Northwestern University Athletics
No. 2 #B1GCats Tee Off Shoal Creek NCAA Regional Thursday
5/4/2016 12:20:00 PM | Women's Golf
SHOAL CREEK, Ala. – Northwestern women's golf will begin their journey to the 2016 NCAA Championships on Thursday morning as the No. 2 seed at the Shoal Creek NCAA Regional, hosted by the University of Alabama. The back-to-back Big Ten Champions are participating in their seventh consecutive NCAA Regional under conference Coach of the Year Emily Fletcher.
2016 Shoal Creek NCAA Regional – LIVE LEADERBOARD (Golfstat)
2016 Shoal Creek NCAA Regional Website
Shoal Creek Club – Shoal Creek, Alabama
Golfstat NCAA D1 Women's Rankings (May 5)
Fletcher's lineup in the 5-count-4 format at Shoal Creek Club (Par 72; 6,470 yards) features one junior, two sophomores and two freshmen, all of whom earned All-Big Ten honors last week. Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Hannah Kim, Big Ten Freshman of the Year Stephanie Lau, First Team honorees Kacie Komoto and Sarah Cho, and Second Teamer Janet Mao will tee off Thursday's first round at 9:09 a.m. CT, paired with No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Oklahoma State.
"Janet Mao has played her way into our starting five, she hadn't necessarily been in that spot much of the year, but that's a benefit of having a lot of depth," said Fletcher. "We've got seven or eight really solid players on our roster, and for us to be able to pick the five that are playing the best right now is something that has led to our success, and hopefully will lead to more success."
The Wildcats competition in the 18-team field includes four opponents currently ranked in the Top-20 of the Golfstat rankings, and eight more ranked in the Top-50. No. 1 seed Alabama (Ranked No. 1 in the nation), No. 3 Oklahoma State (9), No. 4 California (16) and No. 5 Iowa State (17) join No. 2 Northwestern (8) to make up the top five seeds at Shoal Creek.
The remainder of the lineup includes sixth-seeded Florida State (22); No. 7 Tennessee (25); No. 8 Missouri (32); No. 9 Purdue (36); No. 10 Notre Dame (40); No. 11 Vanderbilt (41); No. 12 Clemson (47); No. 13 Michigan (50); No. 14 Middle Tennessee State; No. 15 New Mexico State; No. 16 Eastern Kentucky; No. 17 Oakland (Mich.) and No. 18 Alabama State.
The Top-6 teams after 54 holes (and Top-3 individuals not on one of those teams) will advance to the 2016 NCAA Championships on May 20-25 at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore. The Wildcats are in search of their fourth straight berth in the NCAA Championships, following a program-best 10th-place result last season at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
2016 Shoal Creek NCAA Regional Schedule:
Wed., May 4 -- 7:30 a.m. ET -- Practice Round (tee times off holes 1 and 10)
Thurs., May 5 -- 7:30 a.m. ET -- First Round (tee times off holes 1 and 10)
Fri., May 6 -- 7:30 a.m. ET -- Second Round (tee times off holes 1 and 10)
Sat., May 7 -- 7:30 a.m. ET -- Final Round (tee times off holes 1 and 10)
Northwestern captured their second consecutive Big Ten Championship, and third in the last four years, on April 24 at Indianapolis' The Fort Golf Resort.
"To be Big Ten champs for the second year in a row is such an honor, and it shows all the hard work we've put in over the last two seasons," said junior Kacie Komoto, the veteran in the Wildcats lineup this weekend in Alabama. "I think we're all confident in our games. Keeping that momentum going into Regionals will be really important. We've all put in such good work this entire year, that if we just play our own games and do what we do best, we'll be fine."
Fletcher has seen a gradual change in her team's perspective on Regionals during her tenure at Northwestern.
"Before, when we looked at the postseason, particularly NCAA Regionals, getting there was an accomplishment in and of itself," said the 2016 Big Ten Coach of the Year. "There is a shift in the midset of our players, they don't think of their season as being over until the end of May. It's very real, I see it spill over into our preparation this time of year. They've got two hands firmly on the wheel, they know where they want to go, and that's advancing through Regionals, into NCAAs, and eventually into the match play."
"We have a lot of potential this year," Komoto added. "We've come so far, even just since the fall, and I think we still have so much further than we can go."
