Stanford will head for the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. next weekend to defend the national championship it won there a year ago on a roll that began from the very first time the Cardinal teed it up at the start of the wraparound 2024-2025 season.
It was more of the same this week as Stanford cruised to a nine-shot victory in the NCAA Norman Regional at the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club with a 23-under-par 841 total. The Cardinal have won in every stroke-play event in which they’ve competed this season.
With weather a potential issue, teams played 36 holes Monday at Jimmie Austin and Stanford, the No. 1 team in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings and the top seed in Norman, opened up a five-shot lead over Big Ten power Northwestern, No. 12 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second.
Playing in off and on – mostly on – rainy conditions, the Cardinal opened with a sparkling 12-under 276 over the 6,445-yard, par-72 Jimmie Austin layout and added a 4-under 284 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round.
Stanford, playing in its first season as an Atlantic Coast Conference member, closed with a solid 7-under 281 to get it to 23-under.
Led by individual champion Andrea Revuelta, a freshman from Spain and No. 5 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), Stanford had four players in the top eight with the fifth player in the lineup in the group tied for 17th place.
That fifth player, Kelly Xu, a junior from Claremont, Calif., is the lowest-ranked player in the Cardinal lineup in the Women’s WAGR at No. 27.
Revuelta closed with a 5-under 67, again in the rain, in Tuesday’s final round to earn a one-shot victory over Northwestern’s Ashley Yun, a sophomore from West Covina, Calif., in the individual chase. Revuelta had opened with a 4-under 68 and added a 1-over 73 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round.
Revuelta finished in a tie for fourth place in last month’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship and followed that up by capturing the individual crown in the ACC Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.
Stanford’s other fabulous freshman, Meja Ortengren, a Swede who is No. 16 in the Women’s WAGR, finished a shot behind Yun in third place in Norman with a 6-under 210 total.
After opening with a 4-under 68, Ortengren posted back-to-back 1-under 71s in the final two rounds.
Northwestern, behind Yun, opened with a 1-under 287 and creeped within five shots of Stanford with a solid 10-under 278 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round. The Wildcats closed with a 3-under 285 that gave them a 14-under 850 total, their runnerup finish earning them a spot in the field at La Costa.
After opening with a 3-under 69, Yun added back-to-back 2-under 70s to finish a shot behind Revuelta with a 7-under 209 total.
Another Big Ten power, Michigan State, No. 28 in the Scoreboard rankings and the four seed in Norman, finished 13 shots behind Northwestern in third place with a 1-under 863 total.
After opening with a 3-over 291, the Spartans added a solid 6-under 282 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round before closing with a 1-over 289.
Oklahoma, which left the Big 12 behind to join the Southeastern Conference this season, finished a shot behind Michigan State in fourth place with an even-par 864 total.
The Sooners, No. 36 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth on their home course, bounced back from an opening round of 6-over 294 with back-to-back 3-under 285s in the final two rounds.
One of Oklahoma’s old Big 12 rivals, Baylor, No. 37 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded seventh, grabbed the final ticket to La Costa out of the Norman Regional as the Bears finished three shots behind the Sooners in fifth place with a 3-over 867 total.
After opening with a 1-under 287, Baylor recorded back-to-back 2-over 290s in the final two rounds.
The Bears had to sweat it out a little as several teams that had a long-shot chance of catching them for the fifth spot in the regional had to return to Jimmie Austin Wednesday morning to complete their third rounds, but nobody ever really threatened to overtake Baylor.
Backing up Revuelta and Ortengren for Stanford were Megha Ganne, a junior from Holmdel, N.J. and No. 9 in the Women’s WAGR, and Paula Martin Sampedro, a sophomore from Spain and No. 13 in the Women’s WAGR, as both landed among the group tied for eighth place at 2-under 214.
Ganne, who finished in a tie for seventh place at the Augusta National Women’s Am last month, signed for a pair of 2-under 70s in Monday’s double round before closing with a 2-over 74. Martin Sampedro added a 1-under 71 in the afternoon of Monday’s double round to her opening round of 2-under 70 before closing with a 1-over 73.
Rounding out the Stanford lineup was Xu, who closed with a solid 2-under 70 to finish with a 2-over 218 total. Xu had opened with a 4-over 76 before matching par in the afternoon of Monday’s double round with a 72.
Stanford got a bit of a wakeup call when the Cardinal were knocked off by Wake Forest in the ACC Championship’s match-play semifinals. The first order of business for Stanford when it gets to La Costa, though, will be earning a spot in the match-play bracket. The Cardinal can worry about match play when they get to match play.
