University of Houston Athletics
Houston Ready for The American Championships
4/16/2021 2:51:00 PM | Women's Golf
Two-time defending champion Cougars tee off at Pinehurst #6 on Sunday morning in North Carolina
PINEHURST, N.C. – The two-time defending champion University of Houston Women's Golf program opens postseason play Sunday morning when it tees off in the American Athletic Conference Championships on Pinehurst #6 at Pinehurst Resort.
The Cougars will play 18 holes each day, beginning Sunday and running through Tuesday, on the 6,290-yard, par-72 course. While the 2020 Championships was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Houston captured the Championships team title in 2018 and successfully defended that crown one year later in the most recently played tournament.
For more information, fans can visit The American Championships Central by clicking here.
LIVE SCORING
Fans can follow live scoring from the American Athletic Conference Championships by clicking here.
THE LINEUP
Under the leadership of Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell, the Cougars will be represented by sophomore Karen Fredgaard, freshman Zoe Slaughter, freshman Anne Normann, senior Ariana Saenz and junior Maria Jose Martinez.
Fredgaard has emerged as one of the nation's and the world's leading amateur players. The sophomore leads the Cougars with a 69.67 scoring average and 11 rounds of par or better.
She captured the individual title at the UCF Challenge to open the season on Jan. 31-Feb. 2 and tied for third at the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur at Augusta National Golf Club on March 31-April 3.
Slaughter has been a leader for the Cougars in her first collegiate season out of Houston's Memorial Senior High School. She ranks second on the team with a 73.27 average and eight rounds of par or better and has posted Top-10 finishes in each of her last two events, including a second-place showing at the MountainView Collegiate on March 19-21.
Normann has competed in five tournaments to date this season and was honored as The American's Golfer of the Week on March 17 after tying for seventh with a score of 4-under 212 at the Clover Cup on March 12-14.
Saenz is the lone senior in the Cougars' lineup at The American Championships and fired three straight sub-par rounds at the Lone Star Invitational at Golf Club of Houston earlier this week to finish fifth.
Martinez enjoyed a record-setting performance at the Lone Star Invitational. The Alvarado, Mexico, native posted three straight rounds in the 60s, including a personal-best 66 in the Second Round, on the way to capturing the first title of her collegiate career.
Martinez posted a score of 14-under 202 to set a school 54-hole tournament record.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
This marks the seventh straight season in which the Cougars will compete at the American Athletic Conference Championships and the sixth consecutive year as a team.
The Cougars have won three of the last four American Championships team titles and never finished below third. In 2019, Houston successfully defended its title and set tournament records with 54-hole team score of 13-under 851, while Leonie Harm captured the individual crown at 8-under 208.
Martinez is the lone Cougar in the lineup to have competed in The American Championships in previous years. The 2020 Championships was canceled due to the COVID-10 pandemic.
This marks the first time the Cougars will compete at Pinehurst #6 or in North Carolina during The American Championships. The previous six tournaments were held at Hammock Beach Resort & Golf Club in Palm Coast, Fla.
THE FIELD
The Cougars will compete against student-athletes from Cincinnati, East Carolina, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, USF and Wichita State.
PAIRINGS
For Sunday's First Round, the Cougars will compete in groups with student-athletes from UCF.
Martinez will start the day for the Cougars at 7 a.m. (CDT) Sunday with Saenz (7:08 a.m. CDT), Normann (7:16 a.m. CDT), Slaughter (7:24 a.m. CDT) and Fredgaard (7:32 a.m. CDT) following.
Complete First-Round pairings can be found when finalized by clicking here.
UP NEXT
Following the American Athletic Conference Championships, the Cougars will wait to learn their NCAA postseason fate.
The NCAA Women's Golf Selection Show will air on Wednesday, April 28, on the Golf Channel with the time for the Selection Show to be announced soon.
The 2021 NCAA Regionals will be held at University Club (Baton Rouge, La., LSU) Scarlet Course – OSU Golf Club (Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State); University of Louisville Golf Club (Louisville, Ky., Louisville) and Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif., Stanford).
Top teams from each NCAA Regional will compete at the NCAA Championships, set for May 21-26 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Houston is looking to compete in its sixth straight NCAA Regional. The Cougars have competed in NCAA Regionals every year in which it was eligible to compete as a team, starting with the 2014-15 season.
The 2020 NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
JOIN the P.A.R. 4 CLUB
Fans are invited to join The P.A.R. 4 Club to support Houston Women's Golf. P.A.R. 4 Club members provide financial support directly to Houston Women's Golf for needs beyond the program's operating budget.
Fans who join the P.A.R. 4 Club can begin receiving benefits for as little as $100 annually.
