Tag: Grayhawk Golf Club

Ringler: Buckle up for roller coaster ride at men’s NCAA Championship

This year’s men’s NCAA Championship could have the most twists and turns, ups and downs we may ever see.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Since we last saw NCAA championship golf 24 months ago at the Blessings Golf Club in Arkansas, it’s been like standing in a very long line for the hottest new roller coaster at the theme park.

Fasten those seat belts and get settled in, as this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club could have the most twists and turns, ups and downs we may ever see.

Why? One could make a case for all 30 teams to make the 54-hole cut. From that point there might truly only be a couple teams that would be a big surprise to advance to match play.

Twenty-three teams in the field are in the Golfweek/Sagarin top 30. A few of the teams not in the top 30 have all had big moments this year, showing its very possible to have another big week to get them into the top eight after 72 holes.

East Tennessee State is coming off a regional victory, that checks the box. In April TCU topped Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Texas Tech and North Carolina to win the Thunderbird Collegiate here in the Desert. UAB had an undefeated fall season and then went 13-under in the final round of the Noblesville Regional to make it to Grayhawk. Momentum might be a 15th club in the bag for Oregon State, who led the Albuquerque Regional after two rounds.

Three mid-majors would be Cinderella stories this week, starting with Sam Houston State’s story of having to play with four players in the final round to make it out of the Stillwater Regional. Little Rock went 4 under on the final hole of regional play at the same site to advance. After beating the likes of New Mexico, Stanford and South Carolina, San Diego has the “why not us?” belief.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual

When it comes to the golf course here at Grayhawk, it is a bit of an unknown. The conditions are near perfect, but will the par 70, 7,289 yard-layout play hard enough from tee-to-green to create separation?

If we don’t see that separation, it could be anybody’s week. The field is strong at the top with teams ranked Nos. 1-14 all here this week.

However, when previewing the championship, you really have to view it as two tournaments: which team wins stroke play and which team wins match play.

No team ranked worse than third has claimed stroke play victory since the championship moved to match play in 2009. So, that tells us the heavy favorites are Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Florida State. That fits this year with how those three teams have been playing. In 31 tournaments, the trio have finished outside the top three just seven times, with Oklahoma State doing so four times.

As for match play, totally different story. The No. 1 seed has won just one time and that was Oklahoma State in 2018, playing on its own Karsten Creek Golf Course when they were also the top-ranked team in college golf. Texas (2012) and Alabama (2014) did win match play as the No. 1 ranked team, but not No. 1 seed.

So, who wins match play? The average ranking of the team winner is 8.2. That of course is after the rankings are updated from stroke play, but will fall in line with the likes of Pepperdine, North Carolina, Clemson, Wake Forest, Illinois and Arizona State.

This week stamps championship No. 21 for me dating back to the 2001 finals when Nick Gilliam led Florida to the title at Duke University Golf Club. Since then the format has changed and the best team usually does not take home the trophy, but the table is set for a wild ride.

Hang on tight and expect anything.

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Full field by the rankings

Oklahoma (1)

Oklahoma State (2)

Florida State (3)

Texas (4)

Pepperdine (5)

North Carolina (6)

Clemson (7)

Wake Forest (8)

Illinois (9)

Arizona State (10)

NC State (11)

Vanderbilt (12)

Texas Tech (13)

Georgia (14)

SMU (16)

Liberty (17)

Tennessee (18)

Florida (22)

Arkansas (23)

San Francisco (21)

San Diego State (25)

Georgia Tech (26)

Louisville (27)

TCU (32)

UAB (33)

East Tennessee State (34)

Oregon State (39)

Little Rock (49)

San Diego (54)

Sam Houston State (56)

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Arizona State men’s golf team looks to make mark at home at NCAA Championship

Hosts this week, the Sun Devils are ready to defend home turf at Grayhawk Golf Club.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Arizona State head men’s golf coach Matt Thurmond admits it would have been embarrassing to be hosting a party and then not get an invite. So the pressure was on when his squad competed in the Albuquerque Regional earlier this month.

ASU is hosting the 30-team NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship beginning Friday at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale. And yes, the Sun Devils will take part in the festivities, having finished second in that regional behind Texas Tech.

It will be the 56th appearance in the championship for ASU and the 16th in the last 19 years. Only three schools boast more appearances: Oklahoma State (73), Texas (66) and USC (58).

ASU was supposed to host the event for the first of three years in 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the season being canceled, so this week’s event has been in the works for a while.