It was a tough week in Norman for Duke, an ACC representative, as the Blue Devils finished 11th of 12 teams in the field with a 35-over 899 total. Duke, No. 30 in the Scoreboard rankings, was seeded fifth.
Katie Li, the talented sophomore from Basking Ridge, N.J., finished in a tie for 45th place for the Blue Devils at 9-over 225 as she opened with a 5-over 77 before adding back-to-back 2-under 74s.
Senior Rylie Heflin, an Avondale resident who starred scholastically at the Tower Hill School, finished alone in 61st place at 233 for the Dookies. Heflin closed with a 2-over 74, but struggled in Monday’s double round, opening with an 80 and adding a 79 in the second round in the afternoon.
In the Lubbock Regional, there was threatening weather around, but Wake Forest, No. 7 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded second, grinded out a four-shot victory over top-seeded Texas at The Rawls Course.
After knocking off Stanford in the ACC semifinals, the Demon Deacons fell to Florida State in the conference’s match-play final. But, behind individual champion Carolina Chacarra, a senior from Spain and No. 25 in the Women’s WAGR, Wake Forest built an eight-shot lead over Texas through two rounds and held on with a solid final round of 2-under 286 over the 6,701-yard, par-72 Rawls Golf Course layout.
The Lubbock Regional started Sunday in anticipation of rainy weather. With a delayed start and a lightning delay, the final berth from the Lubbock Regional wasn’t decided until a playoff was completed with daylight running out Tuesday evening. More on that later.
Chacarra sandwiched a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round with a pair of 3-under 69 in the final round to claim the individual title with a 7-under 209 total. Sounds like conditions were less than ideal all three days, particularly in Tuesday’s final round.
Wake Forest also got an outstanding performance from Chloe Kovelsky, a freshman from Boca Raton, Fla. who closed with a 2-uner 70 to finish in third placed in the individual standings with a 2-undeer 214 total. Kovelsky had opened with a 1-under 71 before adding a 1-over 73 in Monday’s second round.
Texas, No. 6 in the Scoreboard rankings, was always on Wake Forest’s heels. The Longhorns opend with a 2-over 290 and added a 6-over 294 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 6-under 282 for a 2-over 866 total that left them four shots behind Wake Forest in second place.
Texas was led by Farah O’Keefe, a sophomore home girl from Austin, Texas and No. 14 in the Women’s WAGR, as she sandwiched an even-par 72 in Monday’s second round with a pair of 2-under 70s to earn runnerup honors with a 4-under 212 total that left her three shots behind Chacarra.
For the first time since 2014 and just the second time in the history of the program, Iowa State, No. 29 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth in Lubbock, earned a trip to the NCAA Championship by finishing in third place with a 10-over 874 total that was eight shots behind Texas.
The Cyclones, out of the Big 12, closed with a spectacular 16-under 272, easily the best team round of the tournament. Iowa State had opened with a 10-over 298 before adding a 304 in Monday’s second round.
Another SEC entry, Tennessee, No. 31 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth, closed with a solid 7-under 281 to earn a trip to nationals by finishing 12 shots behind Iowa State in fourth place with a 22-over 886 total.
It will be the first trip to the NCAA Championship since 2019 for the Volunteers, who had opened with a 305 and added a 300 in Monday’s second round finishing strong.
A playoff was needed to determine the final berth out of Lubbock to the NCAA Championship as the Big Ten’s Purdue, No. 43 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded seventh, and the SEC’s Texas A&M, No. 19 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth, both landed on 25-over 899.
Purdue senior Natasha Kiel, a New Hope resident who starred scholastically at George School, delivered the dagger for the Boilermakers at the ninth hole. Kiel reached the par-5 hole in two when she ripped a 3-iron from 225 yards away to 12 feet and converted the eagle putt.
Kiel, the runnerup in the Pennsylvania Amateur Championship each of the last two summers, had finished among the group tied for 29th place in regulation with a 9-over 225 total. She followed up an opening-round 79 with back-to-back 1-over 73s in the final two rounds.
Purdue had bounced back from an opening-round 308 with a card an 8-over 296 in Monday’s second round before closing with a solid 3-under 285 that earned it a spot in the playoff.
Anne-Sterre den Dunnen, a junior from The Netherlands, gave Wake Forest a third player in the top eight as she finished in the group tie for eighth place with a 2-over 218 total. Den Dunnen struggled a little in the opening round with a 5-over 77, but bounced with a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round before closing with a solid 2-under 70.
