University of Houston
The American Championships
Women's Golf Takes American Championship
4/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
| Photos | Live Scoring | Final Results Schedule |
|---|
| Team | Rounds | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |||
| 1. | #28 Houston | 319 | 285 | 290 | 894 | +30 |
| 2. | #32 East Carolina | 309 | 301 | 294 | 904 | +40 |
| 3. | USF | 311 | 298 | 301 | 910 | +46 |
| 4. | #29 SMU | 311 | 302 | 301 | 914 | +50 |
| 5. | UCF | 311 | 309 | 298 | 918 | +54 |
| 6. | Memphis | 309 | 307 | 307 | 923 | +59 |
| 7. | #44 Tulane | 321 | 305 | 303 | 929 | +65 |
| 8. | Cincinnati | 316 | 313 | 316 | 945 | +81 |
| 9. | Tulsa | 329 | 316 | 329 | 974 | +110 |
| HOUSTON LEADERS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |||
| t5. | Yuka Kajiki | 77 | 75 | 71 | 223 | +7 |
| 8. | Megan Thothong | 80 | 71 | 73 | 224 | +8 |
| t9. | Leonie Harm | 82 | 69 | 74 | 225 | +9 |
| 14. | Emily Gilbreth | 80 | 75 | 72 | 227 | +11 |
| t18. | Raegan Bremer | 85 | 70 | 77 | 232 | +16 |
| OVERALL LEADERS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |||
| 1. | #8 F. Gustafsson Spang East Carolina | 71 | 77 | 67 | 215 | -1 |
| 2. | #47 Ashley Holder UCF | 75 | 70 | 71 | 216 | E |
| t3. | Nicole Autrique USF | 74 | 73 | 72 | 219 | +3 |
| t3. | #72 Jenny Haglund SMU | 76 | 70 | 73 | 219 | +3 |
| t5. | Yuka Kajiki Houston | 77 | 75 | 71 | 223 | +7 |
| t5. | Brigitte Dunne SMU | 74 | 78 | 71 | 223 | +7 |
| t5. | Lisa Pettersson East Carolina | 79 | 72 | 72 | 223 | +7 |
PALM COAST, Fla. -- Competing as a team in only its second year of existence, the University of Houston Women's Golf program captured its first league title by posting the lowest score for the second straight day at the American Athletic Conference Championships on Tuesday.
Playing on the 6,225-yard, par-72 Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort and Golf Club, the Cougars fired a score of 894 to finish the three-day, 54-hole event with a total of 894, 10 strokes ahead of No. 32 East Carolina.
After posting a disappointing team score of 319 and finishing the First Round on Sunday in seventh place, the Cougars rebounded impressively. While Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell had a difficult time explaining specifically what changed in his team, he said it was easy to see the change among his players during the final two days.
"It was an attitude and the way that they carried themselves. It was just a different level of focus. There was an easiness in everything that they did over the last two days," Chadwell said. "When they play well, as over these last two days, these young women are one of the best teams in the country, and that's crazy to say starting from two years ago, and I don't mean to sound arrogant.
"These young women have bought in, and they are coachable. They are resilient, especially today. To not be shaken from the first day and play one of the best rounds I have ever seen the next day is a testament to them," Chadwell said. "It's hard to follow a great round with a good round, but they played in the Final Round with a lead, and they increased it. I don't know if I can put a word on what's going on, but it's just as much the ladies at home pushing our young women who competed here this week."
For the second straight season, sophomore Yuka Kajiki finished among the American Championships' top-5 leaders. The Hiroshima, Japan, native was one of five Cougars among the tournament's top-18 leaders, posting a 1-under-par 71 on Tuesday, to tie for fifth with a score of 223.
Kajiki, who tied for third a year ago, drained back-to-back birdies to start the Final Round and followed those with 10 consecutive pars. After a bogey on No. 13 and three more pars, she moved back to even-par but closed out her round and the tournament with her third and final birdie on No 18 and finished with a 3-day total of 223.
Tuesday's Final Round marked the second straight round in which she lowered her score by four strokes.
"Yuka loves the state of Florida. She starts playing well every time we hit the state line," Chadwell said. "Over the last two days, this was possibly the best I have seen her hit it. She kept her head down and kept going until she ran out of holes."
Sophomore Megan Thothong finished eight with a score of 224, while freshman Leonie Harm -- making her American Championships debut -- tied for ninth at 225.
Junior Emily Gilbreth fired an even-par 72 in the Final Round and placed 14th with a score of 232. Competing in her final American Championships, senior Raegan Bremer tied for 18th at 232.
"Everybody contributed to this. Raegan (Bremer) and Leonie (Harm) had great rounds Monday, and Emily (Gilbreth) was solid Tuesday. It was a just whole team effort from top to bottom," Chadwell said.
East Carolina's F. Gustafsson Spang won medalist honors with a score of 1-under-par 215, thanks to a Final-Round 67. UCF's Ashley Holder finished second at 216 with Nicole Autrique of USF and SMU's Jenny Haglund tying for third at 219.
The Cougars officially began competition under Chadwell during the 2013-14 season but only played with four student-athletes as individuals in tournament competition, per NCAA rules.
In the first year of team competition in 2014-15, the Cougars won the UNF Collegiate for the first team championship in school history and later advanced to the NCAA San Antonio Regional at Briggs Ranch Golf Club.
This was the Cougars' third team championship in 2015-16. Houston opened the spring season with back-to-back wins at the UCF Challenge (Feb. 7-9) and UNF Collegiate (March 7-8). It was the second straight year the Cougars swept the team and individual titles at the UNF Collegiate.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
This marked the third consecutive season the Cougars competed at The American Championships and their second straight season competing as a team. In 2015, the Cougars finished third with a team score of 878 , and Kajiki led the Cougars at 2-under-par 214 to tie for third.
UP NEXT
Following The American Championships, the Cougars will learn their NCAA postseason fate during the NCAA Selection Show at 5 p.m., Monday, on The Golf Channel.
UP NEXT
Following the Clemson Invitational, the Cougars enter the postseason when they play at the American Athletic Conference Championships on April 17-19 at Hammock Beach Resort & Golf Club in Palm Coast, Fla.
From there, the Cougars hope to compete in the NCAA Regionals, beginning May 5-7 at a site to be determined.
STAY CONNECTED
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Players Mentioned