“For three years all the time and energy that has gone into this tournament. In the back of my mind I’m thinking, ‘Do they realize we have to qualify in regional?’ And it’s never easy. So I couldn’t fully think about the NCAA Championship knowing that,” Thurmond said before his team headed out for a practice round Thursday morning. “When we got through regional last week it was like a huge burden was lifted from me, and I think the players as well. How embarrassing or tough would that be to not be there? And to have that in back of your mind as a fear, it’s nice to have that behind us.”

ASU is ranked No. 10 nationally by both Golfweek and Golfstat. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Florida State hold down the top three spots with the Sooners topping both rankings. All three of those teams are in the field.

The Sun Devils have played 11 events this spring with those scattered throughout six states. That is more than they usually take part in but since the fall schedule was wiped out by the global health pandemic Thurmond wanted his players to make up for lost time.

It has also given his team the chance to play different types of courses in different climates. ASU has also played against many of the teams in the field this week.

“These guys love playing golf,” Thurmond said. “The hardest thing for a guy that lives and breathes golf is being told he can’t compete in tournaments. Just giving them as many chances to compete and do what they love to do and not be held back. I mean they were held back and held back in so many ways it just felt good to be able to travel and move around and play tournaments. There were times I was thinking maybe we played too much and it was busy and we were tired. Maybe some we didn’t play our best because they were right on top of another in a place maybe we shouldn’t be, but I think it prepared us well.”

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The team registered wins at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in Hawaii and the Goodwin hosted by Pac-12 foe Stanford. The Pac-12 tournament was one of four second-place finishes for ASU. The Sun Devils were runner-up there to rival Arizona, which failed to advance to the NCAAs.

The ASU quintet will consist of sophomores David Puig and Ryggs Johnston, junior Cameron Sisk and seniors Chun An Yu and Mason Andersen.

Puig, a native of La Garriga, Spain, tied for eighth individually at the regional with an 8-under 208. He was named Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year this season and looks forward to his first national championship appearance.

“There are always nerves, always pressure,” he said. “It’s at home. It’s really good to have a lot of fans and support but there are nerves too because you want to play good here at home. That’s a positive thing. That means we care about that. We’re excited about playing well this week.”

Yu comes in with experience under pressure, having finished third individually at the 2019 national championship held in Fayetteville, Arkansas. That matched the second-highest finish by a Sun Devil, the other coming from current PGA pro Jon Rahm in 2016.

“It was definitely a confidence booster for sure, you compete out there at the highest level against the best players,” Yu said of that finish. “It definitely helped my confidence a lot. My game is good right now and I’m ready to go.”

Thurmond jokingly said he wouldn’t mind hotter temperatures and wind this week since those are conditions in which his team is used to playing and he likes the home course advantage.

“There are advantages to hosting,” he said. “We know the course pretty well. It’s not like we’re playing it every day but we have been up here a lot. We’ll have an energy with local people out here watching. But there’s a pressure that comes with hosting too. It’s not all easy. There’s expectations that we’ll be amazing and do everything perfectly. I think the pressure will maybe offset the home course but as the week goes on I think our advantage will get stronger.”

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Arizona State men’s golf team looks to make mark at home at NCAA Championship

Hosts this week, the Sun Devils are ready to defend home turf at Grayhawk Golf Club.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Arizona State head men’s golf coach Matt Thurmond admits it would have been embarrassing to be hosting a party and then not get an invite. So the pressure was on when his squad competed in the Albuquerque Regional earlier this month.

ASU is hosting the 30-team NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship beginning Friday at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale. And yes, the Sun Devils will take part in the festivities, having finished second in that regional behind Texas Tech.

It will be the 56th appearance in the championship for ASU and the 16th in the last 19 years. Only three schools boast more appearances: Oklahoma State (73), Texas (66) and USC (58).

ASU was supposed to host the event for the first of three years in 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the season being canceled, so this week’s event has been in the works for a while.

“For three years all the time and energy that has gone into this tournament. In the back of my mind I’m thinking, ‘Do they realize we have to qualify in regional?’ And it’s never easy. So I couldn’t fully think about the NCAA Championship knowing that,” Thurmond said before his team headed out for a practice round Thursday morning. “When we got through regional last week it was like a huge burden was lifted from me, and I think the players as well. How embarrassing or tough would that be to not be there? And to have that in back of your mind as a fear, it’s nice to have that behind us.”

ASU is ranked No. 10 nationally by both Golfweek and Golfstat. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Florida State hold down the top three spots with the Sooners topping both rankings. All three of those teams are in the field.