Macy Pate, a sophomore from Winston-Salem, N.C. and No. 47 in the Women’s WAGR, finished among the group tied for 19th place at 5-over 221 for Wake Forest. Pate matched par in the first two rounds with a pair of 72s before closing with a 5-over 77.
Rounding out Wake Forest lineup was freshman Sarah Lydic, a two-time Delaware state champion, first at Sussex Academy and again a year ago at Indian River High. Sarah Lydic finished among the trio tied for 51st place at 232 as she sandwiched a 6-over 78 in Monday’s second round a pair of 77s.
In the Columbus Regional, host Ohio State had taken the lead with an opening round of 9-under 279 on its home course, the Scarlet Course, an Alister MacKenzie classic.
The Buckeyes, under head coach Lisa Strom, the 1994 PIAA champion as a senior at Lansdale Catholic, cooled off with a 303 in Tuesday’s second round, but came on strong with a final round of 5-under 283 to earn their first trip to nationals since 2018 and their first under Strom, a collegiate standout at Ohio State, with a third-place finish.
The regional crown went to another team ending a long drought as the Big 12’s Kansas, behind individual champion Lyla Louderbaugh, a sophomore from Buffalo, Mo., earned its first trip to nationals since 2014 by taking the team crown with a 6-under 858 total.
The Jayhawks, No. 23 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fourth in Columbus, blew by the field with a sizzling final round of 12-under 276 over the tough 6,319-yard, par-72 Scarlet Course layout. It was the first regional team crown in program history.
Kansas had opened with a 1-over 289 before adding a 5-over 293 in the second round. Occasional rain and chilly temperatures made for some challenging conditions throughout the tournament with things getting especially tough for Tuesday’s second round.
Louderbaugh contributed a sparkling 7-under 65 to Kansas’ final-round surge as she rolled to a dominating eight-shot victory in the individual chase. Louderbaugh had taken a two-shot lead into Wednesday’s final round by posting back-to-back 3-under 69s in the first two rounds.
SEC power Arkansas, No. 2 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Columbus, finished three shots behind Kansas in second place with a 3-under 861 total.
The Razorbacks had opened with a 6-under 282 and took a one-shot lead into the final round, despite cooling off with a 10-over 298 in Tuesday’s second round. Arkansas closed with a solid 7-under 281 to earn runnerup honors and punch its ticket to the NCAA Championship.
Arkansas was led by Maria Jose Marin, a sophomore from Colombia and No. 18 in the Women’s WAGR, and Clarisa Temelo, a freshman from Mexico, as they shared second place, each ending up eight shots behind Louderbaugh with a 4-under 212 total.
Marin, a U.S. Women’s Amateur semifinalist last summer at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., closed with a sparkling 6-under 66 to get her share of second place. She had opened with a 3-under 69 before struggling in Tuesday’s second round with a 4-over 76.
Temelo matched Marin’s final round with a 6-under 66 of her own. Temelo had opened with a 1-under 71 before struggling a little with a 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second round.
Ohio State, out of the Big Ten, finished four shots behind Arkansas in third place with a 1-over 865 with its solid 5-under finish. The Buckeyes, No. 14 in the Scoreboard rankings, were seeded third.
Mountain West Conference champion UNLV was another three shots behind Ohio State in fourth place with a 4-over 868 as the Runnin’ Rebels earned their first trip to the NCAA Championship since 2015.
UNLV, No. 39 in the Scoreboard rankings and the seven seed in Columbus, sandwiched a 6-over 294 in Tuesday’s second round with a pair of 1-under 287s.
Another SEC power, LSU, No. 10 in the Scoreboard rankings and the two seed, grabbed the final berth to nationals out of the Columbus Regional as the Tigers finished 14 shots behind UNLV in fifth place with an 18-over 882 total.
After opening with a 6-over 294, LSU struggled to a 309 in Tuesday’s second round when the conditions were the toughest. The Tigers, however, gutted out a final round of 1-over 289 to earn a trio to La Costa.
Backing up Louderbaugh for Kansas was Johanna Ebner, a senior from Austria who finished in a tie for 12th place with a 1-over 217 total after closing with a sparkling 5-under 67. Ebner had opened with a 4-over 76 before adding a 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round.
Ebba Norstedt, a freshman from Sweden, and Lauren Clark, a senior from Orlando, Fla., finished among the group tied for 21st place at 5-over 221 for the Jayhawks.
