NCAA Women's Golf Regionals: Six Pac-12 teams advance to Championships
The NCAA Women's Golf Regionals conclude play Saturday across the country, with nine Pac-12 teams participating. The top-six teams and top-three individuals from non-qualifying teams move on the NCAA Championships, held May 20-25 in Eugene. This page will update as teams finish their rounds.
Baton Rouge Regional
The Sun Devils will miss out on qualifying, finishing in eighth with a team score of 891 (+27). However, 2016 Pac-12 champ Linnea Strom is pretty much assured of a spot in Eugene as an individual. The rounds aren't complete yet, but Strom is currently tied for second among individuals on a non-top-six team, posting a three-day score of 215 (-1), and there isn't anyone who could realistically catch her.
The Dawgs breezed their way into a ticket to Eugene, finishing the weeeknd in third behind South Carolina and Florida following a Saturday score of even par and weekend score of -1 (six behind the Gamecocks and Gators). First team All-Pac-12 golfer Charlotte Thomas led the surge for the Huskies, carding a -5 for the weekend, which was good for third on the individual leaderboard. Also helping the charge on Saturday was Sarah Rhee, who shook off back-to-back 78s to shoot 2-under for the final round.
The Ducks are moving on to the NCAA Championships, finishing in fifth in Louisana with a weekend score of 882 (+18). Helping pave the way Saturday were Cathleen Santoso and Marcella Pranovia, who both shot 71 on the final round. Santoso's +1 for the weekend will give her a top-20 finish. Now the Ducks get to play on a friendly course for all the marbles, and they look pretty excited.
YESSSSSSSSSSSS #GoDucks #NCAAGolf pic.twitter.com/IfY7H1S6iH
— Oregon Women's Golf (@OregonWGolf) May 7, 2016
Shoal Creek Regional
Here's the bad news -- the Golden Bears' team season is over. Three players shot 81 or worse on Saturday, dropping Cal from sixth (the team's spot heading into the final round) to seventh, eight strokes behind Michigan for the final qualifying spot out of Alabama.
But here's the good news -- Marianne Li isn't done yet. Not only does her +4 for the weekend qualify her as an individual competitor for the NCAA Championships, but she also finished her 54 holes tied for first with Florida State's Matilda Castren and Northwestern's Janet Mao.
Freshman Marianne Li wins share of Shoal Creek #NCAAWGolf Regional & will be headed to Nationals! GO BEARS!!! pic.twitter.com/u82fmGsGHt
— Cal Women's Golf (@CalWomensGolf) May 7, 2016
Stanford Regional
A valient effort by Colorado fell just short, as the Buffs finished the Stanford Regional in seventh place with a +32, just one stroke out of qualifying for the NCAA Championships. They did have a great final round, however, backed by some solid performances.
Helping the Buffs' stay in it today was Esther Lee, who shot her best round of the weekend with an even-par 71. That Saturday round was matched by Alexis Keating, whose 71 was the second straight three-stroke improvement over her previous round this weekend. In addition to putting together another solid round, Keating also officially graduated today, as graduation ceremonies took place in Boulder on Saturday:
Graduate: Alexis Keating. @CUBoulderComm Communication. Congrats, Alexis! #GoBuffs #ForeverBuffs pic.twitter.com/mVUVYcG1J3
— Colorado Golf (@CUBuffsWGolf) May 7, 2016
USC kept their winning tradition alive, finishing in a tie for first with fellow Pac-12 team Stanford with a score of 856 (+3). Tiffany Chan led the way for the Trojans, closing out the weekend with a round of 71 to put her at -2 overall for the regional. Gabriella Then gave USC another top-10 finisher, as the junior finished tied for ninth with a 215 (+2).
The T1 finish is Troy's NCAA best 12th 1st place at a regional. USC advances to NCAA final for 19th year in a row, all under @CoachGaston
— USC Womens Golf (@USCWomensGolf) May 7, 2016
Not to be out-done on their home turf, Stanford battled southern California rivals USC to a first-place tie. The reigning NCAA champs will head to Eugene to try to defense their title. The Cardinal mirrored the Trojans in more than one way, with junior Casey Danielson tying Chan with a 211 (-2). Senior Mariah Stackhouse closed out the weekend with a 73 on Saturday, putting her in a three-way tie for sixth.
Stanford enjoyed playing at home, and even welcomed some inpressive fans.
Stanford has a guest waiting for them at the 18th green, Dr. @CondoleezzaRice! #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/ltgjMxPb46
— Stanford WGolf (@StanfordWGolf) May 7, 2016
Bryan Regional
Arizona won the battle of the Pac-12 teams in Texas, eclipsing the Bruins by one stroke for second place in the Bryan Regional and securing an NCAA Championships berth in the process. Six shots off regional-winning Georgia (858, -6), Arizona (864, E) had two golfers finish in the top 10, with top-60 collegiate golfers Krystal Quihuis and Lindsey Weaver finding themselves in a tie for 8th at -2. The Wildcats also got a solid Saturday from Gigi Stoll, who carded a 1-over 73 for her final round. Doesn't sound like it was an easy-going round out there.
Brutal winds are making conditions tough for the Cats, but Weaver and Quihuis have managed to stay even-par thus far.
— Arizona Women's Golf (@UAWomensGolf) May 7, 2016
The third-place Bruins will join their conference sisters in Eugene despite shooting their worst round of the weekend (like many others at Traditions Golf Club on Saturday). Bronte Law, the top-ranked collegiate golfer and October Pac-12 Golfer of the Month, finished her 54 holes tied for first alongside Georgia's Bailey Tardy (both shot 7-under, as Tardy made up three strokes on Law over the course of the final round). Lilia Vu also produced a top-15 finish, wrapping up her weekend tied for 12th with a 1-under 215 for the weekend.