The Sun Devils have played 11 events this spring with those scattered throughout six states. That is more than they usually take part in but since the fall schedule was wiped out by the global health pandemic Thurmond wanted his players to make up for lost time.

It has also given his team the chance to play different types of courses in different climates. ASU has also played against many of the teams in the field this week.

“These guys love playing golf,” Thurmond said. “The hardest thing for a guy that lives and breathes golf is being told he can’t compete in tournaments. Just giving them as many chances to compete and do what they love to do and not be held back. I mean they were held back and held back in so many ways it just felt good to be able to travel and move around and play tournaments. There were times I was thinking maybe we played too much and it was busy and we were tired. Maybe some we didn’t play our best because they were right on top of another in a place maybe we shouldn’t be, but I think it prepared us well.”

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The team registered wins at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in Hawaii and the Goodwin hosted by Pac-12 foe Stanford. The Pac-12 tournament was one of four second-place finishes for ASU. The Sun Devils were runner-up there to rival Arizona, which failed to advance to the NCAAs.

The ASU quintet will consist of sophomores David Puig and Ryggs Johnston, junior Cameron Sisk and seniors Chun An Yu and Mason Andersen.

Puig, a native of La Garriga, Spain, tied for eighth individually at the regional with an 8-under 208. He was named Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year this season and looks forward to his first national championship appearance.

“There are always nerves, always pressure,” he said. “It’s at home. It’s really good to have a lot of fans and support but there are nerves too because you want to play good here at home. That’s a positive thing. That means we care about that. We’re excited about playing well this week.”

Yu comes in with experience under pressure, having finished third individually at the 2019 national championship held in Fayetteville, Arkansas. That matched the second-highest finish by a Sun Devil, the other coming from current PGA pro Jon Rahm in 2016.

“It was definitely a confidence booster for sure, you compete out there at the highest level against the best players,” Yu said of that finish. “It definitely helped my confidence a lot. My game is good right now and I’m ready to go.”

Thurmond jokingly said he wouldn’t mind hotter temperatures and wind this week since those are conditions in which his team is used to playing and he likes the home course advantage.

“There are advantages to hosting,” he said. “We know the course pretty well. It’s not like we’re playing it every day but we have been up here a lot. We’ll have an energy with local people out here watching. But there’s a pressure that comes with hosting too. It’s not all easy. There’s expectations that we’ll be amazing and do everything perfectly. I think the pressure will maybe offset the home course but as the week goes on I think our advantage will get stronger.”

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Ole Miss wins NCAA Championship, first women’s national title in school history

It’s the first women’s national championship for Ole Miss as the Rebels beat Oklahoma State in golf.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chiara Tamburlini earned her first point of the week for Ole Miss on Wednesday in the final of the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship against Oklahoma State.

It opened the floodgates to a national championship, the first women’s title in school history.

Tamburlini’s 6 and 5 win was the largest margin of victory in the women’s final.

A few minutes later, fifth-year senior Kennedy Swann earned the Rebels their second point with a 2 and 1 win over Maja Stark. Swann’s win pushed her career match-play mark to 10-2.

Then it was Ole Miss sophomore Andrea Lignell, who played 40 holes over the quarterfinals and semifinals on Tuesday, draining a five-footer on the 17th hole to clinch the win.

Oklahoma State, which knocked out defending national champion Duke with a 5-0 showing in the semifinals on Tuesday, was also attempting to win the first women’s title in school history.

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After third cancer diagnosis, a gritty Missy Farr-Kaye leads Arizona State to NCAA match play

Arizona and Arizona State finished four rounds of stroke play knotted at 21 over. Arizona will face Stanford while ASU gets Duke.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — After the round on Monday, Missy Farr-Kaye told her Sun Devil team it was over. She cried. Told them they’d had a rough year and that whatever happens, happens. It would all be OK.

They went over to Phil’s Grill and sat on the patio to have lunch and watch the finish. The grill at Grayhawk is named after ASU alum Phil Mickelson, who became golf’s oldest major champion when he won the PGA on Sunday. Perhaps the mojo of the place would rub off.

Lo and behold, a shift occurred. Wake Forest starting plummeting down the board. The nuns at Farr-Kaye’s alma mater, Xavier Prep, texted to say they were praying. ASU players kept playfully hitting their coach, telling Farr-Kaye that she’d called it too fast.

“I said that was the omen, I had already ended the season,” said Farr-Kaye. “I couldn’t be happier to be wrong on that one.”

Arizona State and Arizona finished four rounds of stroke play knotted at 21 over. Arizona took the eighth seed based on the cumulative score of all five players and will face Stanford in the quarterfinals Tuesday morning. Arizona State will square off against Duke.

