University of Houston Athletics
Karen Fredgaard Earns Invitation to NCAA Championships
5/12/2021 10:55:00 AM | Women's Golf
Rain forces cancellation of NCAA Baton Rouge Regional; Sophomore becomes second Cougar to qualify for nation’s top collegiate event
BATON ROUGE, La. – University of Houston sophomore Karen Fredgaard received an invitation to the NCAA Championships after wet weather forced the complete cancellation of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional at University Club on Wednesday afternoon.
In the official announcement to all 18 teams, student-athletes and coaches were told that "While the course is playable, it is not playable at a championship level."
With no teams completing a single stroke, the Top-Six teams in the Regional – No. 1 seed LSU, No. 2 seed Mississippi, No. 3 seed Baylor, No. 4 seed Oregon, No. 5 seed, Maryland and No. 6 seed Alabama – advanced to the NCAA Championships. Houston entered as the Regional's No. 8 seed.
As the nation's No. 7 player (Golfstat), Fredgaard was one of three student-athletes not from a qualifying team at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional to advance to the nation's top collegiate tournament, set for May 21-26 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. She joined Nataliya Guseva (Miami) and Hanna Alberto (Sam Houston State).
Fredgaard became only the second Cougar in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships, joining All-American Leonie Harm, who earned individual invitations in 2016 and again in 2018.
ABOUT KAREN FREDGAARD
Fredgaard has established herself as one of the nation's premier amateur student-athletes. The Asserbo, Denmark, native leads the Cougars with a 70.27 scoring average and 12 rounds of par or better.
This season, Fredgaard earned three Top-Five finishes and captured the first individual title of her collegiate career at the UCF Challenge on Jan. 31-Feb. 2. She was honored as the Golfweek National Player of the Week and The American Player of the Week (the first of two weekly honors in 2020-21) following that performance.
Most recently, she fired a Final-Round 67 to surge into third at 218 at the American Athletic Conference Championships in April.
In early April, Fredgaard finished third at the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur as only the second Cougar to compete in that elite event.
NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
This was the sixth straight season the Cougars qualified for NCAA Regional play. Houston earned its way into the postseason as an at-large team after finishing at No. 31 in the Golfstat national rankings.
The Cougars have never missed an NCAA Regional in which the team was eligible to compete dating back to 2015. The program began under Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell during the 2013-14 season with three student-athletes competing as individuals, per NCAA rules.
The No. 8 seed tied as the second-highest postseason seed for the Cougars in their young history. Houston was a No. 8 seed at the 2019 Auburn Regional and competed as the No. 7 seed at the 2018 NCAA Austin Regional.
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.
In the official announcement to all 18 teams, student-athletes and coaches were told that "While the course is playable, it is not playable at a championship level."
With no teams completing a single stroke, the Top-Six teams in the Regional – No. 1 seed LSU, No. 2 seed Mississippi, No. 3 seed Baylor, No. 4 seed Oregon, No. 5 seed, Maryland and No. 6 seed Alabama – advanced to the NCAA Championships. Houston entered as the Regional's No. 8 seed.
As the nation's No. 7 player (Golfstat), Fredgaard was one of three student-athletes not from a qualifying team at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional to advance to the nation's top collegiate tournament, set for May 21-26 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. She joined Nataliya Guseva (Miami) and Hanna Alberto (Sam Houston State).
Fredgaard became only the second Cougar in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships, joining All-American Leonie Harm, who earned individual invitations in 2016 and again in 2018.
ABOUT KAREN FREDGAARD
Fredgaard has established herself as one of the nation's premier amateur student-athletes. The Asserbo, Denmark, native leads the Cougars with a 70.27 scoring average and 12 rounds of par or better.
This season, Fredgaard earned three Top-Five finishes and captured the first individual title of her collegiate career at the UCF Challenge on Jan. 31-Feb. 2. She was honored as the Golfweek National Player of the Week and The American Player of the Week (the first of two weekly honors in 2020-21) following that performance.
Most recently, she fired a Final-Round 67 to surge into third at 218 at the American Athletic Conference Championships in April.
In early April, Fredgaard finished third at the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur as only the second Cougar to compete in that elite event.
NCAA REGIONAL HISTORY
This was the sixth straight season the Cougars qualified for NCAA Regional play. Houston earned its way into the postseason as an at-large team after finishing at No. 31 in the Golfstat national rankings.
The Cougars have never missed an NCAA Regional in which the team was eligible to compete dating back to 2015. The program began under Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell during the 2013-14 season with three student-athletes competing as individuals, per NCAA rules.
The No. 8 seed tied as the second-highest postseason seed for the Cougars in their young history. Houston was a No. 8 seed at the 2019 Auburn Regional and competed as the No. 7 seed at the 2018 NCAA Austin Regional.
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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