Sunday, April 17
Pinehurst #6 at Pinehurst Resort – Pinehurst, N.C.
University of Houston
vs
American Athletic Conference Championships
Women’s Golf Leads Halfway Through The American Championships
4/17/2022 7:16:00 PM | Women's Golf
Live Scoring (GolfStat)Watch Tuesday's Final Round (ESPN+)Pairings Pinehurst ResortJoin P.A.R. 4 Club
Sophomore Nicole Abelar tied for lead at -1; Senior Maria Jose Martinez tied for third at +1
PINEHURST, N.C. – Halfway through the American Athletic Conference Championships, the University of Houston Women's Golf program held an 8-stroke lead at Pinehurst #6 at Pinehurst Resort on Sunday.
With the threat of inclement weather Monday, American Athletic Conference administrators and coaches elected to begin the Second Round on Sunday afternoon with most teams completing the front nine before play was suspended due to darkness.
Two teams will attempt to complete the front nines of their Second Rounds on Monday morning with all schools playing their back nines if the weather allows. The Final Round tees off Tuesday morning with a forecast for sunny weather and temperatures in the mid-60s.
After opening the tournament with a 292 in the morning, the Cougars continued their stellar play in the first half of the Second Round +3 for an 8-shot advantage over No. 28 UCF and Memphis on the 6,290-yard, par-72 course.
Competing in her first American Championships, sophomore Nicole Abelar fired a 73 in the First Round and birdied two holes without a bogey on the front nine of the Second Round. The Metro Manila Philippines, native joined UCF's Tunrada Piddon atop the individual leaderboard.
Playing steady throughout the morning, Abelar endured only a pair of bogeys through the first 12 holes and made birdie on her final hole of the First Round to finish with a 73.
The elder stateswoman of the Cougars, senior Maria Jose Martinez is competing in the third American Championships of her career and was tied for third with Memphis' Victoria England at +1.
The Alvarado, Mexico native overcame a slow start to her day. Martinez bogeyed each of her first two holes in the morning and stood at +3 through seven holes.
Fortunately, Martinez rallied with a birdie on the par-4 eighth hole and started her back nine with a birdie on the 500-yard par-5 10th hole. Following five straight pars, she drained her final birdie of the First Round on No. 16 and closed the morning with two straight pars.
Senior Annie Kim sank a pair of birdies in her First Round and battled through a tough start on her Second Round to stand in a tie for 12th at +3.
Senior Ariana Saenz was tied for 28th at +8, while sophomore Delaney Martin was tied for 31st at +9.
Tulsa (+17) and Tulane (+18) rounded out the Top-Five leaders with South Florida (+20), SMU (+20), East Carolina (+29), Wichita State (+34) and Cincinnati (+40) completing the field.
The winner of the three-day, 54-hole tournament receives the league's automatic bid to NCAA Regional play.
This is the Cougars' second appearance in The American Championships at Pinehurst #6 at Pinehurst Resort. A year ago, Houston finished second with a score of 891, while First-Team All-American Karen Fredgaard finished third at 218.
LIVE SCORING
Fans can follow live scoring at the American Athletic Conference Championships by clicking here.
HOW to WATCH the FINAL ROUND
Fans can watch Tuesday's Final Round live on ESPN+ by clicking here.
PAIRINGS
Fans can find complete Second-Round pairings and Tuesday's Final-Round pairings (when finalized) by clicking here.
HOUSTON in AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
This is Houston's eighth appearance at the American Athletic Conference Championships. The Cougars have finished among the Top-Three team leaders at the tournament every season in which it has eligible to compete, winning championships in 2019, 2018 and 2016.
Houston did not compete as a team at the 2014 American Championships, per NCAA rules, sending four student-athletes to play as individuals, while the 2020 Championships was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leonie Harm is the only Cougar to win The American Championships individual title, posting a score of 8-under 208 at the 2019 event on the Conservatory Course at Hammock Beach Resort & Golf Club in Palm Coast, Fla.
In addition to Harm, Houston boasts 16 individual Top-10 finishes at The American Championships.
UP NEXT
Following the American Athletic Conference Championships, the Cougars will learn their NCAA postseason fate during the Selection Show, airing at 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 27, on Golf Channel.
