 marks her 16th round of par or lower of the season, and it is her fourth round in the 60s. For Talley's career, she now has 43 rounds of par or lower, with nine of those in the 60s. The victory is Talley's second of her colle- giate career, and first since her freshman year at the PING/ASU Invitational in April 2013. Talley's 3-under 285 (70-73-73-69) is the second- best under-par and second-lowest score for any Alabama golfer in a 72-hole event, trailing only Jen- nifer Kirby's 4-under 284 in 2010. Previously, the best finish at the NCAA Championships by a UA player was Brooke Pancake in 2012, as she finished second. It is just the 13th round in the 60s by a UA player in NCAA Champi- onships history. With the title, Talley adds to a long list of ac- complishments. She becomes the fifth player in history to win a U.S. Amateur (2013) and an NCAA Champi- onships individ- ual crown, and the first since Duke's Virada Nirapath- pongporn (2002/2003). Talley was also a part of the 2014 U.S. Curtis Cup win, and was the low amateur at the 2014 British Open. "She has the experience of playing in six major championships. Doesn't surprise me that she han- dled this tough golf course well," Golf Channel ana- lyst Kay Cockerill said. "She is a quality person, and an even better per- son off the course than on. A lot of people say that she has never met a stranger. Naturally outgoing, loves to interact with people. She really has a lot to give," Cockerill continued. Golf Channel's Paige Mackenzie continued with the accolades: "It was about patience for Emma to- day (Monday). She maintained her patience all day, especially after the weather delay. That is what real champions do, and she just proved it. You still have to go out and execute and she did just that today. It was really impressive to watch." As a team, Alabama finished 14th at 74-over 1,226. The Crimson Tide shot an 11-over 299, the team's best round of the tournament, in the final round, but failed to advance to match play (top eight teams only). Junior Janie Jackson put together her best round of the championships, with a 3-over 75, while sopho- more Mia Landegren equaled her best round of the tournament with a 6-over 78. Lakareber Abe fired a final round 5-over 77, while Cammie Gray finished out with an 81. Click here for all the scores. Please take note of the Thompson TEES Off icon. Every place you see this icon, click on it to subscribe. An annual subscription is only $30 a year -- less than 60 cents an issue -- filled with exclusive, local content delivered to your in-box every Thursday.