Norstedt bounced back from an opening-round 77 with a 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round before contributing a 2-under 70 to the Jayhawks’s final-round surge. Clark matched par in the opening round with a 72 and added a 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 2-over 74.
Rounding out the Kansas lineup was Amy DeKock, a junior from Palm Desert, Calif. who finished in the group tied for 35th placed at 10-over 226. DeKock matched par in the opening round with a 72, struggled to an 80 in the tough conditions of Tuesday’s second round, but closed with a solid 2-over 74.
In the Charlottesville Regional, SEC champion South Carolina, behind its big three of Hannah Darling, a senior from Scotland and No. 18 in the Women’s WAGR, Louise Rydqvist, a senior from Sweden and No. 8 in the Women’s WAGR, and Eila Galitsky, a freshman Thailand and No. 17 in the Women’s WAGR, rolled to a nine-shot victory.
The Gamecocks, No. 4 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Charlottesville, will be taking a ton of momentum to the NCAA Championship.
South Carolina was the only team to finish under par over a tough par-71 Birdwood Golf Course layout with a 2-under 850 total.
After opening with a 7-under 277, South Carolina added a 2-over 286 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 3-over 287.
Darling, Rydqvist and Galitsky were three of the four players who finished in a tie for fourth place in the individual standings, each landing on even-par 213.
Darling, who has played on the Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team three times, was the picture of consistency, rattling off three straight even-par 71s. Rydqvist opened with a sparkling 4-under 67 and matched par in the second round with a 71 before closing with a 4-over 75. After opening with a 2-under 69, Galitsky recorded back-to-back 1-over 72s in the final two rounds.
South Carolina’s SEC rival Mississippi, No. 16 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, finished in second place with a 9-over 861 total. The Rebels opened with a solid 2-under 282 and added a 6-over 290 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 5-over 289.
Leading the way for Ole Miss was Kajsalotta Svarvar, a freshman from Sweden who finished in third place in the individual standings with a 1-under 212 total. After opening with a solid 3-under 68, Svarvar added a 3-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 1-under 70.
Host Virginia, an ACC entry, and Florida, which fell to South Carolina in the SEC’s match-play final, finished in a tie for third place, each landing on 12-over 864, three shots behind Ole Miss.
The Cavaliers, No. 11 in the Scoreboard rankings and the two seed on their home course, opened with a 2-over 286 and added a 4-over 288 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 6-over 290.
The Gators got off to a good start with a 1-under 283 and added a 4-over 288 in Tuesday’s second round before finishing up with a 9-over 293.
Florida was led by Paula Francisco, a sophomore from Spain who earned runnerup honors in the individual standings with a 4-under 209 total that left her a shot behind the Charlottesville Regional’s individual champion, North Carolina State’s Marie Eline Madsen, a freshman from Denmark and No. 75 in the WAGR.
Francisco opened with a sparkling 4-under 67 and added a solid 1-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 1-over 72.
UCLA, one of the schools that joined the Big Ten after the Pac-12 was dissolved, grabbed the final berth to nationals out of the Charlottesville Regional as the Bruins finished in fifth place with a 17-over 869 total.
UCLA, No. 27 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth, opened with a solid 3-under 281 and added a 4-over 288 in the second round before struggling with a 300 in the final round. The Bruins, however, got the job done.
Backing up Darling, Rydqvist and Galitsky for South Carolina was Sophia Burnett, a graduate student from Hilton Head Island, S.C. who gave the Gamecocks a fourth finisher inside the top nine as she ended up among the group tied for ninth place at 2-over 215.
Burnett posted back-to-back 1-over 72s in the first two rounds before matching par in the final round with a 71.
Rounding out the South Carolina lineup was Mylis Lamoure, a sophomore from France who finished in the group tied for 13th place with a 3-over 216 total. Lamoure opened with a 1-under 70 before adding back-to-back 2-over 73s in the final two rounds.
By winning the individual regional crown – the first in program history – N.C. State’s Madsen grabbed the lone individual berth to nationals that goes to the low finisher from a non-advancing team.
After matching par in the opening round with a 71, Madsen carded a 2-under 69 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 2-under 68 for a 5-under 208 total.
Richmond junior Hannah Lydic, who starred scholastically at Sussex Academy and older sister of Wake Forest’s Sarah, matched par in the final round with a 71 to finish in the group tied for 30th place with a 10-over 223 total.
Hannah Lydic, who led the Spiders to the Atlantic 10 team title by capturing the individual crown, had opened with a 79 at Birdwood before adding a 2-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round.
