(Note: This story will be updated tonight with the conclusion of the second wave of tee times in the 156-player and 30-team field).
Senior Beth Coulter led the Sun Devil women's golf squad to a solid start super early Thursday morning at the 2026 NCAA Championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad.
Coulter shot a 3-under 69 in the first round with no bogeys and three birdies at the 6,271-yard course in her 34th round of the season. The 69 matched her lowest score of the year, as she shot a 69 in the third round of the Mason Rudolph Championship on Sept. 21 and at the Dr. Donnis Invitational in Hawaii on March 17.
“Overall, I am pretty pleased with how we played this morning, said Sun Devil head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. "We just have to finish stronger and I know we will. Coach Heisey and I will work with the team and implement some adjustments tonight. Beth got off to an outstanding start. She set the tone for us...not surprised to see a senior step up in this moment. She knows this course well and gained a ton of confidence today.”
“Considering it was her first NCAA Championship round, I thought Fai had some bright spots. She needs to clean up in some areas, but her future is so bright. I am excited to see what she learned from today’s round and the improvements she shows tomorrow. We have the afternoon session Friday, which means we have to prepare differently. It will be a benefit to be able to sleep in and get a good night of rest, but we are also very aware that the wind is also stronger later in the day. Our group will be ready for the challenge.”
Coulter started the day with a birdie on the par-5 No. 10, and also birdied the par-3 No. 16 and par-5 second hole.
“It was a solid start, but I still left some shots out there," noted Coulter. "If I could’ve converted on a few more close birdie opportunities, it would have taken my round to another level. Regardless, I am pleased with a bogey-free round and playing well for my team. I enjoy playing this course and have learned a lot about it having played it the past two years. It was a little different with the early morning tee times, but the course was in great shape. Definitely challenging, a great test for a championship. I can’t wait to get back out there and compete for my team.”
“It was definitely on my mind to get off to a strong start with it being my last college tournament. I tried to lean on my experience and play with confidence. I credit Coach Missy and Coach Heisey for helping me with my mental approach heading into today’s round.”
NCAA Women's Golf Championship
May 22-27
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
Carlsbad, Calif.
Par 72/6,271 yards
Team (Ranking/NCAA Championship Seed) Leaderboard
Oklahoma State (21/16) 283/-5
Eastern Michigan (27/21) 286/-2
Missouri (32/24) 287/-1
LSU (34/26) 288/E
Arizona State (23/18) 289/+1
Baylor (26/20) 289/+1
Virginia (35/27) 289/+1
Northwestern (31/23) 290/+2
Florida State (22/17) 292/+4
Houston (29/22) 78/+6
Ohio State (25/19) 297/+9
Kentucky (33/25) 298/+10
Michigan State (38/28) 298/+10
Oregon State (46/29)
Texas Tech (49/30)
Later tee times (ranking/seed)
Stanford (1/1)
USC (2/2)
Florida (3/3)
Texas A&M (4/4)
Texas (5/5)
Auburn (6/6)
Arkansas (7/7)
Wake Forest (8/8)
Duke (10/9)
Pepperdine (11/10)
North Carolina (12/11)
SMU (16/12)
Iowa State (17/13)
Tennessee (18/14)
Ole Miss (20/15)
Individual leaderboard
Ellie Bushnell, Oklahoma State 68/-4
Beth Coulter, Arizona State 69/-3
Fai Rubrong, Arizona State 73/+1
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, Arizona State 73/+1
Isla McDonald-O'Brien, Arizona State 74/+2
Patience Rhodes, Arizona State 81/+9
No one has better history
No. 23 Arizona State has made the NCAA Championship 40 times, tying Stanford for the most in the nation and ahead of USC (38). Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye is looking to lead the program to a record ninth NCAA title and her second at the helm in Tempe after winning the NCAA title in 2017.
Last time out
Sun Devil Women’s Golf punched its ticket to the NCAA Championship on after finishing in fourth place at the Stanford Regional. It was the eighth championship that ASU has advanced to under Missy Farr-Kaye in the past nine years, who was at the helm when the 2017 team captured the program’s eighth National Championship. Arizona State is one of only four programs in the country to make the NCAA Championship at least 23 times since 2000 (25-year span). They are joined by Duke, Stanford, and USC on this exclusive list.
