Despite tying for 14th (out of 18 teams), the Idaho women’s golf team documented some supplementary records at University Ridge Golf Course during the Madison, Wisc. NCAA Regionals from May 7-9.
Firstly, the reigning Big Sky champion in junior Sophie Hausmann etched the best NCAA Regional performance in program history — by three strokes — with an aggregate 1-under par 215.
“Sophie had an outstanding week,” Idaho Head Coach Lisa Johnson said in a news release. “She competed really well and proved she belongs among the nation’s elite.”
Hausmann tied for 11th out of 96 competitors and was just two strokes shy of forcing a playoff hole for the final individual-qualifying spot in the field for the NCAA National Championship Tournament in Stillwater, Okla.
With only three holes left in the final round, Hausmann had to card a birdie to have a chance at nationals. She parred out, and was left as the fourth-best individual finisher among non-qualifying teams — only the top three make it to nationals.
Overall, the Vandals posted a 41-over 905 on the 6300-yard par-72 course, which ended up being the program’s best-ever team effort in its history at the NCAA Regionals.
“The team rose to the challenge at a big event on a golf course that played very long and was set up for a championship tournament,” Johnson said. “It was fun to see our team match up with elite competition and we did not back down.”
The home-team Wisconsin Badgers took a ninth-place finish, and in spite of course experience, none of the five competing Big Ten teams finished better than fourth.
However, Hausmann, a stranger to the Madison course, played a uniform tournament.
She kicked it off by parring all but two holes on the opening day, and finished even. On the second, she entered the back nine with eight pars and a birdie on her card. Three bogeys and three counterbalancing birdies later, she was 1-under.
In the third round, she mimicked herself from day one. Sixteen pars, one birdie and one bogey later, she found herself in the top 15.
Freshman Valeria Patino, a second-team all-conference player, finished the tournament with an aggregate 10-over 226, featuring a 2-over 74 as her best round on the second day.
Junior Michelle Kim, a third-team Big Sky player, carded a 13-over 229.
In a field featuring five of Golfstat’s top-25 — Duke (3), USC (6), Arizona State (10), Northwestern (13), Illinois (22) — it was the top-ranked competitors who took home medalist honors.
Duke earned a 10-stroke victory, led by three par or sub-par golfers. With a 7-under 65 second round, the Blue Devils’ Leona Maguire won medalist honors, recording an 8-under overall finish.
Idaho’s season is now over. The Vandals will return four of their five primary competitors in Hausmann, Patino, Kim and sophomore Laura Gerner, but lose senior Kendall Gray.
Colton Clark can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @coltonclark95