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NCAA Regionals
Riley Leads Wildcats To Sixth Straight NCAA Championships
5/9/2018 4:02:00 PM | Women's Golf
VERONA, Wis. – Brooke Riley dialed up the best round of her career on a thrilling final day of the NCAA Madison Regional, and led Northwestern to its sixth consecutive berth in the NCAA Women's Golf Championships.
NCAA Madison Regional – RESULTS (via Golfstat)
The Wildcats began Wednesday in a three-way tie for sixth, with only four shots separating third-place from eighth-place. After two impeccable days to open the competition, the weather was unforgiving for most of the final round. Early morning rain softened the course before the 8:30 a.m. shotgun start, and then alternated between clear and pouring over the first three hours of play. Wind speeds, especially on the front-side of the course, increased to near 20mph.
The action was nip-and-tuck all day long. With just three holes remaining, the Wildcats and their three playing partners – Ohio State, Illinois and Oregon State – were all tied at 1-over for just two available spots above the cut line.
In the end, it was Riley that gave Northwestern the breathing room it needed to nail down one of the coveted Top-6 spots that earned entry to the NCAA Championships. After starting her day on No. 6, the sophomore birdied three straight holes from Nos. 9-11, and then carded three more in a four-hole stretch from Nos. 15-18. With the Wildcats, Buckeyes, Illini and Beavers locked up on the leaderboard, the Manteca, California, native birdied No. 3 and No. 4, two of the six most challenging holes on the course all weekend according to the numbers.
Northwestern's 1-under 287 was the second-best score of the day at University Ridge, one day after the 'Cats fired the No. 2 round of Tuesday as well. The performance dug NU out of a first-day hole and secured one of the six invitations to the 2018 NCAA Women's Golf Championships.
Riley's 6-under 66 is tied for the second-best round in Wildcats program history, and equals the 66 that teammate Janet Mao fired in the final round of the 2018 Big Ten Championships last month. Her three-day 209 is the best NCAA postseason performance in the 'Cats record book, shaving five strokes off the previous best, Sarah Cho's 214 at last spring's Athens Regiona.
This spring marks the ninth consecutive NCAA postseason berth for the Wildcats, all under the leadership of head coach Emily Fletcher and assistant coach Beth Miller. Northwestern has posted the program's best-ever finish at four consecutive NCAA Championships, culminating in last spring's stroke play title, No. 1 match play seed and runner-up result. This month's trip to Stillwater is the program's sixth straight appearance at college golf's premier event.
The NCAA Championships will be held May 18-23 at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla. The final three days of competition will be televised live by the Golf Channel.
Northwestern – 6/18 • 294-283-287 = 864 (E)
T4 – Brooke Riley -- 71-72-66 = 209 (-7)
T17 – Sarah Cho -- 72-70-74 = 216 (E)
T37 – Stephanie Lau – 76-70-73 = 219 (+3)
T42 – Hannah Kim -- 75-71-74 = 220 (+4)
T73 – Janet Mao -- 77-74-79 = 230 (+14)
The Wildcats were joined in Madison by top-seeded Duke, Southern California, Arizona State, Illinois, Purdue, Iowa State, Virginia, Wisconsin, Campbell, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Idaho, Murray State, North Dakota State and IUPUI. The group included three of last year's four NCAA Championships semifinalists in the Wildcats, Trojans and Sun Devils, as well as four of the Top-6 finishers at the 2018 Big Ten Championships.
This was the first NCAA event held at University Ridge since the 1998 NCAA Women's Championships. University Ridge has also hosted the Big Ten Women's Championships in 2000 and 2010 and the Big Ten Men's Championships in 1995. This June, the course will host the PGA Champions Tour American Family Insurance Championship for the third-straight year.
NCAA Madison Regional – RESULTS (via Golfstat)
The Wildcats began Wednesday in a three-way tie for sixth, with only four shots separating third-place from eighth-place. After two impeccable days to open the competition, the weather was unforgiving for most of the final round. Early morning rain softened the course before the 8:30 a.m. shotgun start, and then alternated between clear and pouring over the first three hours of play. Wind speeds, especially on the front-side of the course, increased to near 20mph.
The action was nip-and-tuck all day long. With just three holes remaining, the Wildcats and their three playing partners – Ohio State, Illinois and Oregon State – were all tied at 1-over for just two available spots above the cut line.
In the end, it was Riley that gave Northwestern the breathing room it needed to nail down one of the coveted Top-6 spots that earned entry to the NCAA Championships. After starting her day on No. 6, the sophomore birdied three straight holes from Nos. 9-11, and then carded three more in a four-hole stretch from Nos. 15-18. With the Wildcats, Buckeyes, Illini and Beavers locked up on the leaderboard, the Manteca, California, native birdied No. 3 and No. 4, two of the six most challenging holes on the course all weekend according to the numbers.
Northwestern's 1-under 287 was the second-best score of the day at University Ridge, one day after the 'Cats fired the No. 2 round of Tuesday as well. The performance dug NU out of a first-day hole and secured one of the six invitations to the 2018 NCAA Women's Golf Championships.
Riley's 6-under 66 is tied for the second-best round in Wildcats program history, and equals the 66 that teammate Janet Mao fired in the final round of the 2018 Big Ten Championships last month. Her three-day 209 is the best NCAA postseason performance in the 'Cats record book, shaving five strokes off the previous best, Sarah Cho's 214 at last spring's Athens Regiona.
She ??fired?? a final round 66 in her NCAA postseason debut to lead the 'Cats to their sixth consecutive #NCAAWGolf Championships.
— Northwestern Golf (@NUGolf_Live) May 10, 2018
Then Brooke Riley spoke with StudioN.#B1GCats
WATCH ?????? pic.twitter.com/B7zlE1hC3S
This spring marks the ninth consecutive NCAA postseason berth for the Wildcats, all under the leadership of head coach Emily Fletcher and assistant coach Beth Miller. Northwestern has posted the program's best-ever finish at four consecutive NCAA Championships, culminating in last spring's stroke play title, No. 1 match play seed and runner-up result. This month's trip to Stillwater is the program's sixth straight appearance at college golf's premier event.
Head coach Emily Fletcher reflects on guiding the 'Cats to a sixth straight berth in the NCAA Championships.#B1GCats
— Northwestern Golf (@NUGolf_Live) May 10, 2018
?? WATCH ?? pic.twitter.com/9zDo0saYKy
The NCAA Championships will be held May 18-23 at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla. The final three days of competition will be televised live by the Golf Channel.
Northwestern – 6/18 • 294-283-287 = 864 (E)
T4 – Brooke Riley -- 71-72-66 = 209 (-7)
T17 – Sarah Cho -- 72-70-74 = 216 (E)
T37 – Stephanie Lau – 76-70-73 = 219 (+3)
T42 – Hannah Kim -- 75-71-74 = 220 (+4)
T73 – Janet Mao -- 77-74-79 = 230 (+14)
The Wildcats were joined in Madison by top-seeded Duke, Southern California, Arizona State, Illinois, Purdue, Iowa State, Virginia, Wisconsin, Campbell, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Idaho, Murray State, North Dakota State and IUPUI. The group included three of last year's four NCAA Championships semifinalists in the Wildcats, Trojans and Sun Devils, as well as four of the Top-6 finishers at the 2018 Big Ten Championships.
This was the first NCAA event held at University Ridge since the 1998 NCAA Women's Championships. University Ridge has also hosted the Big Ten Women's Championships in 2000 and 2010 and the Big Ten Men's Championships in 1995. This June, the course will host the PGA Champions Tour American Family Insurance Championship for the third-straight year.
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