The format
In the championship finals, all 30 teams and six individuals will complete 54 holes of stroke play. Following 54 holes of competition, the top 15 teams, along with the top nine individuals, will advance for one additional day of stroke play to determine the top eight teams for match-play competition and the 72-hole stroke-play individual champion. The top eight teams after 72 holes of play will be placed into a bracket with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 8 seed, the No. 2 seed playing the No. 7 seed, the No. 3 seed playing the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 seed playing the No. 5 seed in match play.
A total of five points will be available, with one point being awarded for each individual match. Winning teams will advance to the semifinals and subsequently the finals. The first team to win three points within the team match will advance, or in the case of the final match, be declared the national champion.
Holes: 72 Stroke Play (18 each day); 54 Match Play (36; 18)
Days: 4 Stroke Play (Fri-Mon); 2 Match Play (Tues-Wed)
Scoring: 5 count 4
Cuts: 15 teams after 3 days; 8 teams after 4 days
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,297
*Substitutions allowed in between rounds
The lineup for the first round
Patience Rhodes teed it up at the No. 1 spot after tying for sixth in the Stanford Regional. Freshman Kate Dillon is an option for a substitution.
- Junior Patience Rhodes
- Senior Paula Schulz-Hanssen
- Freshman Fai Rubrong
- Senior Beth Coulter
- Sophomore Isla McDonald-O'Brien
Tee times
Arizona State kicked off stroke play in the NCAA Championship on hole 10 at 6:30 a.m. MST on Thursday, The Sun Devils were paired alongside Florida State and Oklahoma State and will play with them again on Friday.
The course
Formerly known as the Champions Course, the re-imagined North Course at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa is located just north of San Diego in Carlsbad. Nestled among 400 lush garden acres near pristine beaches and recognized as one of the world’s top golf and spa destinations, this iconic resort unveiled a fresh new look in 2024 – including Gil Hanse’s dramatic course redesign that paves the way for three consecutive NCAA Division I Championships. Learn more about the course by watching this video breakdown from Scoreboard.
History at the NCAA Championship
The Sun Devil Women’s Golf program is the most prestigious in the nation, taking home an NCAA record eight NCAA Championships. ASU won the NCAA championship in 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2009, and 2017, dominating the women's collegiate golf scene for decades.
Nobody knew how to win at the NCAA Championship like legendary head coach Linda Vollstedt, who won five titles in nine years in the 1990’s. The first came when current head coach Missy Farr-Kaye was a player, starting the trifecta for Farr-Kaye. She later won as an assistant coach in 2009 and as a head coach in 2017, giving her three NCAA titles in three different roles. Since 2000, Arizona State has qualified for the NCAA Championship 22 times, one of only five programs that can make that claim (Stanford, Duke, USC, UCLA).
Most NCAA team titles
| Arizona State | 8 |
| Duke | 7 |
| Stanford | 3 |
| San Jose State | 3 |
| USC | 3 |
| UCLA | 3 |
Team Championships under Missy Farr-Kaye (21)
2025 PING/ASU Invitational
2025 Clover Cup
2024 Windy City Collegiate Classic
2024 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational
2024 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
2022 Match in the Desert
2022 PING/ASU Invitational
2021 Bruin Wave Invitational
2021 Clover Cup
2021 PING/ASU Invitational (Co-Champs)
2020 Stanford Intercollegiate
2020 Tri-Match vs. UCLA & Denver
2020 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational
2019 Wildcat Invitational
2019 Tri-Match against Denver & Georgia
2018 Windy City Collegiate
2017 NCAA Championships (NATIONAL CHAMPION)
2017 NCAA Regional Championships
2017 PING/ASU Invitational
2017 Clover Cup
2016 Pac-12 Preview
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Stay connected with Sun Devil Women’s Golf on social media throughout the season by following @SunDevilWGolf on Instagram, X, Facebook and sundevils.com. General athletic news can also be found at @TheSunDevils on X, Instagram and Facebook.