LUBBOCK, Texas – After holding a significant lead following two days of competition, No. 7 Arizona State caught fire on day three of NCAA Regionals, winning the tournament for the first time since 2009 (fifth all-time Regionals first-place finish).
The victory also marked the first time since 2009 ASU has won four or more tournaments in the same season, also winning the Pac-12 Preview (Oct. 25), Clover Cup (Mar. 19), their own PING/ASU Invitational (Apr. 9), and now NCAA Regionals.
Among the other three Regional winners, Arizona State (-22) had the lowest three-round score vs. par by 15 strokes, with Alabama (Athens Regional) shooting 7-under, Stanford (Albuquerque Regional) shooting 2-over, and Florida/South Carolina shooting +22 over (Columbus Regional).
"I'm at a loss for words; I'm just so excited for this team and it's a huge win for our program," said head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. "We haven't won regionals since 2009 and to go 1-2-3 individually in a very good field on a very difficult golf course is incredible."
Earning individual medalist honors, Monica Vaughn earned the second win of her career and first titlist at Regionals for Arizona State since Noemi Jimenez in 2014. Vaughn becomes ASU's seventh all-time individual medalist at Regionals since the tournament started in 1993 alongside Linda Ericsson (1993), Wendy Ward (1995), Grace Park (1993), Miriam Nagl (2000), and Carlota Ciganda (2009).
Vaughn, Olivia Mehaffey, and Linnea Strom went 1-2-3 for the tournament, as Mehaffey earned her fourth top-10 finish in the last five tournaments alongside Strom's sixth straight top-10 finish and eighth of the season in tournament play.
Mehaffey's 66 today also bettered her previous career low by three strokes. At six-under par, the round ties for third-lowest all-time vs. par in ASU record books.
As a team, the Sun Devils tallied 18 birdies on the front nine, a total of 25 on the day. All five recorded a third round at or below par, while all five Sun Devils also finished in the top-25 (Roberta Liti T17, Sophia Zeeb T25).
Shooting 16-under on the day, ASU also set a new 18-hole record vs. par., surpassing the old record of 15-under, which the Sun Devils tied at the PING/ASU Invitational in early April.
"I'm just really excited for our girls. They've had a very good year with some ups and downs and this has been a huge goal of ours after not being in the NCAA championships [as a team] the last two years".
The Pac-12 advanced five teams to NCAA championships including USC, Cal, and Oregon, as well as two of four Regional winners (ASU and Stanford).
The past two seasons, ASU has advanced an individual to NCAA championships, with Vaughn (2015) and Strom (2016) and advances the entire team for the first time since 2014.
"I'm so thrilled that Monica Vaughn will be playing in the national championship her senior year and the best is yet to come. We're really excited to go to Rich Harvest Farms and keep our season going until the end."
Advancing out of Lubbock Regionals alongside ASU is No. 10 Furman, Oregon, No. 18 Texas, Texas Tech, and No. 15 Kent State. Individually, Julienne Soo (Oklahoma), Susie Cavanagh (Oregon State), and Alex White (BYU) will also compete at NCAA Championships from Lubbock.
From Columbus Regionals, No. 4 Florida, No. 12 South Carolina, No. 5 Florida State, No. 29 Ohio State, No. 27 Purdue, and Michigan will advance; the Athens Regional sends No. 3 Alabama, No. 11 Northwestern, Michigan State, No. 19 Baylor, Clemson, and North Carolina; and from Albuquerque, No. 1 Stanford, No. 9 Duke, Pepperdine, No. 6 USC, No. 26 Cal, and No. 16 Miami advance as teams.
With 17 of the top 30 teams in Golfstat rankings advancing out of Regionals, several notable teams were unable to make the top six in their region amidst extremely tough competition and conditions including No. 2 UCLA, No. 8 Georgia, No. 13 Arkansas, and No. 14 Arizona, as well as reigning National Champion Washington.
The 24 teams and 12 individuals advancing out of Regionals will compete at the NCAA Women's Golf Championships, which will take place May 19-24 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
The victory also marked the first time since 2009 ASU has won four or more tournaments in the same season, also winning the Pac-12 Preview (Oct. 25), Clover Cup (Mar. 19), their own PING/ASU Invitational (Apr. 9), and now NCAA Regionals.