NCAA Womens Golf: NCAA Women's Golf Championship
Arizona State golfer Ashley Menne putts on the tenth green during the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Photo by Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinal, led by freshman Rachel Heck, who won the individual title, finished 13 strokes ahead of the field. Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Texas and Auburn round of the eight teams that advanced. Auburn’s 10-under 278 is the lowest NCAA Championship round in school history.

Melissa Luellen, who spent 13 seasons as head coach at ASU before moving to Auburn, admittedly wanted to throw up at one point as bogeys started to pepper the board, but wound up crying tears of joy when it was over, calling it some of the greatest golf she’s ever seen.

“I think it’s very advantageous to come from behind,” she said, “but when you’re 11 behind, that’s a big mountain to climb. I’ve been in situations where we’ve had 5 holes left and it’s a 13-shot swing. I’ve had a 22-shot lead and lost in on the last day … anything can happen.”

Luellen credited a shift in course management for the Tigers’ turnaround, keeping driver in the bag and hitting more 3-woods and 5-woods to find the fairways. Auburn improved 27 strokes from Day 1 to Day 4.

Florida State, looking for its first match-play appearance, seemed primed to force a playoff until freshman Alice Hodge, typically a model of consistency, double-bogeyed her final hole. The Seminoles and LSU finished one shot shy of a playoff.

Both Oklahoma State and Ole Miss advanced to match play for the first time in school history. Stanford, the 2015 champions, has made match play all six times.

There was a moment this spring when Farr-Kaye thought she’d lost her 2017 NCAA Championship ring. Chemo fog is real, she said. She forgets names, where she put things.

“It kills so many good cells along with the bad cells,” she said.

Farr-Kaye, 53, a two-time breast cancer survivor, was diagnosed with colon cancer last November. Just before Thanksgiving, Farr-Kaye’s three sons dropped her at the hospital door for surgery – to remove the mass and her appendix – and picked her up three days later.

Farr-Kaye finished her chemo treatments in April and is cancer-free but still feels the effects. Adrenaline gets her through these long days, and she walks less. Though she lives about 25 minutes away from Grayhawk she’s staying at the team hotel this week to avoid the temptation to do housework.

Picking a favorite championship, she said, is like picking a favorite kid. Impossible to do. But a third bout with cancer and a global pandemic puts this one in a unique category of resilience.

“I couldn’t be more blessed right now,” she said.

Hopefully the nuns are back at it tomorrow.

On TV

Tuesday

Match play quarterfinals, 9 a.m., Golf Channel

  • No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 8 Arizona
  • No. 2 Duke vs. No. 7 Arizona State
  • No. 3 Oklahoma State vs. No. 6 Auburn
  • No. 4 Ole Miss vs. No. 5 Texas

Match play semifinals, 2 p.m., Golf Channel

Wednesday

Match play championship, 2 p.m., Golf Channel

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Nichols: Stanford’s Rachel Heck wins NCAA championship, becomes third player to sweep the postseason. Here’s why she won’t turn pro.

Playing in her first NCAA Championship, freshman Rachel Heck earns medalist honors at Grayhawk Golf Club.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Rachel Heck paused for a somber moment after she heard the name Victoria Pinckney on the first tee. On Friday, every player in field at the NCAA Championship played in memory of a fallen U.S. soldier. Air Force captain Pinckney, a 27-year-old mom, died in Kyrgyzstan while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Heck walked over to the starter to write down Pinckney’s name before she left the tee box. The Stanford freshman held a 5-shot lead going into the final round, but at this moment, her mind was far away from what was on the line. Heck joined the ROTC program at Stanford and hopes to serve in the Air Force Reserve while competing on the LPGA.

It was a battle, but Heck went on to win the NCAA Championship by a shot over UCLA’s Emma Spitz. Heck shot a final round 74 to finish at 8 under. She’s the first Cardinal to win medalists honors at the NCAAs. The Memphis product also became only the third player in history to sweep the postseason by winning conference, regionals and nationals. Annie Park did the same at USC in 2013 as a freshman. Arizona’s Marisa Baena became the first in 1996, also as a freshman. Both Heck and Park pulled off the trifecta in their first semester in school.

The upbeat Heck, 19, arrived on campus Feb. 13 after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the fall semester and promptly won six times in nine starts.

Some might wonder, what’s left to prove?

When Park dominated the postseason eight years ago, it looked like she might take a bullet train to the LPGA, and no one would’ve blamed her. There are examples of great players who seemingly stayed too long in school and spun their wheels. Some even got worse.

