Women's Golf Finishes Third at American Championships

April 21, 2015

Championship Central \| Live Scoring \| Final Results Photos

Team		Rounds				Score
		1	2	3	F
1.	#23 UCF	291	287	290	868	+4
2.	#47 SMU	299	287	290	876	+12
3.	#48 Houston	297	289	292	878	+14
4.	USF	294	296	294	884	+20
T5.	Memphis	299	294	294	887	+23
T5.	East Carolina	292	295	300	887	+23
7.	#24 Tulane	296	302	298	896	+32
8.	Cincinnati	305	306	307	918	+54
9.	Tulsa	312	302	310	924	+60

HOUSTON LEADERS
		1	2	3	F
T3.	Yuka Kajiki	74	72	68	214	-2
6.	Raegan Bremer	74	70	72	216	E
T17.	Megan Thothong	75	71	78	224	+8
T23.	Emily Gilbreth	74	76	76	226	+10
T33.	Courtney Ferguson	77	77	76	230	+14

OVERALL LEADERS
		1	2	3	F
1.	Monifa Sealy UCF won on first hole of playoff	70	71	72	213	-3
2.	#92 Jenny Haglund SMU	74	69	70	213	-3
T3.	Yuka Kajiki Houston	74	72	68	214	-2
T3.	#49 Ashley Holder UCF	74	69	71	214	-2
6.	Michaela Fletcher Memphis	74	69		143	-1
T3.	Ashley Burke USF	67	76		143	-1

PALM COAST, Fla. - University of Houston freshman Yuka Kajiki tied a school record with a Final-Round 68 on Tuesday at the American Athletic Conference Championships to tie for third with a score of 214 and lead the Cougars.

The Cougars wrapped up the three-day, 54-hole tournament on the 6,225-yard, par -72 Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort and Golf Club with a score of 4-over-par 878 to finish third in their first American Athletic Conference Championship as a team. No. 23 UCF captured the team title with a score of 868 with No. 47 SMU finishing second at 876.

"We wanted to give ourselves a chance going into the Final Round, and we did that. It stings some now because we could have done better, but if we keep putting ourselves in these situations in the future, we will come out on top more often than not," head coach Gerrod Chadwell said. "There were a lot of positives from this experience, and we have more golf in front of us at the Regionals."

Kajiki equaled the Cougars' low round in their brief history, first set by current teammate and fellow freshman Megan Thothong during the Final Round of the UNF Collegiate on March 10.

She started her day with five straight pars before sinking her first of five birdies on the 496-yard, par-5 sixth hole. Kajiki fought through her bogey of the day on the par-4 seventh hole but rallied impressively with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 8 and 9.

"Yuka was great today. She was in total control of the ball and her emotions all day," Chadwell said. "She got some putts to fall and played great on a difficult course. That's pretty good for a freshman competing in that environment for the first time."

The Hiroshima, Japan, native started her back nine with a par but drained a birdie on the par-4 11th hole and added another birdie on No. 13 before closing out the tournament with five straight pars. She tied her career-best finish, first set at the Mary Fossum Invitational on Sept. 13-14, 2014.

Kajiki was one of two Cougars to finish among the top-6 leaders. A year after finishing fourth at this event, junior Raegan Bremer placed sixth at even-par 216.

A day after shooting a Second-Round 70, Bremer posted a pair of birdies in Tuesday's Final Round on the way to a 72 and her second straight top-6 showing at the American Athletic Conference Championships.

"It was good to see Raegan return to form. She was solid all week," Chadwell said. "It's easy to take Raegan for granted at times, but she led by example again."

Thothong tied for 17th at 224, while sophomore Emily Gilbreth tied for 23rd at 226. Senior Courtney Ferguson tied for 33rd at 230.

UCF's Monifa Sealy earned medalist honors at 3-under-par 213 after winning on the first hole of a playoff against SMU's Jenny Haglund.

Following the Cougars, USF (884), Memphis (887), East Carolina (887), No. 24 Tulane (896), Cincinnati (918), and Tulsa (924) rounded out the field.

UP NEXT
Following the American Athletic Conference Championships, the Cougars will learn their NCAA postseason fate during the NCAA Selection Show at 6 p.m. (CDT), Monday, on the Golf Channel.

Eighteen teams and six individuals not on those teams will compete at one of four NCAA Regionals on May 7-9. The 2015 NCAA Regional sites are: Lonnie Poole Golf Course, hosted by NC State in Raleigh, N.C.; Warren Golf Course, hosted by Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.; Briggs Ranch Golf Club, hosted by UTSA in San Antonio, Texas and Entrada and Snow Canyon Country Club, hosted by BYU in St. George, Utah.

The low six teams and low three individuals not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championships, slated for May 22-27 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
While this was the first time that Houston competed as a team at the American Athletic Conference Championships, this is the second straight season the Cougars are represented at this postseason event.

A year ago, Ferguson, Bremer and Gilbreth competed as individuals. Bremer finished with a score of 225 to finish fourth on the way to being named to the All-American Athletic Conference Team.

As a first-year program during the 2013-14 season, the Cougars were not allowed to compete for team championships under NCAA rules.

STAY CONNECTED
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