NCAA Championships
Who	No. 1 Southern California, No. 2 Wake Forest, No. 3 Duke, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Vanderbilt, No. 7 Arkansas, No. 8 Arizona, No. 9 Florida State, No. 10 Florida, No. 11 Kent State, No. 12 UCLA, No. 14 Auburn, No. 15 Arizona State, No. 16 Northwestern, No. 17 Virginia, No. 18 Washington, No. 19 ILLINOIS, No. 22 San Jose State, No. 24 Purdue, No. 31 Tennessee, No. 32 Ole Miss, No. 45 Indiana, No. 50 UCF
When	May 17-22, 2019
Where	The Blessings Golf Club (Par 73, 6,473 Yards) | Fayetteville, Ark.
Live Links	Scoring | Golf Channel | Illinois Updates | Golf Channel Updates
More Information	Notes | Media Guide | NCAA Digital Program | Stats | Pairings | Tournament Central

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's golf is set for its first NCAA Championship appearance this week, coming off of a program best fifth-place finish at the NCAA East Lansing Regional. The 2019 NCAA Women's Golf Championship will be held at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark. from May 17-22.

"Our body of work this season has enabled us to earn this opportunity," said head coach Renee Slone. "Every experience this year has allowed us to grow, develop, and aid in our preparation for this week."

The last time the Illini attended an Arkansas hosted event was in the 2001 Lady Razorback Invitational, where the Orange and Blue finished third overall.

Out of the 24 teams, all are ranked in the nation's top 50 teams according to Golfweek, which includes each top 12 team – No. 1 Southern California, No. 2 Wake Forest, No. 3 Duke, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Vanderbilt, No. 7 Arkansas, No. 8 Arizona, No. 9 Florida State, No. 10 Florida, No. 11 Kent State, and No. 12 UCLA. Rounding out the top 50 are No. 14 Auburn, No. 15 Arizona State, No. 16 Northwestern, No. 17 Virginia, No. 18 Washington, the No. 19 Illini, No. 22 San Jose State, No. 24 Purdue, No. 31 Tennessee, No. 32 Ole Miss, No. 45 Indiana, No. 50 UCF

Of the above participants, 17 competed in the 2018 NCAA Championships – No. 1 Southern California, No. 2 Wake Forest, No. 3 Duke, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Stanford, No. 7 Arkansas, No. 8 Arizona, No. 9 Florida State, No. 10 Florida, 11 Kent State, No. 12 UCLA, No. 14 Auburn, No. 15 Arizona State, No. 16 Northwestern, No. 17 Virginia, No. 18 Washington, and No. 32 Ole Miss.

Arizona won its fourth national title last season after defeating Alabama, 3-2, in the final round of match play.

Coming full circle, head coach Renee Slone leads her team to their first NCAA appearance, after making three trips to NCAAs as an individual qualifier (1990-93) when playing for the Illini. The Illini legend earned three top seven placements, including recording a personal-best NCAA finish with third-place.

The Tournament Venue

The NCAA Championships will be played at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark. Home to the University of Arkansas Men's and Women's Golf Teams, the course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 2004. Kyle Phillips redesigned the course in 2016 and made it an easier walk, trimming 1.8 miles from the scenic, demanding layout.  

The impeccably maintained course stretches to over 7,900 yards from the back tees and plays through two distinct landforms-the Clear Creek floodplain and a plateau that rises to 65 feet above the floodplain where it's bisected by a series of ravines. Both the outward and inward nines climb up and down between the two topographies, creating drama and variety on each hole.

The clubhouse was designed in a modern style by Marlon Blackwell and has been recognized as one of the top 15 most significant golf clubhouse structures in the world by Architectural Digest.

Pairings

No. 19 Illinois will be paired with No. 17 Virginia and No. 18 Washington for the first two rounds of stroke play. The last time out against the Virginia Cavaliers and Washington Huskies, the Illini defeated both teams. Illinois faced Virginia during the Clemson Invitational this season, while competing against Washington in 2018 at the Lady Buckeye Invitational.

The teams will tee off on hole one between 7:15-7:59 a.m. CT on Friday and on hole 10 between 11:55 a.m.-12:39 p.m. CT on Saturday. Sunday's pairings will be dependent on the results from the first two days.

