Wednesday, May 9
Austin, Texas
ALL DAY
Florida Gators
vs
NCAA Regional Championship
The Gators are going to the NCAA Championships for the fifth time in six years under the direction of head coach Emily Bastel Glaser, right. (Photo: UAA Communications)
Gators advance to NCAA Championships
Wednesday, May 9, 2018 | Women's Golf
Florida moves on to Stillwater, Okla., after finishing nine strokes above the cut line.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Gators advanced to their 27th NCAA Championships in program history on Wednesday.
Florida finished tied for third at the Austin Regional, posting a three-round total of 869 (+5). That total cleared the cut line by nine strokes to punch UF's ticket to Stillwater, Okla.
Led by redshirt freshman Elin Esborn, the Gators carded a final-round 291 (+3) tying with Auburn and Baylor. Esborn shot 4-under-par to catapult her into a tie for 12th place at 3-under-par for the tournament. This was the fourth top 25 finish of the season for the All-SEC Freshman Team member.
Coming into the final round, the Gators were just three strokes above the cut line. Some early birdies by Sierra Brooks and Esborn on No. 1 and No. 2 helped Florida distance itself from the teams below. Near the turn, the Gators were 14 stokes clear of the cut.
The Gators were even par through the front nine, which helped them coast to a top-six finish in Austin. This is the third straight year they have finished third or better in regional play.
Freshman Addie Baggarly and Brooks had big bounce-back round to help the team advance. Brooks shot 73 (+1) improving on her second-round total by five strokes while Baggarly turned in a final round 74 (+2) cutting three strokes off of her Tuesday round.
This will be the first NCAA Championship experience for four of the five Gators in the lineup. Senior Taylor Tomlinson has competed in the event in her last two seasons, finishing tied for 24th last year.
This will be the fifth time under the direction of head coach Emily Bastel Glaser Florida will compete in the NCAA Championships. UF's best finish in Glaser's six years at the helm came last year when the Gators advanced to the quarterfinals of match play before falling to the eventual national champion, Arizona State.
Final Scores:
Team:
Florida Individual:
Coach's Take:
On the NCAA Regionals as a whole:
"It wasn't our best week but, we are advancing and that is the number one goal. It was a real team effort this week with every player contributing some key rounds." --Coach
On handling the pressure:
"We did such a great job today of staying patient even though we weren't playing our best. It was the difference maker on a day when the stress is high. This was such an awesome hurdle to cross for this team." --Coach
On the new experience of going to the NCAA Championship:
"Four of our five players will be playing in their first National Championship and I am really excited for them to have this opportunity." --Coach
On the play of Elin Esborn in the final round:
"Elin had a big time round today and a great tournament overall. I think she's just scratched the surface of how good she can be and I hope this continues to open her eyes." --Coach
Up Next:
Florida advances to the NCAA Championships for the 27th time in school history. The championships in Stillwater, Okla. will start on May 18th at Karsten Creek Golf Club. The first three days will consist of 54-holes of stroke play with the top eight teams advancing to the match play quarterfinals.
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Florida finished tied for third at the Austin Regional, posting a three-round total of 869 (+5). That total cleared the cut line by nine strokes to punch UF's ticket to Stillwater, Okla.
Led by redshirt freshman Elin Esborn, the Gators carded a final-round 291 (+3) tying with Auburn and Baylor. Esborn shot 4-under-par to catapult her into a tie for 12th place at 3-under-par for the tournament. This was the fourth top 25 finish of the season for the All-SEC Freshman Team member.
Coming into the final round, the Gators were just three strokes above the cut line. Some early birdies by Sierra Brooks and Esborn on No. 1 and No. 2 helped Florida distance itself from the teams below. Near the turn, the Gators were 14 stokes clear of the cut.
The Gators were even par through the front nine, which helped them coast to a top-six finish in Austin. This is the third straight year they have finished third or better in regional play.
Freshman Addie Baggarly and Brooks had big bounce-back round to help the team advance. Brooks shot 73 (+1) improving on her second-round total by five strokes while Baggarly turned in a final round 74 (+2) cutting three strokes off of her Tuesday round.
This will be the first NCAA Championship experience for four of the five Gators in the lineup. Senior Taylor Tomlinson has competed in the event in her last two seasons, finishing tied for 24th last year.
This will be the fifth time under the direction of head coach Emily Bastel Glaser Florida will compete in the NCAA Championships. UF's best finish in Glaser's six years at the helm came last year when the Gators advanced to the quarterfinals of match play before falling to the eventual national champion, Arizona State.
Final Scores:
Team:
| 1 | Arkansas | -21 (838) |
| 2 | Texas | -15 (849) |
| T3 | Florida | +5 (869) |
| T3 | Baylor | +5 (869) |
| T3 | Auburn | +5 (869) |
| 6 | Oklahoma | +6 (870) |
| 7 | Texas A&M | +14 (878) |
| 8 | Michigan State | +18 (882) |
| 9 | BYU | +21 (885) |
| 10 | Virginia Tech | +24 (888) |
| 11 | Houston | +26 (890) |
| 12 | UT-San Antonio | +28 (892) |
| 13 | Texas Tech | +35 (899) |
| 14 | Houston Baptist | +46 (910) |
| 15 | Miami | +50 (914) |
| 16 | Georgetown | +53 (917) |
| 17 | Missouri State | +82 (946) |
| 18 | East Carolina | DNF |
Florida Individual:
| Elin Esborn | T12 | 213 (-3) |
| Taylor Tomlinson | T29 | 219 (+4) |
| T34 | 220 (+5) | |
| Addie Baggarly | T38 | 222 (+6) |
| T49 | 226 (+10) |
Coach's Take:
On the NCAA Regionals as a whole:
"It wasn't our best week but, we are advancing and that is the number one goal. It was a real team effort this week with every player contributing some key rounds." --Coach
On handling the pressure:
"We did such a great job today of staying patient even though we weren't playing our best. It was the difference maker on a day when the stress is high. This was such an awesome hurdle to cross for this team." --Coach
On the new experience of going to the NCAA Championship:
"Four of our five players will be playing in their first National Championship and I am really excited for them to have this opportunity." --Coach
On the play of Elin Esborn in the final round:
"Elin had a big time round today and a great tournament overall. I think she's just scratched the surface of how good she can be and I hope this continues to open her eyes." --Coach
Up Next:
Florida advances to the NCAA Championships for the 27th time in school history. The championships in Stillwater, Okla. will start on May 18th at Karsten Creek Golf Club. The first three days will consist of 54-holes of stroke play with the top eight teams advancing to the match play quarterfinals.
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