2016 Shoal Creek NCAA Regional – LIVE LEADERBOARD (Golfstat)
2016 Shoal Creek NCAA Regional Website
Shoal Creek Club – Shoal Creek, Alabama
Golfstat NCAA D1 Women's Rankings (May 5)
Fletcher's lineup in the 5-count-4 format at Shoal Creek Club (Par 72; 6,470 yards) features one junior, two sophomores and two freshmen, all of whom earned All-Big Ten honors last week. Two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Hannah Kim, Big Ten Freshman of the Year Stephanie Lau, First Team honorees Kacie Komoto and Sarah Cho, and Second Teamer Janet Mao will tee off Thursday's first round at 9:09 a.m. CT, paired with No. 1 Alabama and No. 3 Oklahoma State.
"Janet Mao has played her way into our starting five, she hadn't necessarily been in that spot much of the year, but that's a benefit of having a lot of depth," said Fletcher. "We've got seven or eight really solid players on our roster, and for us to be able to pick the five that are playing the best right now is something that has led to our success, and hopefully will lead to more success."
Big Ten Coach of the Year Emily Fletcher previews the #B1GCats Shoal Creek NCAA Regional, which tees off Thursday. https://t.co/MScbQxLJlI
— #B1GCats Golf (@NUGolf_Live) May 4, 2016
First Team All-Big Ten #B1GCats junior Kacie Komoto previews the Shoal Creek NCAA Regional, teeing off Thursday. https://t.co/qmxNYt5d0H
— #B1GCats Golf (@NUGolf_Live) May 4, 2016
The Wildcats competition in the 18-team field includes four opponents currently ranked in the Top-20 of the Golfstat rankings, and eight more ranked in the Top-50. No. 1 seed Alabama (Ranked No. 1 in the nation), No. 3 Oklahoma State (9), No. 4 California (16) and No. 5 Iowa State (17) join No. 2 Northwestern (8) to make up the top five seeds at Shoal Creek.
The remainder of the lineup includes sixth-seeded Florida State (22); No. 7 Tennessee (25); No. 8 Missouri (32); No. 9 Purdue (36); No. 10 Notre Dame (40); No. 11 Vanderbilt (41); No. 12 Clemson (47); No. 13 Michigan (50); No. 14 Middle Tennessee State; No. 15 New Mexico State; No. 16 Eastern Kentucky; No. 17 Oakland (Mich.) and No. 18 Alabama State.
The Top-6 teams after 54 holes (and Top-3 individuals not on one of those teams) will advance to the 2016 NCAA Championships on May 20-25 at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore. The Wildcats are in search of their fourth straight berth in the NCAA Championships, following a program-best 10th-place result last season at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
2016 Shoal Creek NCAA Regional Schedule:
Wed., May 4 -- 7:30 a.m. ET -- Practice Round (tee times off holes 1 and 10)
Thurs., May 5 -- 7:30 a.m. ET -- First Round (tee times off holes 1 and 10)
Fri., May 6 -- 7:30 a.m. ET -- Second Round (tee times off holes 1 and 10)
Sat., May 7 -- 7:30 a.m. ET -- Final Round (tee times off holes 1 and 10)
Northwestern captured their second consecutive Big Ten Championship, and third in the last four years, on April 24 at Indianapolis' The Fort Golf Resort.
"To be Big Ten champs for the second year in a row is such an honor, and it shows all the hard work we've put in over the last two seasons," said junior Kacie Komoto, the veteran in the Wildcats lineup this weekend in Alabama. "I think we're all confident in our games. Keeping that momentum going into Regionals will be really important. We've all put in such good work this entire year, that if we just play our own games and do what we do best, we'll be fine."
Fletcher has seen a gradual change in her team's perspective on Regionals during her tenure at Northwestern.
"Before, when we looked at the postseason, particularly NCAA Regionals, getting there was an accomplishment in and of itself," said the 2016 Big Ten Coach of the Year. "There is a shift in the midset of our players, they don't think of their season as being over until the end of May. It's very real, I see it spill over into our preparation this time of year. They've got two hands firmly on the wheel, they know where they want to go, and that's advancing through Regionals, into NCAAs, and eventually into the match play."
"We have a lot of potential this year," Komoto added. "We've come so far, even just since the fall, and I think we still have so much further than we can go."
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