Championship Schedule/Format

The NCAA Championships will start with three days of stroke play (Friday-Sunday) with 18 holes per day (54 holes total). After Sunday's third round, the top 15 teams and nine individuals not from those teams will be determined. Those teams and individuals will play a final day (18 holes) of stroke play (Monday) to determine the top eight teams that will advance to match play. A 72-hole individual champion will also be crowned.

May 17-20, 2019 – Stroke Play: 72 Holes

Friday, May 17: First Round (18) – 7:15 a.m. CT – 1st Tee – Paired with Virginia and Washington

Saturday, May 18: Second Round (18) – 11:55 a.m. CT – 10th Tee – Paired with Virginia and Washington

Sunday, May 19: Third Round (18) – 7:15 a.m. CT

*Top 15 teams and nine individuals not on an advancing team move on to the final round of stroke play.

Monday, May 20: Final Round (18) – 11 a.m. CT

*Top eight teams advance to match play and individual champion is crowned.

May 21-22, 2019 – Match Play
The top eight teams will advance to a match play format with quarterfinals and semifinals Tuesday and finals Wednesday, May 22 to determine the NCAA champion. Tuesday's match play quarterfinals will four matches starting at 7 am CT (#2 vs #7 and #3 vs #6) and 7:50 am CT (#1 vs #8 and #4 vs #5). The winners of the quarterfinals will play a semifinal starting at 1:30 p.m. CT for the Match #1 and 2 winners and 2:20 p.m. CT for the Match #3 and 4 winners. The winners of the semifinals will advance to Championship Match Play on Wednesday, May 22.

Tuesday, May 21: Quarterfinals – 7 a.m. CT

*Match 1-4 winners advance to Semifinals Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday, May 21: Match Play Semifinals – 1:30 p.m. CT

*Match 5-6 winners advance to Championship Match Play.

Wednesday, May 22: Championship Match – 2:25 p.m. CT

*NCAA Champion is crowned.

How to Watch – Golf Channel Coverage

The Golf Channel will provide pre-tournament, live and post-round coverage of the NCAA Women's Golf Championships beginning on May 20 when the individual national champion is crowned. Golf Channel's coverage also will include all three rounds of the team match-play tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 22.

See below for full broadcast schedule throughout the championships (all times Central Time). The Golf Channel can also be viewed online at www.golfchannel.com or on the Golf Channel app.

Monday, May 20: 3-7 p.m. – Live final round, individual stroke play coverage
Tuesday, May 21: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Live quarterfinals coverage
Tuesday, May 21: 3-7 p.m. – Live semifinals coverage
Wednesday, May 22: 3-7 p.m. – Live finals, match play coverage

Party of Five – NCAA Championship Lineup

With a mixture of veterans and newcomers, Bing Singhsumalee, Tristyn Nowlin, and freshmen trio, Kornkamol Sukaree, Crystal Wang, and Katie Hallinan will represent the Orange and Blue in Fayetteville this week. This same lineup helped the Illini earn an NCAA Championship berth during the NCAA East Lansing Regional last week.

KORNKAMOL SUKAREE
Freshman Kornkamol Sukaree, an All-Big Ten Conference First Team honoree and AJGA Rolex Junior Second Team All-American is coming off her seventh top 10 finish, tied for 6th at the NCAA East Lansing Regional (E, 216). Her 72.41 single season stroke average is currently the second-best, surpassing junior Tristyn Nowlin's scoring mark of 72.59 during her sophomore year.

Sukaree also holds the lowest single round score of program history after posting a 66 (-6) during the final round of the Westbrook Invitational. This mark ties three other Illini, including current teammate Bing Singhsumalee, who also recorded this score during her freshman year at the 2015 Minnesota Invitational. The Thailand native also holds the best 36-hole tournament total with 140 (-4) at the Clemson Invitational.

Sukaree's career-best 54-hole tournament total of 210 (-6) was posted twice this season – Illini Women's Invitational at Medinah and Westbrook Invitational. The score ties her for the third best 54-hole tournament total in program history with Nowlin. The freshman has also been the top Illini in five tournaments this season. Sukaree also leads the team in birdies and eagles, posting 106 and two, respectively on the season. She tied for 8th (E, 144) at the Big Ten Championships and tied for 6th (E, 216) at the NCAA East Lansing Regional.

