May 14, 2012

A majority of the nation’s top women’s collegiate golf teams will make the trip to the 2012 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship May 22-25 in Franklin, Tenn., with the Vanderbilt Legends Club’s North Course serving as the host course.  The field was sorted out after competition at three regional sites over the weekend.

This year’s field will feature eighteen of the top 25 teams in the country, with host Vanderbilt making the field as the number two team in the Central Regional. 

Ticket and Event Information
The 2012 Women’s Golf Championship will be held at the Vanderbilt Legends Club May 22-25.  Tickets are available by clicking here. 

The top eight teams from three regionals advanced to the national championship.

Here’s a general look at the field and some notes about this year’s tournament.

East Regional

1. South Carolina
2. Texas A&M
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Florida
6. Arizona State
7. Michigan State
8. Duke

Individuals:  Kelsey Vines, Oklahoma State; Margarita Ramos, Arizona

Top two finishers to advance from Regional:  South Carolina, Texas A&M
The #25-ranked Gamecocks led wire-to-wire at the East Regional in State College, Pa., and had three players finish in the top 20.  The Aggies’ Katerina Ruzickova claimed medalist honors at the championship.  Texas A&M served as the host for the 2011 Championship.

Top 25 Teams That Did Not Qualify:  #18 Arizona, #20 Oklahoma State (each will send an individual).

Sleeper Team:  Michigan State
The Spartans, ranked #24 by Golfstat, shot a final-round 283, the second-best round of the tournament, to advance to Franklin.  Michigan State is the only “cold-weather” team to advance from the East Regional.

Central Regional

1. Southern Cal
2. Vanderbilt
3. Purdue
4. Tennessee
5. Virginia
6. Ohio State
7. North Carolina State
8. Arkansas

Individuals:  Maria Salinas, Florida State; Rocio Sanchez Lobato, Georgia

Top two finishers to advance from Regional:  Southern Cal and Vanderbilt
The Trojans claimed the Central Regional by a whopping 25 strokes over Vanderbilt at Ohio State, and rode some hot putters on the slick greens of the Scarlet Course.  The Commodores, however, will be playing on their home course and have two of the hottest players in women’s golf, Marina Alex and Lauren Stratton.

Top 25 Teams That Did Not Qualify:  #4 Auburn, #9 Georgia, #21 Oregon

Sleeper Team:  Arkansas
The Razorbacks advance as the number eight team from the Central Regional, but feature one of the nation’s top collegiate players in Emily Tubert.  Tubert, a member of the 2012 Curtis Cup team, shot a four-under par, 68, in her final round at Ohio State.

West Regional

1. UCLA
2. LSU
3. Pepperdine
4. Colorado
5. Baylor
6. Stanford
7. North Carolina
8. Oklahoma

Individuals:  Kimberly Kaufman and Gabriella Dominguez, Texas Tech

Top two finishers to advance from Regional:  UCLA and LSU
The Bruins are the 2011 defending champions.  LSU features the medalist from the 2011 Championship, Austin Ernst.  Both are battle-tested after tough schedules, and both are favorites in the tournament.

Top 25 Teams That Did Not Qualify:  #13 California, #23 UC Davis

Sleeper Team:  Colorado
Another “cold weather” school, the Buffs went low (really low), in their final time around their home course at the West Regional with a 279, and are more than capable of being in the mix in Franklin.

Other Notes

SEC Reigns Supreme
Seven SEC teams will make the trip to the Vanderbilt Legends Club – Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, and LSU – the most of any league.  The conference breakdown:

Pac 12 (5) – Southern Cal, Arizona State, UCLA, Colorado, Stanford
ACC (4) – Virginia, N.C. State, Duke, North Carolina
Big 12 (4) - Texas A&M, Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma
Big 10 (3) – Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State
West Coast (1) – Pepperdine

Curtis Cup Members
Six of this summer’s Curtis Cup USA team members will be in attendance at the national championship next week, and one from the Great Britain and Ireland squad.  The Curtis Cup is the Ryder Cup of amateur women’s golf, and the biannual event will be held June 8-10 at the Nairn Golf Club in Nairn, Scotland, this summer.

Members of the USA team participating next week are Emily Tubert of Arkansas, Lisa McCloskey of USC, Lindy Duncan of Duke, Brooke Pancake of Alabama, Erica Popson of Tennessee, Tiffany Lua of UCLA, and Austin Ernst of LSU. 

Stephanie Meadow of Alabama will compete for the Great Britain-Ireland team.

Teams Making Return Visit
Fifteen of the 24 teams have seen the North Course with Bermuda Greens – which were installed in the summer of 2011.  UCLA, Alabama, Arizona State, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Duke, Southern Cal, LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Purdue played in the Mason Rudolph Fall Preview, while Texas played in the Vanderbilt/Texas Dual in April.

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