Tag: Women’s golf

Lady Gators to host 2028 NCAA Women’s Golf Regional

It will be the first time since 2009 that Gainesville welcomes the top collegiate golfers for regional action. 

The Florida Gators will host an NCAA Women’s Golf Regional site at Mark Bostick Golf Course in 2028 after the association announced more than 240 host site selections for the 2027 and 2028 postseasons.

The other sites were revealed on Wednesday while the NCAA National Championships were tabbed for another two years at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California. It will be the first time since 2009 that Gainesville welcomes the top collegiate golfers for regional action.

Since regional play started in 1993, Florida has hosted them twice — first in 2004 and more recently in the aforementioned 2009 postseason.

2027 Regional Sites

  • PGA National Resort (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) | Host: Florida Atlantic
  • Sycamore Hills Golf Club (Fort Wayne, Ind.) | Host: Purdue Fort Wayne
  • Trinity Forest Golf Club (Dallas, Texas) | Host: SMU
  • Stanford Golf Course (Sanford, Calif.) | Host: Stanford
  • Old Barnwell (Aiken, S.C.) | Host: South Carolina
  • Vanderbilt Legends Club (Franklin, Tenn.) | Host: Vanderbilt

2028 Regional Sites

  • Mark Bostick Golf Course (Gainesville, Fla.) | Host: Florida
  • TPC Deere Run (Silvis, Ill.) | Host: Iowa
  • Eugene Country Club (Eugene, Ore.) | Host: Oregon
  • Texas Golf Club (Austin, Texas) | Texas
  • Seattle Golf Club (Shoreline, Wash.) | Host: Washington
  • Bermuda Run Country Club (Bermuda Run, N.C.) | Host: Wake Forest

NCAA Regional Format

Seventy-Two teams and 36 individuals are selected to compete at one of six regional championships over the course of the three-day event, each featuring 12 teams and six individuals at the selected sites.

From regional competition, 30 teams (top five from each regional) and six individuals (top individual from each regional) will advance to the National Championships to be played at the Omni La Costa Country Club in Carlsbad, California.

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Meet the LPGA mom who could win an Olympic medal on the day she retires

Perhaps a fairytale finish awaits.

Mariajo Uribe originally planned to retire after the Tokyo Olympics thre years ago. But then she got pregnant in the midst of a global pandemic and by the time she got to Japan, six months postpartum, she didn’t feel that her game was ready for the moment.

“We didn’t really want to end my career that way,” said Uribe, who took a share of 50th in Tokyo.

So the family decided to give Paris a shot, and the exuberant player boldly told the world of her plans. Now she’s in contention to win a medal for Colombia, a country that to date has two medals at the 2024 Olympics, both silver.

“I like taking risks,” Uribe told Golfweek earlier this summer. ” I’ve always been that way. I’m happy it paid off.”

Playing with smiley-faced socks she bought on Amazon and mismatched shoes, Uribe sits just two shots outside of a medal position through three rounds. Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux, a player who has never won on the LPGA, holds a share of the lead with the winningest player in the field, Lydia Ko. The Kiwi needs a gold medal to complete her Olympic set, having won silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo. A victory Saturday would put Ko in the LPGA Golf Hall of Fame, though Uribe’s story might be just as compelling.

Uribe, who won the 2011 HSBC Brazil Cup, an unofficial LPGA event, sits alone in a share of sixth at 5 under, four shots back of the leaders. It’s third or nothing this week, she said, which gives her an excuse to play aggressively.

“I think if anything, I’m an underdog this week,” said Uribe. “No one expecting me to win a medal.”

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One of four mothers in the field in Paris, Uribe traveled the 2022 season with son Lucca but struggled with her game. Plus, Lucca wasn’t really enjoying the grind of the road, with most activities confined to indoors.

The 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion returned to Q-Series last December and though she finished high enough to earn her card, she wasn’t getting into enough LPGA events early on. So Uribe decided to ask for sponsor exemptions on the LET and, traveling alone, won in her first start at the NSW Women’s Open. She tied for third in Germany and worked her way into the Paris field of 60, just as she’d planned.

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At age 34, Uribe once said she’d never play on tour with kids. Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa, who retired at age 28, was a role model for Uribe, who knew her personality would make it hard to both roles. But she’s glad it’s worked out this way. She can share this joy with Lucca and the rest of her family, and though she’s in the field for the AIG Women’s British Open at St. Andrews in two weeks, she won’t be there.

Saturday in Paris is Uribe’s last round. Her husband, Oscar, has been with her for 15 years, and the focus has always been on her career. Now it’s his turn.