Seventy-two teams and 12 individuals not on those teams will compete at six NCAA Regional sites across the nation. Those venues include Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif.); Vanderbilt Legends Club (Franklin, Tenn.); The Championship Course at UNM (Albuquerque, N.M.); University of Michigan Golf Course (Ann Arbor, Mich.); Karsten Creek Golf Club (Stillwater, Okla.) and Seminole Legacy Golf Club (Tallahassee, Fla.).
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. 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.
With the threat of inclement weather Monday, American Athletic Conference administrators and coaches elected to begin the Second Round on Sunday afternoon with most teams completing the front nine before play was suspended due to darkness.
Two teams will attempt to complete the front nines of their Second Rounds on Monday morning with all schools playing their back nines if the weather allows. The Final Round tees off Tuesday morning with a forecast for sunny weather and temperatures in the mid-60s.
After opening the tournament with a 292 in the morning, the Cougars continued their stellar play in the first half of the Second Round +3 for an 8-shot advantage over No. 28 UCF and Memphis on the 6,290-yard, par-72 course.
Competing in her first American Championships, sophomore Nicole Abelar fired a 73 in the First Round and birdied two holes without a bogey on the front nine of the Second Round. The Metro Manila Philippines, native joined UCF's Tunrada Piddon atop the individual leaderboard.
Playing steady throughout the morning, Abelar endured only a pair of bogeys through the first 12 holes and made birdie on her final hole of the First Round to finish with a 73.
The elder stateswoman of the Cougars, senior Maria Jose Martinez is competing in the third American Championships of her career and was tied for third with Memphis' Victoria England at +1.
The Alvarado, Mexico native overcame a slow start to her day. Martinez bogeyed each of her first two holes in the morning and stood at +3 through seven holes.
Fortunately, Martinez rallied with a birdie on the par-4 eighth hole and started her back nine with a birdie on the 500-yard par-5 10th hole. Following five straight pars, she drained her final birdie of the First Round on No. 16 and closed the morning with two straight pars.
Senior Annie Kim sank a pair of birdies in her First Round and battled through a tough start on her Second Round to stand in a tie for 12th at +3.
Senior Ariana Saenz was tied for 28th at +8, while sophomore Delaney Martin was tied for 31st at +9.
Tulsa (+17) and Tulane (+18) rounded out the Top-Five leaders with South Florida (+20), SMU (+20), East Carolina (+29), Wichita State (+34) and Cincinnati (+40) completing the field.
The winner of the three-day, 54-hole tournament receives the league's automatic bid to NCAA Regional play.
This is the Cougars' second appearance in The American Championships at Pinehurst #6 at Pinehurst Resort. A year ago, Houston finished second with a score of 891, while First-Team All-American Karen Fredgaard finished third at 218.
LIVE SCORING
Fans can follow live scoring at the American Athletic Conference Championships by clicking here.
HOW to WATCH the FINAL ROUND
Fans can watch Tuesday's Final Round live on ESPN+ by clicking here.
PAIRINGS
Fans can find complete Second-Round pairings and Tuesday's Final-Round pairings (when finalized) by clicking here.
HOUSTON in AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
This is Houston's eighth appearance at the American Athletic Conference Championships. The Cougars have finished among the Top-Three team leaders at the tournament every season in which it has eligible to compete, winning championships in 2019, 2018 and 2016.
Houston did not compete as a team at the 2014 American Championships, per NCAA rules, sending four student-athletes to play as individuals, while the 2020 Championships was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leonie Harm is the only Cougar to win The American Championships individual title, posting a score of 8-under 208 at the 2019 event on the Conservatory Course at Hammock Beach Resort & Golf Club in Palm Coast, Fla.
In addition to Harm, Houston boasts 16 individual Top-10 finishes at The American Championships.
UP NEXT
Following the American Athletic Conference Championships, the Cougars will learn their NCAA postseason fate during the Selection Show, airing at 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 27, on Golf Channel.
Seventy-two teams and 12 individuals not on those teams will compete at six NCAA Regional sites across the nation. Those venues include Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif.); Vanderbilt Legends Club (Franklin, Tenn.); The Championship Course at UNM (Albuquerque, N.M.); University of Michigan Golf Course (Ann Arbor, Mich.); Karsten Creek Golf Club (Stillwater, Okla.) and Seminole Legacy Golf Club (Tallahassee, Fla.).
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. 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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