There are far, far more players, however, who turned pro too early and sputtered at the next level, joining the where-are-they-now heap.

What should Heck do?

The smile says it all: She’s having the time of her life.

Before Heck teed off on Monday, she walked over to teammate Angelina Ye and wrapped her up in a bear hug. Ye was in second place and playing in the group ahead.

“I’ll be cheering from behind,” Heck told her.

NCAA Womens Golf: NCAA Women's Golf Championship
Stanford golfer Rachel Heck tees off on the 11th hole during the NCAA Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photo by Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports

The team before self is genuine with Heck, who lives it out every day in ROTC training. It’s at her core, and it seems that no amount of success this semester can tempt her away from Stanford life.

Loyalty runs deep in her veins.

Heck is writing a story is bound to transcend sports media let alone golf. No woman has ever served in the military reserves while competing on the LPGA. Sponsors should line up to be a part of Heck’s story, to help spread a wholesome message of service, sacrifice and excellence.

It’s hard to quantify exactly how much Heck’s passion for ROTC has freed her up to play such remarkable golf. The quest to become the best player in the world is no longer all-consuming for her.

One thing is certain, it’s an important message for parents of young players everywhere.

Encourage the pursuit of other passions. Think long-term. Don’t pressure your kid.

The grind can wait. Do what makes you happy.

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No. 1 South Carolina continues upward climb at NCAA Championship. Can the Gamecocks go from last to match play?

The nation’s No. 1 team is picking up the pace at the right time.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – It took a playoff at the NCAA Louisville Regional to get top-ranked South Carolina to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2017. The Gamecocks promptly dug themselves another hole early on at Grayhawk, coming in dead last out of 24 teams after the first round. They’ve been ranked No. 1 by the Golfweek/Sagarin ranking since early March.

Lois Kaye Go opened the championship with an 87 that included a nine and three double-bogeys. This is a senior who owns the second-lowest scoring average in school history 72.80.

Head coach Kalen Anderson pulled Go out of the lineup in Round 2 and replaced her with senior Pimnipa Panthong, a Kent State transfer and two-time MAC Golfer of the Year. Panthong shot 90 with a triple and a quad. As a team though, the Gamecocks cut 24 strokes off their opening round and moved into a share of 14th with Michigan. The top 15 advanced after three rounds and there was much work to be done.

Anderson had multiple team meetings. Saturday afternoon’s message was firm. Sunday’s morning message was much softer, more loving.

South Carolina won four times during the regular season and only recently started to take a dip. The team got wrapped up in outside distractions, Anderson said. She reminded them of the sacrifices they’ve made during the pandemic. Told them they’ve come too far to miss the mark now.

“This is an unbelievable group, an unbelievable group of talent,” said Anderson. “They know what to do. Sometimes they just need to just be guided in the right direction. Sometimes we have so much talent that everybody gets going in a little bit different direction, and we just have to herd them into the right one.”

Anderson was pleased with their upbeat mood Sunday morning. She put Go back in the lineup and she delivered, posting a 73 to help South Carolina move into 12th.

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“I think I just felt more relaxed,” said Go, who hails from the Philippines. “After I’d say a horrific round, it’s like, kind of hard to, how do you say it? Make things worse.”

Pauline Roussin-Bouchard led the Gamecocks with a 69 and Mathilde Claisse added a 72 to help a team total of 1-under 287. Now that they’ve survived the first cut, South Carolina looks toward the next one. After 72 holes, the field will be cut to eight.

Their 23 over total puts them six shots back of eighth place, held by Florida State. Four teams sit within six shots of the top eight – Arizona, Oregon, LSU And South Carolina.

Since the women’s NCAA Championship moved to match play in 2015, the Gamecocks have only advanced to the top 8 once in 2016, when they lost in the first round.

“They battled, “said Anderson. “I’d say right now we’re not playing our best golf. We’re still a great team and we just need to fight through it.”

Top 15 teams advancing

1. Stanford -18
2. Duke +2
3. Oklahoma State +4
4. Texas +6
5. Ole Miss +11
6. Arizona State +13
7. Wake Forest +16
8. Florida State +17
9. Arizona +18
10. Oregon +19
11. LSU +20
12. South Carolina +23
13. Baylor +27
14. Auburn +28
15. UCLA +31

Missed cut

Michigan State +34
Kent State +35
Georgia +38
Kentucky +38
Michigan +39
Virginia Tech +42
Maryland +42
USC +43
Alabama +52

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Maryland, first-timers at NCAAs, looks to survive another day as field gets cut to 15 teams

The Terrapins are first-timers here. Not just to the NCAA Championships but to Arizona itself.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Three strokes. That’s all that separates Maryland from making the 54-hole cut at the NCAA Division I Women’s Championship.