As for what’s next after Saturday, Uribe said she’s eager to become a stay-at-home mom. Maybe they’ll try to have another child.

“I’m not in a rush to find another career,” she said.

Perhaps a fairytale finish awaits.

12 fantastic women’s golf shoes you might’ve missed this summer

Check out some of our favorite women’s golf shoes of the summer.

What’s better than an early tee time and a pure strike of a long iron? A pair of fresh shoes to make your favorite golf outfit complete.

As the summer winds down, we’ve rounded up some of the best summer shoe drops from all of your favorite brands. From traditional looks to sneaker cleats and fashion-forward options, we’ve found exactly what you’re looking for.

Of course, if you’re getting shoes, you’ll need a new look to go with it! Be sure to take a peek at some of our favorite women’s apparel, August’s best sales and maybe even grab a pair of golf shoes for your favorite guy.

August Sales | Women’s Apparel | Men’s Golf Shoes

22 of our favorite women’s apparel tops and bottoms for summer golf

Check out our favorite summer tops and bottoms from 11 different golf brands including Nike, Lululemon, Adidas, Puma and more.

With women’s golf taking center stage this week at the Evian, we thought it would be the perfect time to showcase some of the best summer apparel drops you may have missed.

As temperatures reach their annual peaks stay cool and look cool with some of the best new shirts, skorts, shorts and more! We’ve combed through brands both big and small to help find you your new favorite piece of apparel to wear the next time you tee it up.

Be sure to check out our list of top women’s golf shoes for the summer to help you complete your perfect summer golf look before the calendar turns to autumn in a few months!

Golf’s leaders frequently convene at men’s majors, but this week they gathered on LPGA soil at the Chevron to discuss how to drive the women’s game forward

“Imagine Lydia (Ko) and Rory (McIlroy) walking down the 18th hole together. How cool would that be?”

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Something unusual happened early this week at the Chevron Championship. Golf’s most important leaders gathered on LPGA soil to brainstorm how to drive the women’s game forward. Attendees of the inaugural Commission at The Chevron Championship in Houston included PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh and U.S. Golf Association CEO Mike Whan.

“We convene at the (men’s) majors and the industry comes together in various forms,” said LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “We just felt like it was really important to bring people to an LPGA event.”

The commission was hosted jointly by Marcoux Samaan and Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth. Other attendees included executive vice president of content and executive producer for NBC Universal and Golf Channel Molly Solomon, LPGA board chair and former KPMG chair John Veihmayer and LPGA major champion and television broadcaster Dottie Pepper.

Guest panelists included Olympic gold medalist Angela Ruggiero, co-founder and CEO of Sports Innovation Lab, Danette Leighton, CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation and Angel City Football Club CRO Jess Smith.

“Mostly our goal was to educate them,” said Marcoux Samaan. “Level-set on where we are, where we’ve been, where we’re going, where women’s sports is more broadly. And then to really think about innovative ways to think about women’s golf and the LPGA.”

Marcoux Samaan said one of the most eye-opening topics to many in the room was the impact of the LPGA’s travel schedule. Organizers shared a social media post from Golf.com’s Claire Rogers that illustrated the way players bounce around the country and the globe in head-spinning fashion.

“We don’t have as much of an ability to control our destiny as much as they do,” said Marcoux Samaan of the LPGA’s schedule compared to that of men’s leagues.

“When we build the demand and build the understanding of how good our women are, we can help dictate the schedule a little bit more.”

Marcoux Samaan believes that shared resources with the PGA Tour around technology could make an immediate impact on the women’s game, such as ShotLink for scoring and data management.

The event served as a great conversation starter for many topics, Marcoux Samaan said.

After the morning session, attendees were invited to play in the Chevron Championship Pro-Am, where Marcoux Samaan and Monahan teed it up together with Nelly Korda on the front nine at The Club at Carlton Woods.

Stacy Lewis only had two holes with Monahan on the back nine before he had to head back to Florida for family reasons. Lewis was impressed by how prepared and engaged Monahan was during their short time together.

“I think he realizes that they need to do more,” said Lewis on Wednesday. “He said that to me multiple times yesterday. … it’s just now whether we can push it forward and actually do something about it.”

Lewis put forth her desire to see the LPGA and PGA Tour come together for an event that features the top men and women playing together in full-field events with separate leaderboards and separate purses across two courses on one site.

“Imagine Lydia (Ko) and Rory (McIlroy) walking down the 18th hole together,” she said. “How cool would that be?”

Korda hinted at the same to Monahan, though she noted that the unofficial Grant Thornton Invitational later this year that features LPGA and PGA Tour players partnered together is a good step.