Richmond, seeded 11th, finished in 11th place with a 74-over 926 total.
In the Lexington Regional, ACC champion Florida State claimed a five-shot victory over Georgia Southern and Kansas State with a 15-under 849 total at the Keene Trace Golf Club for the Seminoles third regional title in the last five years.
Florida State, No. 3 in the Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in Lexington, recorded back-to-back 7-under 281s in the first two rounds over the 6,095-yard, par-72 Keene Trace layout before closing with a 1-under 287.
It was a program record seventh tournament team title for Florida State in the wraparound 2024-’25 season.
Florida State was led by the top two players in the Women’s WAGR, No. 1 Lottie Woad, a junior from England, and No. 2 Mirabel Ting, a senior from Malaysia, as the Seminoles two big guns finished in a tie for second place in the individual standings, each landing on 109-under 206.
After opening with a 1-under 71, Woad ripped off a sizzling 6-under 66 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 3-under 69. Ting signed for back-to-back 4-under 68s in the first rounds before finishing up with a 2-under 70.
Georgia Southern is packing its bags and its sticks for the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history after the Eagles, a Sun Belt Conference representative, shared second place with the Big 12’s Kansas State, each landing on 10-under 854, five shots behind Florida State.
Georgia Southern, No. 34 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded sixth in Lexington, matched par in the opening round with a 288 and followed that up by registering back-to-back 5-under 283s.
Kansas State, No. 28 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded fifth, closed with a sparkling 10-under 278 as the Wildcats, like Georgia Southern, earned the first trip to the NCAA Championship in program history.
Kansas State had opened with a 10-over 298 before matching par in Tuesday’s second round with a 288.
It’s been quite a spring for Kansas State as Carla Bernat, a senior from Spain and No. 22 in the Women’s WAGR, put the program on the map when she captured the title in last month’s prestigious Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.
Bernat was at it again at Keene Trace as she closed with a sizzling 6-under 66 to finish two shots clear of Florida State’s talented duo of Woad and Ting and capture the individual title with a 12-under 204 total.
Bernat trailed Ting by two shots and Woad by one going into the final round as Bernat opened with a 2-under 70 and added a 4-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round.
Southern California, another of the programs that headed for the Big Ten following the collapse of the Pac-12, finished three shots behind Georgia Southern and Kansas State in fourth place with a 7-under 857 total.
The Trojans, No. 9 in the Scoreboard rankings and the two seed in Lexington closed with a solid 9-under 279 after posting back-to-back 1-over 289s in the first two rounds.
It will not, however, be Southern Cal’s first trip to the NCAA Championship. The Trojans will be teeing it up in nationals for a remarkable 27th straight year. Think about that. That kind of consistency matches up with any program in any sport.
Vanderbilt, out of the SEC, gutted out a rounds of 6-under 282 in Tuesday’s second round 5-under 283 in the final round to grab the final spot in nationals out of the Lexington Regional as they finished in fifth place with a 2-over 866 total.
The Commodores, No. 22 in the Scoreboard rankings and the four seed, had struggled in the opening round with a 301.
It also means that Angelina Tolentino, the reigning Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion who starred scholastically at Lenape High, will finish her freshman season teeing up in the NCAA Championship at La Costa.
Tolentino bounced back from an opening round of 5-over 77 with a 1-under 71 in Tuesday’s second round and a 2-under 70 in the final round to finish among the group tied for 25th place at 2-over 218.
Backing up Woad and Ting for Florida State was Kaylah Williams, a senior from South Africa who finished among a trio of players tied for 18th place at even-par 216. Williams opened with a 1-under 71 and added a 1-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 72.
Sophia Fullbrook, a freshman from England, finished in the group tied for 38th place for the Seminoles with a 7-over 223 total. Fullbrook opened with a solid 1-under 71 and added a 2-over 74 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 78.
Florida State went to its bench for the final round and gave Layla Pedrigue, a freshman from West Palm Beach, Fla., a shot. Pedrigue rounded out the lineup in the final round with a counting 4-over 76.
In the Gold Canyon Regional, Oregon, behind a spectacular performance from individual champion Kirara Romero, a sophomore from San Jose, Calif. and No. 3 in the Women’s WAGR, rolled to a nine-shot victory over former Pac-12 rival Arizona State at the Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club.
