EAST LANSING, Mich. – Fighting to the finish, the Illinois women's golf team punched its ticket to the NCAA Championships after finishing fifth at 882 (+18) during the NCAA East Lansing Regional on Wednesday at Forest Akers West Golf Course in East Lansing, Mich. For the Fighting Illini, this marks the highest finish at NCAA Regionals for the program and is the first time the Orange and Blue will go to the NCAA Championships.
"Exciting day for Illinois Women's Golf," said head coach Renee Slone. "The team displayed a strong spirit and exuded positivity throughout the round. Their energy was contagious, and they maintained their focus on what was right in front of them and were able to let previous shots go better today. I am very proud of this team and the standards they have set for this program."
The Illini entered the 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.
Freshman Kornkamol Sukaree and junior Tristyn Nowlin led the way for the Orange and Blue with top 10 finishes individually. Both Stang and Nowlin tied for third in birdies, posting 11 overall.
Sukaree's 1-under par 71 on Monday and Tuesday contributed to her sixth-place finish (even-par 216). The Thailand native was also second-overall at 1-under in par-3 scoring.
Nowlin dominated the day, coming through with the best round of her career with 5-under par 67. The mark ties her for the fifth-best single round score in program history. The bogey-free round and five birdies on the day moved her up 28 spots into 10th with a tournament score of 217 (+1).
In her last season donning the Orange and Blue, senior Bing Singhsumalee capped off her last NCAA Regional appearance tied for 33rd with 223 (+7). Singhsumalee's day was highlighted by three consecutive birdies on holes 5-7.
Rounding out the fivesome were freshmen duo, Crystal Wang and Katie Hallinan. Wang finished the tournament with a 229 (+13), while Hallinan moved up eight spots to finish 61st overall with 230 (+14). Hallinan's day was highlighted by an eagle on hole 13, which was a career-first for the Ohio native.
Along with the Illini, also advancing to the NCAA Championships are No. 3 seed Kent State (-4, 860), reigning NCAA Champions, Arizona (-3, 861), No. 4 seed UCLA (+10, 874), No. 1 seed Stanford (+14, 878), and Big Ten opponent, Indiana (+19, 883). As the only two teams under-par, No. 14 Kent State won the regional, while No. 8 Arizona was close behind. The No. 12 UCLA Bruins rounded out the top-three.
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. 30 Purdue, and No. 49 Indiana.
"I am super proud of this team and looking forward to seeing what we can do at Nationals," said senior Bing Singhsumalee.
The NCAA Championships will take place May 17-22 at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark. The first three days (May 17-19) will feature stroke play, with the Top 15 teams and nine individuals advancing to the final round of stroke play on May 20. Following play on May 20, the top eight teams for match play will be determined, as will the individual winner.
The quarterfinals and the semifinals of match play will take place on May 21, with the championship on May 22. Live coverage of the final round of stroke play and all rounds of match play will be televised live on Golf Channel.
Chip Shots – Regional Review
- Illinois advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time in school history.
- The Illini recorded their best finish ever at an NCAA Regional, surpassing their previous best of seventh from the 2018 season.
- Illinois is one of four Big Ten teams to advance to the NCAA Championship.
- Nowlin had the lowest round on the course today with 5-under par 67. The career-best also tied for the fifth-best single round score in program history.
- The Illini posted 43 birdies for the third-best tournament total, finishing ahead of reigning NCAA champions, Arizona, who recorded 41.
- Illinois tied for second in the field on par 3s at 10-over for the tournament.
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