Choi Closes Out Record-Setting Season Tied For 21st At NCAA Championship

STILLWATER, Okla. – University of Colorado sophomore Robyn Choi shot a final-round even 72 to finish tied for 21st at the NCAA Women's Golf Championship, Monday, at the Karsten Creek Golf Club.
 
Choi was 4-over, 292, for the 72-hole tournament. Her 21st place finish is the highest by a Colorado golfer at the NCAA Championship. Emily Talley tied for 38^th to lead the Buffaloes at the 2012 NCAAs.
 
Wake Forest's Jennifer Kupcho took NCAA medalist honors at 8-under, 280, two shots better than Arizona's Bianca Pagdanganan. An eight-team match play tournament will determine the team title over the next two days.
 
"My shots were pretty good, I think I hit 15 greens (in regulation), so tee to green was pretty good," Choi said. "I left a lot of birdie putts out there, though."
 
Choi played the first four holes even and picked up her first of three birdies on the round at the 397-yard par-4, No. 5. She stayed at 1-under through the front, but dropped back to even with a bogey at the 362-yard par-4, No. 10. Choi moved back to 1-under with her second birdie on the course's longest hole, the 502-yard par-5, No. 14.
 
She ran into her toughest stretch with back-to-back bogeys at the par-3, No. 15 and the par-4, No. 16 to fall to 1-over, but rebounded to par No. 17 and finish in style with a birdie at the 482-yard, par-5, No. 18.
 
"She hit the ball well," Colorado head coach Anne Kelly said. "If she would have made any putts at all it could have been 66, 67. She just didn't have the hot putter today. But she made a great up-and-down on 17 and finished will with the birdie on 18. She played solid and if she can get the putter rolling she'll be scoring under par consistently."
 
A 2017-18 All-Pac-12 Conference selection, Choi advanced to Monday's fourth round as the eighth of the Top 9 individuals who weren't among the Top 15 teams that advanced in team play. The Buffaloes finished 19^th after three rounds at 40-over, 904.
 
Monday's season-finale for Choi was a mix of celebration for a record-breaking season and one-last tune-up for the U.S. Women's Open – and she was able play with her coaches and teammates in tow. Choi qualified for her second-straight USGA national championship on May 14.
 
"It was different," Choi said. "Normally we would be playing in front or in back of each other, looking at how we're all playing. Today they were all watching me. It was different but they really supported me today and really helped me. I was thankful about that."
 
The 73^rd U.S. Women's Open will be held May 31-June 3 at the Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in Shoal Creek, Ala.
She shot 9-over in two rounds at the 2017 U.S. Open in New Jersey, missing the cut for the weekend's finals by seven strokes.
 
"It was a great chance to play one more round," Choi said. "Today I took a lot of feedback from (assistant coach) Brent Franklin and coach (Kelly) that I can use for the Open. Hopefully I can use this day to improve my game and play better there."
 
Choi set or tied 13 single-round, tournament or season records in 2017-18, most notably rounds in a season (39), fall stroke average (71.93) and rounds under par (13). She led the Buffaloes in overall stroke average (72.69), score in relation to par (+31, 0.79 avg), Top 5 finishes (5), and pars made (466).
 
At the NCAA Championship alone she set new standards for best national finish (21^st), 18-hole score (70 – 3rd Round), 54-hole score (220) and 72-hole score (292).
 
"She is such a hard worker," Kelly said. "I think the U.S. Open last year was an eye-opening experience; to see the best players in the world and what they do. Then she went back for the rest of the summer and worked on her wedge play, worked on the speed of her swing so she could hit it further.
 
"She takes her weaknesses and does something about it; works to make it better and that's why she continues to improve. She's not afraid to look at her weaknesses and make them better. Brent Franklin helped her a ton with her wedge and the next step will be her putting and she'll be that much better."
 
PAC-12 MEN'S & WOMEN'S ALL-ACADEMIC TEAMS: The Pac-12 Conference Men's and Women's Golf All-Academic teams were announced Monday by Commissioner Larry Scott. Sophomore Victor Bjorlow was named to the Men's Second Team, sporting a 3.59 GPA in Business (double major in Finance/Marketing. Six Buffaloes received honorable mention to the All-Academic teams. One the men's side, seniors Spencer Painton and John Souza were recognized while the women were represented by senior Brittany Fan, junior Gillian Vance and sophomores Robyn Choi and Kirsty Hodgkins.