The University of Louisville women’s golf team is heading to its fourth-consecutive NCAA Regional Championship, 10th in program history, it was announced Thursday afternoon on the Golf Channel.
Louisville is one of 18 programs selected to compete at the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Columbus Regional in Ohio – one of the four regional sites. The three-day, 54-hole tournament, hosted by Ohio State University, is taking place from May 8-10 at the OSU Golf Club-Scarlet Course, a par-72 course that plays 6,416 yards.
The Cardinals, who earned an at-large bid and the No. 12 seed in the region, face a challenging group that includes six top-25 programs in the latest Golfstat rankings: Florida (4), Florida State (5), South Carolina (12), Arkansas (13), Colorado (20), and Texas A&M (21).
“We are thrilled about going to the Columbus Regional,” head coach Courtney Trimble said. “It is on similar grasses and conditions that we are accustomed to day in and day out. We have familiarity with the course itself as well, so we will be able to lay out a great game plan for preparation. The proximity and ease of travel is an added bonus.”
Through 10 tournaments this year, the Cardinals have compiled four top-five finishes. Most recently, Louisville is coming off a seventh-place showing at the ACC Championship.
Freshman Lauren Hartlage has compiled a remarkable season, leading the team in scoring average at 73.19. She has tallied 14 rounds even or below par, with five top-10 finishes.
Oliva Cason, who earned all-region honors as a freshman last year, is second with a 74.45 scoring average. She has registered four top-10 finishes, with 10 rounds even or below par. Molly Skapik rounds out the top three with a 75.39 average and also is third in rounds even or below par (6).
The top six teams and three individuals (not on advancing teams) in each of the four regionals will advance and make up the 24-team field for the NCAA Championships, held from May 19-24 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.
Finals play for both championships consists of three days of stroke play on Friday through Sunday (54 holes), after which the top 15 teams and nine individuals not on an advancing team will be determined.
The final day of 18 holes of stroke play (Monday) will be used to determine the top eight teams that will advance to match play as well as the 72-hole individual champion. The team national champion will be determined by a match-play format that will consist of quarterfinals and semifinals conducted on Tuesday, followed by the finals on Wednesday.
The final three days of the championship will be televised live by the Golf Channel.
For the latest information on Louisville women’s golf, log on to GoCards.com, or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team’s Twitter account at www.twitter.com/UofLWGolf or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UofLWGolf.
NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Columbus Regional Championship (by seed)
1. Florida
2. Florida State
3. South Carolina
4. Arkansas
5. Colorado
6. Texas A&M
7. Purdue
8. Ohio State
9. Michigan
10. San Jose State
11. Houston
12. Louisville
13. Wisconsin
14. Kentucky
15. Old Dominion
16. Delaware
17. Missouri State
18. Cleveland State
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Ira Green
Asst. Sports Information Director
University of Louisville Athletics