TRISTYN NOWLIN
Junior Tristyn Nowlin is a three-time All-Big Ten Second Team honoree that made history participating in the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA) held in Augusta, Ga. before the Masters Tournament. She qualified with a 2018 World Amateur Final Golf Ranking of No. 78 ranked her as one of the 30 players in the United States.

The Richmond, Ky. native also continues to make her mark in the Illinois record books. Nowlin is tied with Sukaree for the third-best 54-hole tournament score with 210 (-6) at the Cardinal Cup last October. With a career-best score and finish, Nowlin picked up her first individual title of her career. At the Clemson Invitational, Nowlin also earned the third-best 36-hole tournament score with 143 (-1). She also matched a career-best low round during the final round of the NCAA East Lansing Regional with 67 (-5). This matches the fifth-best single round score in program history. Also finished 10th overall with a tournament total of 217 (+1).

The Kinesiology major also excels in the classroom as an Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time WGCA All-American Scholar. She currently holds the program's second-best single-season stroke average with 72.59.

BING SINGHSUMALEE
Senior Bing Singhsumalee has earned three All-Big Ten Conference honors, including one First Team honor and two Second-team honors. She also earned her first Big Ten Golfer of the Week award after concluding the fall season with back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Cardinal Cup and Trinity Forest Invitational. Her runner-up finishes marked a career-best. She also holds the third-best singles season stroke average of 72.70, which was earned her junior year.

Closing in on a successful collegiate career, Singhsumalee has made her mark in the record books. During her freshman year, she posted the best single round score in program history with 66 (-6) at the 2015 Minnesota Invitational. The Naperville, Ill. native posted the eighth best 54-hole tournament score in program history with 211 (-5) during the 2016 Big Ten Championship. She opened junior year at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate with the fifth-best single round score during the final round of the tournament (-5, 66) and matched the eighth best 54-hole tournament score with 208 (-5).

This season, Singhsumalee has earned four top-five finishes and six in the top 20. She tied for 11th (+1, 145) at the Big Ten Championships with teammate, Tristyn Nowlin, and tied for 33rd (+7, 223) at the NCAA East Lansing Regional. Along with her All-Big Ten honors, she was also selected as Illinois' 2019 Sportsmanship Award honoree for sportsmanship and ethical behavior on and off the course.

The electrical engineering major also succeeds in the classroom as a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. She currently holds the program's third-best single-season stroke average with 72.70.

CRYSTAL WANG
Freshman Crystal Wang, along with senior Bing Singhsumalee and freshman Kornkamol Sukaree is one of three Illini to play in all 12 events this season. Wang has five top 10 finishes and 8 in the top 20. She has also shot 15 under-par rounds, including three in the 60s. The First-Team All-Big Ten honoree had career-best finish in her second outing at the Coeur d'Alene Collegiate, where she finished runner-up with a 212 (-1). Her 72.74 single season stroke average is currently the fourth-best in program history.

Wang's stellar performance at the Illini Women's Invitational at Medinah made the record books. Her career-best 54-hole tournament score (-8, 208) is the second-best in program history, while her first-round score of 67 (-5) matches the fifth-best single round score. Like Sukaree, Wang has led the Illini five times during the season. She sits in second with 106 birdies and leads the team in par-scoring with 416 this season. The Diamond Bar, Calif. native tied for 8th (E, 144) at the Big Ten Championships and tied for 56th (+13, 229) at the NCAA East Lansing Regional.

KATIE HALLINAN
Freshman Katie Hallinan will be playing in her 11th event at the NCAA Championships and had her best finish at the Trinity Forest Invitational, placing 24th with 226 (+10). She recorded her best 54-hole tournament score and led the Illini in the spring opener at the UCF Challenge with 217 (+1). The Loveland, Ohio native has posted a career-best low round score of 71 (-1), five times this season. Hallinan tied for 42nd (+7, 151) at Big Tens and tied for 61st (+14, 230) at the NCAA East Lansing Regional.

Winning B1G with Conference Awards

Head coach Renee Slone was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, while four Illini golfers were selected to All-Big Ten teams, as announced by the conference office on April 23. Coming full circle, the former Illini women's golf standout is the first coach in program history to garner this honor, while also earning her first conference accolade as head coach.

