The Oregon women’s golf team could have folded under the pressure, but a late charge at the NCAA West Regionals in Tempe, Ariz., Saturday put the Ducks in the NCAA Championships for only the sixth time ever.
Needing to finish 11th or better at the Karsten Golf Course to extend its season, Oregon was 10th after two rounds. But after the final round Saturday, when the Ducks shot their lowest score of the tournament, they stood seventh and earned a trip to the NCAA Championships in Sunriver May 24-27.
“They played their hearts out,” head coach Renee Baumgartner said. “All our hard work is paying off at the right time.”
Oregon managed to finish ahead of nine higher-ranked opponents despite lacking a top-20 individual finisher. The Ducks’ best were senior Anika Heuser and junior Jerilyn White, who finished tied for 21st.
No. 80 in the country, White continued to lead the Ducks in scoring. The Salem native has led Oregon in both postseason tournaments it has played. White recovered from a first-round 77 on the par-72 Arizona State course and shot two-over par for the final two rounds, including a birdie and an eagle on the final two holes.
Notably missing the NCAA Championships cut were No. 9 Oklahoma State, No. 10 New Mexico State, No. 14 UCLA and No. 16 New Mexico. In the Pacific-10 Conference, only five teams made it.
Besides the Bruins, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State and California also ended their seasons. Oregon State will host the NCAA Championships, despite finishing last at West Regionals.
On the flip side, some surprising teams played well at the West Regionals. No. 11 San Jose State finished second, No. 27 Nebraska finished tied for ninth, and, of course, the No. 26 Ducks shocked everyone but themselves by finishing seventh.
“I’ve always believed in this team,” Baumgartner said. “A lot of teams that were expected to go didn’t handle the pressure well, and boy, did we handle it well.”
She should be proud. The Ducks recovered from disappointing finishes at the Ping/Arizona State Invitational and the Oregon-hosted Pac-10 Championships.
The NCAA Championships will be held at the Crosswater Resort Golf Course in Sunriver.