University of Houston Athletics
Women's Golf to Compete at NCAA San Antonio Regional
4/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Season Statistics | Schedule | Cougar Pride
HOUSTON - In only its second year of existence and its first season competing as a team, the University of Houston Women's Golf program earned the first NCAA Regional bid in program history on Monday evening. The Cougars will compete as the No. 12 seed at the NCAA San Antonio Regional at Briggs Ranch Golf Club. The Cougars will join 17 other teams and six individuals not on those teams for a three-day, 54-hole tournament on May 7-9. 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.
Houston, which checks in at No. 46 in the latest Golfstat national rankings, began the program just one year ago with three student-athletes competing as individuals at tournaments. The Cougars were not eligible for team competition under NCAA rules in their first season.
"When I thought about how far our program has come in the last two years, a flood of emotions came over me when I saw our name come up," head coach Gerrod Chadwell said. "Overall, the body of work that we produced this season was good. For us to earn the opportunity to continue to compete in our first year as a team is an honor."
The Cougars are no strangers to Briggs Ranch Golf Club after tying for ninth at The Alamo Invitational on Oct. 26-28, 2014. That performance includes an 8-under-par 280 team score in the Final Round of that event for the team's low round of the season.
"Playing at Briggs Ranch is all positives with no negatives for us," Chadwell said. "It's close to home, and it's a place that we have seen before and where we have had success. For a young team going to the postseason for the first time, this helps."
Most of the Cougars watched the NCAA Selection Show on The Golf Channel on Monday evening inside the Carl Lewis Auditorium in the Athletics/Alumni Center. Chadwell missed the show due to a recruiting trip, while sophomore Emily Gilbreth and freshman Megan Thothong competed in a qualifier for the LPGA Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout at Las Colinas Country Club earlier in the day.
No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Washington, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Tennessee, No. 5 Arizona State, No. 6 Baylor, No. 7 Oregon, No. 8 Florida State, No. 9 Auburn, No. 10 Texas Tech, No. 11 Texas, No. 13 Gonzaga, No. 14 Oklahoma, No. 15 Kennesaw State, No. 16 Lamar, No. 17 Boston and No. 18 Alabama State rounded out the team field.
Madison Talley (Kansas State), Yupaporn Kawinpakorn (Kansas), Marika Liu (Yale), Camino Sardinero (UTEP), Anica Yoo (Oregon State) and Manon Mole (New Mexico) will compete as individuals at the Regional.
The NCAA San Antonio Regional is one of four postseason sites across the country. Remaining teams and individuals will compete at Lonnie Poole Golf Course, hosted by NC State in Raleigh, N.C.; Warren Golf Course, hosted by Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.; and Entrada and Snow Canyon Country Club, hosted by BYU in St. George, Utah.
ABOUT THE COUGARS
Under Chadwell's leadership, the Cougars have compiled six top-5 finishes in 10 team events this season. In early March, Houston captured the first team title in school history at the UNF Collegiate with Thothong winning medalist honors.
Thothong joined teammate and current junior Raegan Bremer as the only Cougars in school history to win tournament individual titles after Bremer won the HBU Husky Invitational a year ago.
This season, Bremer leads the team with a 73.86 scoring average and 10 rounds of par or better, while Thothong is a close second with a 74.52 average and seven rounds of par or better. Thothong set a school record with a 68 during the Final Round at the UNF Collegiate on March 10.
Freshman Yuka Kajiki recently tied Thothong's low round with a 68 in the Final Round at the American Athletic Conference Championships on April 21 to move into a tie for third at that event.
"I see us playing into our best golf over the next few weeks," Chadwell said.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Hosted by USF, the 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships will feature teams and student-athletes - who advanced from NCAA Regional Qualifying - competing in an individual stroke-play format over 72 holes with the top eight teams qualifying at the conclusion of play for the team match-play tournament
Golf Channel's live tournament coverage of the women's championships will begin on May 25 to crown the individual national champion as well as track the teams attempting to qualify for the 8-team match-play tournament. This year, Golf Channel's coverage will include all three rounds of the team match-play tournament on May 26-27.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates throughout the season and more by following @UHCougarWGolf on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at HoustonCougarWomensGolf.
Players Mentioned