Among the other three Regional winners, Arizona State (-22) had the lowest three-round score vs. par by 15 strokes, with Alabama (Athens Regional) shooting 7-under, Stanford (Albuquerque Regional) shooting 2-over, and Florida/South Carolina shooting +22 over (Columbus Regional).
"I'm at a loss for words; I'm just so excited for this team and it's a huge win for our program," said head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. "We haven't won regionals since 2009 and to go 1-2-3 individually in a very good field on a very difficult golf course is incredible."
Earning individual medalist honors, Monica Vaughn earned the second win of her career and first titlist at Regionals for Arizona State since Noemi Jimenez in 2014. Vaughn becomes ASU's seventh all-time individual medalist at Regionals since the tournament started in 1993 alongside Linda Ericsson (1993), Wendy Ward (1995), Grace Park (1993), Miriam Nagl (2000), and Carlota Ciganda (2009).
Vaughn, Olivia Mehaffey, and Linnea Strom went 1-2-3 for the tournament, as Mehaffey earned her fourth top-10 finish in the last five tournaments alongside Strom's sixth straight top-10 finish and eighth of the season in tournament play.
Mehaffey's 66 today also bettered her previous career low by three strokes. At six-under par, the round ties for third-lowest all-time vs. par in ASU record books.
As a team, the Sun Devils tallied 18 birdies on the front nine, a total of 25 on the day. All five recorded a third round at or below par, while all five Sun Devils also finished in the top-25 (Roberta Liti T17, Sophia Zeeb T25).
.@SunDevilGolf claims a regional title -- decisively. ??
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) May 10, 2017
Your Sun Devils are headed to the #NCAAWGolf CHAMPS!#BackThePac pic.twitter.com/vHpVvnyWjm
Shooting 16-under on the day, ASU also set a new 18-hole record vs. par., surpassing the old record of 15-under, which the Sun Devils tied at the PING/ASU Invitational in early April.
Wow, @SunDevilGolf on fire... pic.twitter.com/4YyzdAptva
— Brentley Romine (@GolfweekBRomine) May 10, 2017
"I'm just really excited for our girls. They've had a very good year with some ups and downs and this has been a huge goal of ours after not being in the NCAA championships [as a team] the last two years".
The Pac-12 advanced five teams to NCAA championships including USC, Cal, and Oregon, as well as two of four Regional winners (ASU and Stanford).
The past two seasons, ASU has advanced an individual to NCAA championships, with Vaughn (2015) and Strom (2016) and advances the entire team for the first time since 2014.
"I'm so thrilled that Monica Vaughn will be playing in the national championship her senior year and the best is yet to come. We're really excited to go to Rich Harvest Farms and keep our season going until the end."
Advancing out of Lubbock Regionals alongside ASU is No. 10 Furman, Oregon, No. 18 Texas, Texas Tech, and No. 15 Kent State. Individually, Julienne Soo (Oklahoma), Susie Cavanagh (Oregon State), and Alex White (BYU) will also compete at NCAA Championships from Lubbock.
From Columbus Regionals, No. 4 Florida, No. 12 South Carolina, No. 5 Florida State, No. 29 Ohio State, No. 27 Purdue, and Michigan will advance; the Athens Regional sends No. 3 Alabama, No. 11 Northwestern, Michigan State, No. 19 Baylor, Clemson, and North Carolina; and from Albuquerque, No. 1 Stanford, No. 9 Duke, Pepperdine, No. 6 USC, No. 26 Cal, and No. 16 Miami advance as teams.
Regionals is over which means..WE'RE HEADED TO NATIONALS! First Regionals win since 2009, first time to NCAA's as a team since 2014 #Allin17 pic.twitter.com/BItBAr2iVN
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilGolf) May 10, 2017
With 17 of the top 30 teams in Golfstat rankings advancing out of Regionals, several notable teams were unable to make the top six in their region amidst extremely tough competition and conditions including No. 2 UCLA, No. 8 Georgia, No. 13 Arkansas, and No. 14 Arizona, as well as reigning National Champion Washington.
The 24 teams and 12 individuals advancing out of Regionals will compete at the NCAA Women's Golf Championships, which will take place May 19-24 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.