“They have such a big platform,” said Korda. “I feel like the best way to grow the game at the end of the day is to combine the two.

“Girls golf is growing at an incredible rate, and they see that too.”

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What’s it like battling for the largest purse in women’s long drive history? Our Averee Dovsek went to Japan to find out

The 2022 Ladies World Long Drive Championship event was held at Nasu Ogawa Golf Club in Japan with a $100,000 purse from Sept. 7-9.

I don’t find myself nervous often, but when I do it’s typically for a good reason.

In fact, it takes a lot to shake up my emotions, but at 4 o’clock in the morning just prior to the 2022 Ladies World Long Drive Championship, my thoughts were overwhelming.

I’ve competed in long drive events before, but nothing came close to the magnitude of this one. This was not a typical long drive competition format, but one to make it into an official list of the top 32 female long drive competitors in the world.

I had the honor of traveling to Japan this last week for the championship hosted by Professional Long Drivers Association and Japan Professional Dracon Association.

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The event was held at Nasu Ogawa Golf Club in Nakagawa-cho, Japan, from Sept. 7-9.

And the purse? It was a whopping $100,000 — the largest in women’s long drive history. Again, the nerves were justified.

Upon arrival, a shuttle picked us up and took us to the Nanpeidai Onset Hotel, near the course. The JPDA wanted us to experience the Japanese culture and each of our rooms had cushions on the floor to sleep on. Not the most ideal sleeping situation for athletes who weren’t used to the traditional accommodations, but we adjusted quickly. They fed us traditional Japanese cuisine and had kimonos for us to wear to dinner.

The format for the competition was a round-robin where each player had 2:30 to hit six golf balls. The goal was to get three out of the six balls in the 60-yard wide grid. Each player would get points based on how they finished within their games of four players.

This format put many players at a disadvantage. Long drive competitors train to hit the ball as fast and far as possible. Having to get three out of six balls in the grid had players changing their swings to hit in the grid every time. This dropped distances significantly,

For example, if a player were to hit two 300-yard drives but another competitor hit three 230-yard drives, the player with three drives in the grid would win. This format defeated past world champions such as Phillis Meti and Sandra Carlborg.

Top 3 of the 2022 Ladies World Long Drive Championship
Top 3 of the 2022 Ladies World Long Drive Championship. (JPDA)

Japanese competitor Sara Owada won the competition with an average of 258.7 yards in the final game. These numbers came as a disappointment to many long drive competitors as the format did not let the true nature of the sport shine.

I failed to make it to the second day, but the experience was incredible — the opportunity to compete in Japan and experience the wonderful culture and food was one I’ll never forget.

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Gators News: Soccer ends season, diving sweeps SEC awards and more

Soccer wraps up its season while swimming and diving is just getting warmed up.

Welcome to a Wednesday edition of Gators News and on this particular humpday, we have a few sports to touch on. The soccer team wrapped up its season in the SEC Tournament and, speaking of the SEC, the diving team grabbed a pair of conference accolades. The women’s golf team also added a transfer student from a nearby rival. Here is a look at the latest from the Gator Nation.

Gators News: Women’s golf finishes second, soccer closes regular season

Women’s golf, soccer and swimming and diving in action. Here’s a look at the latest news.

The big game between Florida and Georgia on the college football gridiron is quickly approaching, but in the meantime, there are a few midweek sports who are wrapping up their fall seasons to report on.

The women’s golf team played in its final tournament ahead of the winter break finishing near the top while the soccer team hosts the final regular-season game of the schedule tonight. The highly-ranked men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams also return to action on Thursday. Here is a look at the latest around the Gator Nation.

Gators News: Women’s golf maintain position at The Ally

Sophomore Maisie Filler’s career day has the Gators in second place after two days of play.

Welcome to a Wednesday edition of Gators News and for this slow midweek update, we have only the women’s golf team to report on which has excelled so far in competition thanks to a career day from one of its student-athletes. Otherwise, the Gator Nation waits with bated breath for the upcoming gridiron game against the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville on Saturday. But for now, here is the latest from around the Swamp.

Gators News: Women’s golf in action to start the week

The No. 6 women’s golf team is off to a hot start to the week.

As has been the case over much of October, Gators sports have slowed to a crawl as we dig deeper into the week with just the women’s golf team currently in action. The good news is that so far, they are doing quite well in their fall tournament, which runs from Monday to Wednesday. Otherwise, it is the quiet before the big storm this weekend as Florida heads to Jacksonville to take on Georgia in their annual gridiron affair. Here is the latest news from the Gator Nation.