Mocs Women's Golf Headed to Notre Dame for NCAA Regionals
Fourth time in four years of the program Chattanooga has competed in regionals
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's golf team is heading to Notre Dame, Ind., for the NCAA Central Regional at Warren Golf Course the NCAA announced Monday. This is the third straight year the team has qualified for regionals.
"We worked very hard for this opportunity," said head coach Colette Murray. "This program is not built on being happy to make regionals. Making the finals is our goal. That's what has mattered from day one."
Regional play starts Thursday, May 5. The three-day, 54-hole event closes on Saturday, May 7. There are 24 teams and six individuals playing at each of the three regional sites. The top eight teams and two individuals from non-advancing teams move on to the finals at Traditions Golf Club in College Station, Texas, May 17-20.
Chattanooga is ranked No. 30 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index and No. 35 by Golfstat. UTC received the 12th-seed in the regional.
The Mocs won four times in 2010-11 tying its season record from the inaugural season of 2007-08. Seniors Christine Wolf (Igls, Austria) and Emma de Groot (Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia) won individual titles as well. Wolf set school and tournament records in capturing medalist honors shooting seven-under par at the JMU/Eagle Landing Invitational, while de Groot won for the sixth time in her career as medalist at the Southern Conference Championship last week leading Chattanooga to a 30-shot victory.
de Groot earned SoCon Golfer of the Year honors and was joined on the All-SoCon team by Wolf and junior Maria Juliana Loza (Bucaramanga, Colombia). Jordan Britt (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Yushira Budhram (Johannesburg, South Africa) and Marion Duvernay (Publier, France) made the all-freshman team, while Murray collected her second straight Coach of the Year award.
This is the program's fourth regional appearance, third as a team. de Groot was an individual qualifier in 2007-08, while the Mocs have advanced each of the last three seasons. The 2008-09 squad finished eighth in the Central Regional on the Scarlet Course at Ohio State to make their first finals appearance.
"It's exciting to play this kind of competition", added Murray. "Emma, Christine and Maju have been there before, they know what it takes."
Live scoring will be available on the women's golf schedule page on GoMocs.com along with round-by-round coverage.
NCAA Central Regional
May 5-7 at Warren Golf Course
Notre Dame, Ind.
1) UCLA
2) Duke
3) LSU
4) Arkansas
5) Wake Forest
6) Texas
7) Tulane
8) Stanford
9) Notre Dame
10) Ohio State
11) Kent State
12) CHATTANOOGA
13) Northwestern
14) Minnesota
15) UNLV
16) Oklahoma State
17) North Texas
18) Wisconsin
19) East Carolina
20) Michigan
21) Illinois
22) Morehead State
23) Illinois State
24) Butler
Ind) Harin Lee, St. John's
Ind) Lindsay Gahm, Indiana
Ind) Bonnie Hu, Harvard
Ind) Nina Muehl, East Tennessee State
Ind) Brittany Kelly, Ball State
Ind) Britney Hamilton, Western Michigan
Furman's Kenoyer Earns Bid To NCAA Women's Golf Regional
Greenville, S.C. -- Furman senior Stefanie Kenoyer received an at-large bid to participate in the NCAA Women's Golf East Regional May 5-7, at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., it was announced on Monday evening.
The four-time All-Southern Conference selection will be making her fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regionals and first as an individual. The top eight teams in the regional's 24-team field and top two individuals not on a qualifying team at the NCAA East Regional will advance to the NCAA Championships May 18-21, at the Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas.
Kenoyer, a native of Lighthouse Point, Fla., led Furman with a 75.6 stroke average over 23 rounds during the 2010-11 season. She garnered one top-five and two top-10 finishes while helping the Paladins to a No. 62 national ranking according to GolfStat.com.
A 2008 and 2009 SoCon individual medalist, Kenoyer captured SoCon Player of the Year honors in both 2009 and 2010. She is a three-time National Golf Coaches Association All-Scholar Team member and received Furman's annual Student-Athlete Achievement Award on Monday night.
Furman fans can follow Kenoyer's quest to earn a berth in the NCAA Championships through live scoring of the 2011 NCAA East Regional at www.FurmanPaladins.com and www.GolfStatResults.com.
WHITTAKER EARNS NCAA EAST REGIONAL INDIVIDUAL BERTH
CHARLESTON, S.C. - College of Charleston junior Leigh Whittaker (Baden-Baden, Germany) earned one of six individual berths into the 2011 NCAA Division I Women's Golf East Regional Championship to be held on May 5-7 at the LPGA International Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Cougars, who finished the season ranked No. 81 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Women's Collegiate Rankings and as the Southern Conference runner-up, have now been represented in the NCAA East Regional the last six consecutive years. CofC competed as a team in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010, and individually with former SoCon Player of the Year Stephanie Kirchmayr in 2008 and Whittaker in 2011.
"Leigh's had one of the best individual years in the history of the CofC's women's golf program," Head Coach Jamie Futrell said. "She is excited to compete after final exams next week and her selection validates her as one of the best collegiate players in the country."
A two-time All-SoCon Team selection, Whittaker is making her third all-time NCAA appearance and recorded the fourth-best single-season stroke average (74.93) in CofC history this past season. She finished in the top 10 five times in 10 starts with two individual medalist wins at the Palmetto Intercollegiate on Oct. 26 on Kiawah Island, S.C., and at the Pinehurst Challenge on April 5 in Pinehurst, N.C. Whittaker recorded the lowest 54-hole total in program history at the Palmetto Intercollegiate (205) and tied the school record for lowest round twice with a five-under par 67.