The Georgia women’s team won an NCAA Regional hosted by Texas A&M, with the Lady Bulldogs qualifying for the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2009.
UGA freshman Bailey Tardy of Peachtree Corners shared medalist honors for the tournament with a score of 7-under 209, with fellow freshman Jillian Hollis fourth at 211. Roswell’s Rinko Mitsunaga, the third freshman in Georgia’s lineup, shot a final round 68 and tied for 12th at 215.
Led by scores of 69 from Tardy and 70 from Hollis, Georgia opened with a 3-under 285 total to tie for the lead after the opening round. Junior Harang Lee added a 72 and Mitsunaga contributed a 74.
Georgia shot 284 in the second round but fell to third, two behind Arizona and one in back of UCLA. Hollis led Georgia with a 67, with Tardy adding a second straight 69. Mitsunaga shot 73, with Lee and St. Simons junior Mary Ellen Shuman both carding scores of 75.
Led by Mitsunaga’s 68, the only sub-70 score the final round, Georgia closed with a 289 to win by six over Arizona and by seven over UCLA. Tardy shot 71 to tie for medalist honors, with Hollis talking fourth individually after a 74. Shuman, who played consistently in the tournament with scores of 75-75-76, adding the fourth counting score for the Lady Bulldogs.
The Lady Bulldogs will be the lone Georgia team in the NCAA Women’s Championship, which will be played May 25-30 in Eugene, Ore.
Georgia finished a distant sixth in the SEC Women’s Golf Championship at Greystone CC in Birmingham, ending the 54-hole event 30 strokes behind Alabama’s winning total of 859.
The Lady Bulldogs posted scores of 296-296-297 for a 25-over 889 total. They trailed by 10 shots after the first round and by 14 after 36, with Alabama pulling away in the final round with a 7-under 281 to finish five shots in front of runner-up Florida, which was tied for the lead with one round to play.
Hollis led Georgia, tying for 11th at 219, with Lee T16 at 221. Tardy of Peachtree Corners shot 1-under 71 in the opening round, but closed with scores of 77 and 75 and tied for 23rd at 223. Mitsunaga closed with back-to-back scores of 75 and placed 39th at 228.
etting her second half against Alabama. Hollis and Tardy both lost 1-up against USC.
The Augusta women’s team, which does not belong to a conference, also competed in the Regionals, placing 13th out of 18 teams in Baton Rouge, La. The Lady Jaguars shot 311-301-301 for a 913 total, led by junior Eunice Yi of Evans, who tied for 22nd at 220.
Yi posted scores of 71 and 72 the final two rounds, with Roswell junior Jessica Haigwood contributing an opening 74 before suffering through a tough day in the second round. Junior Josefine Nyqvist contributed scores of 73-74 the first two days.