CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Playing its seventh straight NCAA postseason, Chattanooga will make its first trip to the NCAA West Regional. The Mocs are one of 24 teams headed to Cle Elum, Wash., and Tumble Creek at Suncadia Resort.
The three-day, 54-hole event is May 8-10. The top eight teams and two individuals on non-advancing squads move on to Tulsa, Okla., for the national championship May 20-23 at Tulsa Country Club.
Chattanooga’s path to Tulsa includes a gauntlet of the nation’s best teams. Top-ranked USC highlights the field that includes No. 6 Arizona State, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 8 Washington, No. 12 Clemson, No. 18 Wake Forest, No. 19 Northwestern and No. 25 Michigan State. Iowa State, GRU Augusta, Oregon, Texas A&M, UC Davis, Denver, San Diego State, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Tennessee, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Portland State and Detroit round out the 24-team field.
Tumble Creek is one of three courses at Suncadia Resort. The Tom Doak design is a private-only tract, while the other two courses are open to the public. It was recently rated as the fourth-best course in Washington state by Golf Digest. Cle Elum is located 80 miles southeast of Seattle and just 45 minutes from famed Mount Rainier.
The women’s golf program was resurrected by coach Colette Murray in 2007-08. It has been a part of NCAA Regional play all seven seasons. Former Southern Conference Player of the Year Emma de Groot (2008-11) competed as an individual as a freshman in 2008. The team has qualified ever since.
This year’s squad assured its bid winning the SoCon Women’s Golf Championship. It was the fifth straight team title, while sophomore Emily McLennan became the fourth consecutive Moc to lay claim to medalist honors.
McLennan was joined on the All-SoCon squad by Jordan Britt and Agathe Sauzon. Britt earned the SoCon Player of the Year award joining de Groot (2011) as the only Mocs to capture it.
While Chattanooga is the only SoCon school in the postseason, a couple of future members reached the field of 72-plus. East Tennessee State is in the East Regional after claiming the Atlantic Sun title. Mercer’s Lacey Fears is in as an individual. ETSU and the Bears join the league in 2014-15.