Oregon, No. 5 in Scoreboard rankings and the top seed in the Gold Canyon Regional, trailed Arizona State following an opening round of 1-over 289 over the 6,544-yard, par-72 Superstition Mountain layout, but surged in front with a 6-under 282 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 7-under 281 that gave the Big Ten champion Ducks a 12-under 852 total.
It was Romero who put a young Oregon team ahead for good in that second round when she erupted for an 11-birdie, one-bogey 10-under 62. She had opened with a 2-under 70 and would close with a 4-under 68 as she cruised to a seven-shot victory in the individual chase with a 16-under 200 total.
Host Arizona State, No. 8 in the Scoreboard rankings and the two seed, opened with a 2-under 286 and added a 2-over 290 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 3-under 285 to earn runnerup honors with a 3-under 861 total.
The Sun Devils were led by a couple of English women as Patience Rhodes, a redshirt sophomore and No. 32 in the Women’s WAGR, finished in second place and freshman Isla McDonald-O’Brien, finished in a tie for third place.
Rhodes, one of the heroes for GB&I in its Curtis Cup victory over the United States last summer at Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire, England, added a sparkling 6-under 66 in Tuesday’s second round to her opening-round 70 and closed with a 1-under 71 to finish seven shots behind Romero in second place with a 9-under 207 total.
McDonald-O’Brien matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 after opening with a 2-under 70 and closed with a 1-under 71 to get a share of third place with Oklahoma State’s Grace Kilcrease, a junior from Springdale, Ark., each landing on 3-under 213, six shots behind Rhodes.
Arizona State’s Big 12 rival, Oklahoma State, finished five shots behind the Sun Devils in third place at Superstition Mountain with a 2-over 866 total. After opening with a 1-under 287, the Cowgirls matched par in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 3-over 291.
Kilcrease led the way for Oklahoma State as she matched par in the opening round with a 72 and added 2-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 1-under 71 to join McDonald-O’Brien at 3-under.
SEC entry Mississippi State finished 11 shots behind Oklahoma State in fourth place with an 11-over 875 total. After opening with a 3-over 291, the Bulldogs added a 6-over 294 in Tuesday’s second round before closing with a 2-over 290.
Only one double-digit seed advanced to the NCAA Championship and that would be Big West Conference champion Cal State Fullerton, No. 69 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded 10th at Superstition Mountain, as the Titans closed with a 3-over 291 to earn the first trip to nationals in program history with a 23-over 887 total that enabled them to finish in fifth place.
Cal State Fullerton had struggled with a 304 in the opening round before adding a 4-over 292 in Tuesday’s second round. The Titans’ solid final round enabled them to edge SEC power Auburn, No. 17 in the Scoreboard rankings and seeded third, by a shot.
Backing up Romero for Oregon was Savichaya Vinijchaitham, a freshman from Thailand who finished in a tie for eighth place with an even-par 216 total. Vinijchaitham closed with a solid 3-under 69 to climb up the leaderboard. She had opened with a 2-over 74 before adding a 1-over 73 in Tuesday’s second round.
Tong An, a freshman from China, finished alone in 11th place for the Ducks with a 1-over 217 total. After opening with a 1-under 71, An matched par in Tuesday’s second round with a 72 before closing with a 2-over 74.
Ting-Hsuan Huang, a sophomore from Taiwan, gave Oregon a fourth player inside the top 15 as she finished among the group tied for 15th place with a 3-over 219 total. Huang contributed a solid 2-under 70 to the strong finish by the Ducks. She had opened with a 2-over 74 before adding a 3-over 75 in Tuesday’s second round.
Oregon went to its bench and inserted Karen Tsuru, a sophomore from Carlsbad, Calif., into the lineup for the final round and she carded a 2-over 74. Tsuru is No. 40 in the Women’s WAGR and wasn’t in the lineup for the first two rounds at Superstition Mountain.
Wouldn’t be surprised if she is the lineup for Oregon when the NCAA Championship tees off Friday in her hometown of Carlsbad.
It was a frustrating sixth-place finish for Auburn in the Gold Canyon Regional, but the Tigers will be represented at nationals by Anna Davis, a sophomore from Spring Valley, Calif. and No. 11 in the Women’s WAGR who will compete as an individual.
Davis, winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur as a 16-year-old in 2022, finished in a tie for sixth place with a 1-under 215 total and earned the one spot out of the Gold Canyon Regional reserved for the player with the best finish for a player from a non-advancing team to compete as an individual at La Costa.
After opening with a 3-under 69, Davis posted back-to-back 1-over 73s in the final two rounds. She is absolutely a contender to win an NCAA individual crown back in her home state.
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