Alex Schulte wanted to play golf as if she was stalking the lead, not protecting it.

Schulte, entering her junior season at Arkansas, made the most of her only tournament played this summer by winning the Arkansas Women's Golf Association State Stroke Play Championship.

Her 4-under par 68 Sunday at Stonebridge Meadows Golf Club capped a threeday total of 6-under 219. Schulte beat Julie Oxendine by eight shots, with Tanna Richard third and Schulte's Razorbacks teammate Natalie Beach fourth.

Schulte was the only player in a final field of 38 golfers to shoot below par in any round. And she got better every day, lowering her scores (71-70-68 ) as the temperatures soared.

" I was hoping to give myself birdie opportunities. I wanted to stick to my game plan, not think about the scores, " said Schulte, who through two rounds led Oxendine by four strokes. " I'm not usually in that position, and I try to chase a person. I wanted to play it like I was behind and try to attack the course. I was trying to put more pressure on Julie. "

She wanted to set an early tone at No. 1, a par four that provides a birdie opportunity. She got to within 10 feet and sank her birdie putt. She went on to make birdies at Nos. 13, 15 and 18 and didn't suffer any mistakes.

" I wanted to get that first birdie out of the way to show that I was here to stay, " said Schulte, a Broken Arrow, Okla., resident who said she at one point hit nine consecutive greens in regulation. " I made a good, solid putt and figured it was going to be a good day. "

The rest of the field couldn't make up the ground with Schulte dialed in. Oxendine said she played well in the tournament, reflected in shooting par 72 for each of the three rounds. Two birdies and two bogeys Sunday wasn't going to be enough to catch Schulte, but that was OK with Oxendine.

" I'm just not the caliber of golfer she is; she's used to playing under-par golf, " Oxendine said of Schulte. " Pars are good to me. I guess competing with her I'm going to have to have a different mentality about birdies are what you need. But I'm not disappointed. I hoped she wouldn't be on her game today, and it would be a match. "

As happy as Schulte was, her Arkansas coach, Shauna Estes-Taylor, was just as pleased. Beach, a junior from Fayetteville and a 2008 redshirt, also played some solid golf and gave her a pick-me-up heading into the Razorbacks' season.