GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Furman women’s golf team will take part in the NCAA East Regional at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh, N.C., May 7-9, it was announced on Monday by the NCAA Division I Golf Committee.
The Paladins are part of an 18-team East Regional field that will battle for a top-six finish and a berth in the 24-team NCAA Championship, which is set to be held May 22-27 at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla. The East Regional field includes five of the top 18 teams and seven of the top 30 teams in the country, led by second-ranked South Carolina, No. 7 LSU, No. 10 Mississippi State, No. 15 Northwestern and No. 18 Florida.
Furman, which secured the Southern Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by capturing its 14th SoCon Championship two weeks ago at Savannah Quarters Golf Club in Pooler, Ga., will make its 18th NCAA Regional appearance and the program’s first since 2010. The Paladins appeared in 17 straight regionals from 1993, when the regional format began, until 2010.
The Paladins, ranked 28th in the latest Golfstat rankings, last reached the NCAA Championship in 2008, when Furman claimed an eighth-place finish at the NCAA East Regional in Athens, Ga., to advance to the NCAA Championship in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Paladins’ lineup will include SoCon individual medalist and the league player of the year Taylor Totland, who finished with a tournament record 8-under 208 to capture the SoCon title. SoCon Freshman of the Year and All-SoCon selection Alice Chen, plus All-SoCon honorees Laura DeMarco, Reona Hirai and Valentina Romero will round out the Paladin lineup.
Teams:
1. South Carolina
2. LSU
3. Mississippi State
4. Northwestern
5. Florida
6. Central Florida (Automatic Qualifier)
7. Furman (Automatic Qualifier)
8. Alabama
9. Iowa State
10. Ohio State (Automatic Qualifier)
11. NC State
12. Georgia Regents
13. Coastal Carolina (Automatic Qualifier)
14. Campbell
15. College of Charleston (Automatic Qualifier)
16. Seton Hall (Automatic Qualifier)
17. Wichita State (Automatic Qualifier)
18. Fairleigh Dickinson (Automatic Qualifier)
Individuals:
1. Juliet Vongphoumy, Maryland
2. Jessica Welch, Jacksonville
3. Frida Gustafsson Spang, East Carolina
4. Genevieve Ling, Boise State
5. Manuela Carbajo Re, Georgia
6. Ashley Burke, South Florida