Additionally, freshmen Crystal Wang and Kornkamol Sukaree earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, while junior Tristyn Nowlin and senior Bing Singhsumalee were both voted to the All-Big Ten second team. Singhsumalee was also the Sportsmanship Award honoree. Singhsumalee and Nowlin earned their third All-Conference recognition, while Wang and Sukaree earned their first All-Big Ten honors.

The Illini had the highest-number of golfers earning all-conference honors with No. 16 Northwestern, No. 20 Michigan State, No. 24 Purdue close behind with three student-athletes each. This matches a program best of four honorees, which was first earned in the 2018 season. It also marks the third consecutive year Illinois has had multiple players named to All-Big Ten Teams.

During the fall season, Singhsumalee and Nowlin received Big Ten Golfer of the week for the first time in their careers. The last time the Illini had multiple Big Ten Weekly honorees in a single season was in 2015 when former Illini, Jan Prapassarangkul and Emily Joers earned weekly honors in February and March.

Road to Nationals – NCAA East Lansing Regional Recap

Fighting Illini women's golf made its 7th overall appearance at the NCAA East Lansing Regional this year, earning a program-best fifth place at Forest Akers West in East Lansing, Mich. This also marked the first time the Illini punched their ticket to the NCAA Championships as a team. The Illini were four strokes behind No. 1 seed Stanford and only a stroke ahead of sixth-place Indiana.

Out of the seven Big Ten teams competing at NCAA regionals, four programs advanced to the 2019 NCAA Championships – No. 16 Northwestern, No. 19 Illinois, No. 24 Purdue, and No. 45 Indiana.

The Illini entered the final day in a tie for fifth and maintained its finish through the end of the tournament. As a team, Illinois posted the third-highest birdie total with 43, while also finishing second at 10-over in par-3 scoring with Big 12 opponent, Baylor.  

Individually, freshman Kornkamol Sukaree and junior Tristyn Nowlin led the way for the Illini with top 10 finishes. Sukaree's 1-under par 71 on Monday and Tuesday contributed to her sixth-place finish (even-par 216). Nowlin led the field the final day, matching a career-best 5-under par 67. The bogey-free round and five birdies on the day moved her up 28 spots into 10th with a tournament score of 217 (+1).

Big Ten Championships Recap

After weather conditions caused the second round of play at the Big Ten Championships to be canceled, the Fighting Illini women's golf team finished in a three-way tie for second-overall with 578 (+2) at the 2019 Big Ten Championships in Maineville, Ohio. The score marks the second-best 36-hole tournament score in program history. Also, the runner-up finish matches the program's best finish at the tournament that was also earned in 1976 and 2018.

Four Illini earned top-15 individual finishes. Leading the way were freshmen duo Crystal Wang and Kornkamol Sukaree, who both tied for eighth place. Their even-par 144 tied the fifth lowest 36-hole tournament total in program history, joining current teammate Tristyn Nowlin. During the first round, Sukaree was the low Illini, firing a 1-under par 71. Wang finished under-par the final day with 2-under par 70.

Returners, Nowlin and Bing Singhsumalee both posted 145 (+1), tying for 11th overall. During the first round, she finished with an even par-72 and five birdies. Singhsumalee was under-par in the final round with 71 (-1), while also finishing with the second-highest birdie total with nine.

As a team, Illinois tied Michigan State and Purdue for the highest birdie total with 31. Ohio State won the championship at 1-under par, while No. 45 Indiana and No. 24 Purdue tied the Illini for second at two-over par. 2018 Big Ten Champions, Michigan State, round out the top-five with 580 (+4).

In the Rankings

Fighting Illini women's golf checks in as the No. 20 team in the country on the latest Golfstat rankings, and freshman Kornkamol Sukaree ranks among the top 60 individuals in the country at No. 51. Junior Tristyn Nowlin is among the top 100 as she sits at No. 80 in the nation.

Illinois was ranked 19th according to the latest Golfweek rankings. Individually, both Nowlin and Sukaree rank in the top 100 at 81st and 82nd, respectively. Nowlin is also ranked in the top 100 in the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings at No. 97.

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