The Terrapins are first-timers here. Not just to the NCAA Championships but to Arizona itself. Five international players whose tournament schedule never took them west of Texas.

“I feel like we’re a little starstuck,” said head coach Diana Cantu, “even though they’re good enough.”

The Terps were first off on Friday morning, when conditions were calm and scoring was ripe in the desert, and they didn’t take advantage. On Saturday afternoon, they were nine strokes better in menacing wind that, at times, could knock a person off-balance. They’ll need more of that grit on Sunday when the field is cut to the top 15 teams. Maryland currently sits in 19th, three shots back of South Carolina and Michigan, who are tied for 14th at 24-over 600.

So much attention at the NCAA regional at Baton Rouge went to the 12 teams who never hit a shot to advance.

NCAA officials scrapped competition all three days due to weather, with committee representative Brad Hurlbut, the Director of Athletics at Fairleigh Dickinson, controversially declaring that the course was playable, but “not playable at a championship level.”

The top six seeds automatically advanced. Maryland was seeded fifth.

Public outcry was so loud that Barstool Sports stepped up to run the Let Them Play Classic earlier this week at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona, a last-minute home run for the heartbroken.

But it wasn’t easy for her team either, Cantu noted.

“They wanted to be here in a different way,” said Cantu.

“They still had such a strong season that they deserve it, they just didn’t envision it that way. … They’re so into social media and it just blew up so much. I think that was hard for them a couple days.”

Cantu believes they’ve moved past it now.

Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins women’s golf team poses for a photo at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, site of the 2021 NCAA Championships. Photo by Maryland

On Monday, top eight teams after 72 holes of stroke play will advance to match play at Grayhawk Golf Club. Mississippi, LSU and Oregon also advanced out of Baton Rouge and are currently 7, 8, and T-9, respectively in Scottsdale.

Maryland, ranked 20th by Golfweek/Sagarin, placed in the top three in all seven tournaments they played this spring. The team disbanded last March after the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t reunite until January.

Cantu worried about the time apart might impact them. She couldn’t be happier with how they came back firing. It helped too that in several events the Terps were grouped together because of COVID protocols. Cantu said those rounds were especially key in helping them to understand the importance of their attitudes, momentum and energy within the team.

Before Xiaolin Tian, now a graduate student, came to Maryland from China, the Terps were ranked well outside the top 100. That’s part of the pitch Cantu makes when selling her program to recruits: Come to a place that you can leave better than you found it.

“They’re setting such a high standard,” she said.

Maryland set an 18-hole record score of 278 this spring and senior Virunpat Olankitkunchai set a new individual tournament scoring mark of 11 under. She’s currently ranked 24th in the country.

“I don’t ever really stop and pause and realize what we’ve done,” said Cantu. “I’m a go, go, go what’s next person. What we’ve accomplished in year like this, I think it’s outstanding.”

And they’re not done yet.

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NCAA Women’s Championship: Stanford zooms up the leaderboard; about that new substitution rule

First-round leader Rachel Heck posted a 69 to set the pace but top-ranked South Carolina has some work to do.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Saturday was indeed moving day for the Stanford women’s golf team.

Making the most of the calmer morning conditions at Grayhawk Golf Club, the Cardinal posted a 10-under round to zoom up the leaderboard and take over the top spot after two days of the 2021 Division I NCAA Championships.

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t look at leaderboards,” Stanford head coach Anne Walker said after her team shot 10 under to get to 7 under overall. “I believe in my team and I know that at every turn they’re giving it the best they’ve got and me looking at leaderboards isn’t going to change that.”

Freshman standout Rachel Heck, ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, remains the individual leader after shooting a 67 for her 12th straight round in the 60s.

“They played great today. No surprise that Rachel is at 5 under [today] leading the way,” Walker said. Heck is at 8 under overall, five shots ahead of Duke’s Gina Kim and Louisville’s Lauren Hartlage.

Duke, who won the team title in 2019 and is the defending champion, is next at 3 under. Everyone else is over par. Texas is in third at 1 over. Florida State shot 3 under and moved into fourth at 7 over. Wake Forest is 9 over and in fifth place.

Oklahoma State (+10), Ole Miss (+11), LSU (+12) and Oregon and Arizona (+14) round out the top 10.

