SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Georgia closed the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships with a 9-over 297 on Monday, leaving the Bulldogs in 14th place on the team leaderboard and missing the cut to advance to match play by seven shots.
“It wasn’t our best golf when the stakes were the highest,” head coach Josh Brewer said. “That is something we’ve done the pretty well the past three years, but it’s also sport at the highest level. Some times for some reason, you just don’t have the perfect day. To be here and be in contention and have a chance to play for a national title is what we want as a program. Obviously, we wish it would’ve gone longer.”
Caterina Don and Candice Mahé led Georgia with a pair of 1-over 73s on Monday, while the Bulldogs also counted a 74 from Jenny Bae and a 77 from Jo Hua Hung while dropping Isabella Holpfer’s 78.
Overall, Bae tied for 31st at 1-over 289, Mahé tied for 45th at 292 and Hung tied for 52nd at 294.
For the third time in four days, Georgia teed off from No. 10 and played the back side of the Grayhawk Golf Club first. The Bulldogs were 1-over on the day at the turn and inside the cut to reach match play; however, Georgia dropped seven strokes on the first three holes of the front side. The Bulldogs covered the final three holes at 2-under but could not make up enough ground to advance.
“We just needed one or two things happen for momentum,” Brewer said. “Some people will say there’s no such thing, but I think there is. And there’s energy. But again, I feel for this group. They’ve put Georgia women’s golf squarely on the map at the national level. I wish they would’ve ended on a great day of golf but at the same time, they’ve done some things that are very special and will go down in the record books at UGA.”
The tournament ended the collegiate careers of five seniors – fifth-years Bae and Hung and fourth-year Mahé, Caroline Craig and Céleste Dao. During the quintets career in Athens, they have helped establish Georgia’s single-round and tournament team records, capture four teams titles, including a pair of NCAA Regional victories, and advance the three-straight NCAA Championships for the first time since 2007-09.
Cowart, Don and Holpfer will return to Athens next fall where they will be joined by the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class. That group includes a pair of transfers – Napat “Jenny” Lertsadwanna from New Mexico and Bernice Olivarez from San Diego State – and five freshmen – Savannah de Bock, Celine Sanne, Natachanok “Drive” Tunwannarux and Grace Frei.