To join the P.A.R. 4 Club, fans can email gchadwel@central.uh.edu. For more information about the P.A.R. 4 Club, levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates 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 UHCougarWGolf or on the team's Instagram page at UHCougarWGolf.
The Cougars will play 18 holes each day, beginning Sunday and running through Tuesday, on the 6,290-yard, par-72 course. While the 2020 Championships was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Houston captured the Championships team title in 2018 and successfully defended that crown one year later in the most recently played tournament.
For more information, fans can visit The American Championships Central by clicking here.
LIVE SCORING
Fans can follow live scoring from the American Athletic Conference Championships by clicking here.
THE LINEUP
Under the leadership of Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell, the Cougars will be represented by sophomore Karen Fredgaard, freshman Zoe Slaughter, freshman Anne Normann, senior Ariana Saenz and junior Maria Jose Martinez.
Fredgaard has emerged as one of the nation's and the world's leading amateur players. The sophomore leads the Cougars with a 69.67 scoring average and 11 rounds of par or better.
She captured the individual title at the UCF Challenge to open the season on Jan. 31-Feb. 2 and tied for third at the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur at Augusta National Golf Club on March 31-April 3.
Slaughter has been a leader for the Cougars in her first collegiate season out of Houston's Memorial Senior High School. She ranks second on the team with a 73.27 average and eight rounds of par or better and has posted Top-10 finishes in each of her last two events, including a second-place showing at the MountainView Collegiate on March 19-21.
Normann has competed in five tournaments to date this season and was honored as The American's Golfer of the Week on March 17 after tying for seventh with a score of 4-under 212 at the Clover Cup on March 12-14.
Saenz is the lone senior in the Cougars' lineup at The American Championships and fired three straight sub-par rounds at the Lone Star Invitational at Golf Club of Houston earlier this week to finish fifth.
Martinez enjoyed a record-setting performance at the Lone Star Invitational. The Alvarado, Mexico, native posted three straight rounds in the 60s, including a personal-best 66 in the Second Round, on the way to capturing the first title of her collegiate career.
Martinez posted a score of 14-under 202 to set a school 54-hole tournament record.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORYThis marks the seventh straight season in which the Cougars will compete at the American Athletic Conference Championships and the sixth consecutive year as a team.
The Cougars have won three of the last four American Championships team titles and never finished below third. In 2019, Houston successfully defended its title and set tournament records with 54-hole team score of 13-under 851, while Leonie Harm captured the individual crown at 8-under 208.
Martinez is the lone Cougar in the lineup to have competed in The American Championships in previous years. The 2020 Championships was canceled due to the COVID-10 pandemic.
This marks the first time the Cougars will compete at Pinehurst #6 or in North Carolina during The American Championships. The previous six tournaments were held at Hammock Beach Resort & Golf Club in Palm Coast, Fla.
THE FIELD
The Cougars will compete against student-athletes from Cincinnati, East Carolina, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, USF and Wichita State.
PAIRINGS
For Sunday's First Round, the Cougars will compete in groups with student-athletes from UCF.
Martinez will start the day for the Cougars at 7 a.m. (CDT) Sunday with Saenz (7:08 a.m. CDT), Normann (7:16 a.m. CDT), Slaughter (7:24 a.m. CDT) and Fredgaard (7:32 a.m. CDT) following.
Complete First-Round pairings can be found when finalized by clicking here.
UP NEXT
Following the American Athletic Conference Championships, the Cougars will wait to learn their NCAA postseason fate.
The NCAA Women's Golf Selection Show will air on Wednesday, April 28, on the Golf Channel with the time for the Selection Show to be announced soon.
The 2021 NCAA Regionals will be held at University Club (Baton Rouge, La., LSU) Scarlet Course – OSU Golf Club (Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State); University of Louisville Golf Club (Louisville, Ky., Louisville) and Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif., Stanford).
Top teams from each NCAA Regional will compete at the NCAA Championships, set for May 21-26 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Houston is looking to compete in its sixth straight NCAA Regional. The Cougars have competed in NCAA Regionals every year in which it was eligible to compete as a team, starting with the 2014-15 season.
The 2020 NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
JOIN the P.A.R. 4 CLUB
Fans are invited to join The P.A.R. 4 Club to support Houston Women's Golf. P.A.R. 4 Club members provide financial support directly to Houston Women's Golf for needs beyond the program's operating budget.
Fans who join the P.A.R. 4 Club can begin receiving benefits for as little as $100 annually.
To join the P.A.R. 4 Club, fans can email gchadwel@central.uh.edu. For more information about the P.A.R. 4 Club, levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates 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 UHCougarWGolf or on the team's Instagram page at UHCougarWGolf.
– UHCougars.com –
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