Coming together

Of the 24 teams in the field, Stanford had to deal with some of the more restrictive local health regulations due to COVID.

“We didn’t actually get our team to campus until, our first practice was Feb. 25 and we actually didn’t have a practice,” Walker said. “We just went straight into a 36-hole match with San Jose State and Cal, which was hilarious because our two freshman have never played the golf course. Rachel shot 78 and hasn’t looked back since that moment.”

In April, three players participated in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and a fourth Cardinal played in the ANA Inspiration. All four had to quarantine for seven days upon returning to Palo Alto and couldn’t practice during those seven days.

Dealing with adversity appears to have brought this Stanford team together.

“The message we kept hammering home with them was the journey is going to be different this year, but we have to believe the path will take us somewhere good and if we stay the course we’ll wind up in a good spot.”

Moving on up

South Carolina, the top-ranked team in the Golfweek/Sagarins, was in last place after the first day and despite shooting 24 shots better on Saturday, the Gamecocks were still in last for a good part of the morning at even par. As the wind picked up and more teams started their second rounds, they started climbing the leaderboard, ending the day 14th out of 24 teams.

NCAA Womens Golf: NCAA Women's Golf Championship
South Carolina Gamecocks golfer Ana Pelaez hits on the 11th fairway during the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club. (Photo by Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)

“Yesterday was really rough, the wind kind of took a toll on us and got the best of us. Not the best day mentally,” South Carolina head coach Kalen Anderson said. “Today was good, we had a good strong start, unfortunately just finished poorly coming in.

“We’re going to need a little help from the field. We just gotta hang in there and hopefully we get two more days to fight after the top eight.”

Playing a desert course in this championship adds another challenge for South Carolina.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to get our here because of COVID,” Anderson said. “We were pretty much locked down in the Southeast this year but it is a new experience. But it’s golf. It’s not an excuse by any means. It’s a good track and difficult and challenging.

Mixed reaction on substitution rule

In 2019, coaches were permitted to make substitutions at the NCAA Women’s Championship for the first time, but only in the match-play portion. Interestingly, none of the eight coaches who got a team in the bracket chose to use the rule.

Beginning this championship season, substitutions became permissible at any point during regionals and the national championship (provided the coach made the substitution between rounds). On Saturday, three teams – South Carolina, Michigan State and Ole Miss – made use of the modified rule.

South Carolina’s Anderson was one of those coaches who made a switch, subbing out Lois Kaye Go (87) for Pimnipa Panthong (90).

“In general, I’d probably leave my normal five in,” she said. “But right now, we got a little bit of movement in the fifth spot, got a couple people struggling in the 5th and 6th spot so I am doing some movement. It’s kind of nice to have that.

“I think as long as a championship as this is, it makes it interesting to have that sub. I wasn’t a big fan of it at the beginning but now I think it’s a pretty good idea.”

Arizona head coach Laura Ianello doesn’t plan to deploy the maneuver.

“I have the mindset that if I have to sub, it’s because one of my girls is either deathly ill or injured and cannot play. I’m not subbing out for poor performance,” she said. “But that’s my philosophy. I don’t want to change the chemistry. … You have to know your team chemistry, you have to know your culture, you have to know your team dynamics. I want these ladies to know that I trust them and I believe in them.

“I don’t want to cause more stress. Golf is stressful enough, golf is really freakin’ hard so, I want the least stressful environment as possible.”

“I’m not a fan of the substitute rule,” ASU coach Missy Farr-Kaye said. “I never have been. I think it’s a little dodgy. I know three teams subbed in today, I don’t know how it all went. I think some teams it might work really well. I think it’s really difficult. We have a sixth player that if someone got hurt or injured and had to go, we could put her in. She’s a very good player but if anybody feels that if they played poorly or if I’m not happy about something, I’m going to pull ’em, then it’s hard to give them that confidence and worry about what they’re going to do and who’s going to get pulled.

“Maybe some coaches use it brilliantly this week and more power to them but I haven’t gotten to where I really like it just yet.”

Even in the switch from stroke play to match play?

“Same thing. I’m not there yet.”

Up next

The third round starts Saturday at 6:30 a.m. local time with the top six teams on split tees, then the next six teams start at 7:30 a.m. on split tees. The afternoon wave starts at 11:30 a.m. with six teams on split tees. The final groups will go off split tees at 12:30 p.m.

At the end of the third round, the field will be cut to the top 15 teams.

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NCAAs: Grayhawk bears its teeth, top-ranked player leads, top-ranked team is last

First-round leader Rachel Heck shoots a 69 to set the pace but top-ranked South Carolina has some work to do.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A tough desert course was made tougher for the NCAAs. Add in a healthy dose of afternoon wind and Grayhawk Golf Club played like a beast on Friday in the opening round of the women’s national championship.

Most of the teams near the top of the leaderboard after Day 1 were those who played in the calmer morning conditions. Texas, which leads at 1 over, was among those who teed off at 6:30 a.m. local time. Oregon also started at 6:30 a.m. and posted a +2 round.

On the individual leaderboard, Rachel Heck, ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and fresh off medalist honors at the Pac-12 championships, shot the round of the day with a 3-under 69, the only player to break 70 and one of only four golfers to break par. She did that in the tough afternoon wind and with a thick, black brace on her right ankle.

“It was really dumb. I hurt my ankle playing basketball,” Heck said after her round. “But it’s fine. It was actually over Christmas, but yea, it’s fine. Just a bad sprain.”

It’s Heck’s 11th straight round in the 60s.

Thunderbird alums dot field

Kaitlyn Papp is second after shooting a 2-under 70. Oregon’s Briana Chacon sits in a tie for third at 1 under. Like Heck, Papp and Chacon and many others in the field are familiar with Grayhawk having played it a few times as juniors. The Raptor Course is home to the AJGA Thunderbird, one of the elite junior golf events every year which often attracts an international field.

“I think it plays very similar to the AJGA Thunderbird as far as the firm greens and it has a tendency to get windy out here,” said Papp, “It’s always hot, it’s desert golf. Brings back memories.”

“I know a lot of girls here played it,” said Heck. “It’s really cool to be back, we’re all in college now. It’s kind of nostalgic being back.”

Deep hole

South Carolina, the top-ranked team in women’s golf by Golfweek/Sagarin, seems to like to flirt with trouble.

The Gamecocks only escaped regionals by outlasting Arkansas in a playoff. Now, they find themselves dead last in the field of 24 after shooting 24 over. Paula Kirner had a 72 to lead South Carolina but Ana Pelaez shot a 76, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard shot an 81 while Mathilde Claisse had an 83.

Campus inspiration

The Arizona Wildcats shot 4 over to open their week and head coach Laura Ianello has her squad in a good spot after 18 holes, tied with Duke, Kent State and Wake Forest.

The Wildcats, whose campus is about 130 miles to the south, aren’t that familiar with Grayhawk.

“The first time we played it was April 29th, the day before the last day we could play. In the three weeks since we were here, it has changed tremendously,” she said, noting the thicker rough and slicker greens.

Ianello also said her Wildcats have been inspired by the recent run of the Arizona women’s basketball team, led by head coach Adia Barnes, which lost by one point to Stanford in the national title game, while energizing sports fans in Tucson along the way.

“Oh yea. Adia, her women’s team coming through COVID, with what they’ve gone through, the adversity this year and making it to the finals and of course, sadly, losing to Stanford,” Ianello said. “It was just so motivational for my team and my ladies. They’re good friends with a lot of the basketball players and they’re all so happy that they’re competing and so why not just compete for the championship.”

Home-team jitters

“I think my team felt that a little bit today,” ASU head coach Missy Farr-Kaye said when asked if her players felt any extra pressure being the host. “We had a lot of people on the first tee. We’re not used to that, and we had a lot of fans out, which is awesome. I think there’s a little bit of adjusting to that and being in the limelight with that.

“I keep telling them embrace it. Embrace that energy and that vibe of being home and seeing what we can do with it.”

The Sun Devils are going to have to do something with it starting Friday, as they are in 13th place at 12 over, four shots out of one of the coveted top eight spots.

“You have to grind,” said ASU fifth-year senior Olivia Mehaffey. “You have to fight for every single shot. You have to get through into the top 8 and then re-set and start again. It doesn’t matter where you’re seeded. I just told the girls, ‘We’re going to fight for every shot.'”

She added that the pressure of being the home team is nice.

“I think our girls quite like it. It’s nice having a lot of support out there.”

The top 10 teams

After the first round

Texas, 1 over

Oregon, 2 over

Stanford, 3 over

Arizona, 4 over

Kent State, 4 over

Duke, 4 over

Wake Forest, 4 over

LSU, 8 over

Ole Miss, 8 over

Oklahoma State, 9 over

Up next

The second round starts Saturday at 6:30 a.m. local time. Teams that played early on Friday will have later tee times Saturday; those who played late in the first round will get those early tee times in Round 2. On Sunday, tee times will be determined based on scoring.

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