When the top six teams from regionals qualify for the NCAA Championship Finals, there’s no more agonizing position in which to finish than seventh.
The University of Colorado women’s team not only did that, but adding to the pain was the margin separating the Buffs from sixth place — one single stroke.
Then to add more salt to the wound, CU failed to qualify anyone for the national finals individually either.
But while the Buffs fell just short at the Stanford, Calif., Regional, one Coloradan did make the grade to earn an individual berth into the women’s NCAA finals, set for May 20-25 in Eugene, Ore.
Two-time CWGA Player of the Year Jennifer Kupcho (pictured), a freshman from Wake Forest, earned one of the three berths available to the nationals for players who didn’t qualify with teams in Stanford.
With her Wake Forest team finishing eighth — one position behind CU — Kupcho tied for sixth individually in Stanford. Her 1-under-par 212 total left her three strokes out of the top spot.
Meanwhile, another Colorado player missed nationals by the narrowest of margins. Hannah Wood of Centennial, a sophomore at Oklahoma, was in fourth place going into Saturday in the Bryan, Texas Regional, but a final-round 77 left her one stroke short of forcing a playoff for the final individual qualifying berth at the site. With a 1-under-par 215 total, Wood tied for 12th place overall.
As for CU, the Buffs looked to be in good position as they were tied for the sixth team spot in Stanford, and were finished with their round. Virginia, the team with which they were tied, still had some holes left. But the Cavaliers not only didn’t lose any more ground, but their fifth player, Morgan Gonzales, birdied the 16th hole for what would turn out to be the difference between sixth and seventh place in the team race. Virginia finished at 31-over-par 883, and CU at 884.
Colorado has qualified for the NCAA finals just once in its first 22 seasons of women’s golf golf, in 2012.
The University of Denver, the other Colorado school to qualify a team for the NCAA regionals this year, finished 15th out of 18 teams in the Baton Rouge, La., Regional on Saturday.
Women’s NCAA Div. I Stanford Regional
May 5-7, 2016 (final) in Stanford, Calif.
7. (out of 18 teams) Colorado 295-300-289–884
18. Esther Lee 72-76-71–219; 22. Brittany Fan 71-75-74–220; 30. Alexis Keating 77-74-71–222; 33. Gillian Vance 75-75-73–223; 86. Natalie Vivaldi 79-79-80–238.
Also
6. Coloradan Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest 71-70-71–212
33. Katrina Prendergast, Colorado State 68-80-75–223
Women’s NCAA Div. I Baton Rouge Regional
May 5-7, 2016 (final) in Baton Rouge, La.
15. (out of 18 teams) Denver 315-304-307–926
35. Jessica Dreesbeimdieke 75-79-70–224; 69. Jessica Carty 79-77-78–234; 82. Mariell Bruun 78-75-87–240; 87. Sophie Newlove 88-73-81–242; 87. Kathi Baratta 83-81-78–242.
Women’s NCAA Div. I Bryan Regional
May 5-7, 2016 (final) in Bryan, Texas
12. Coloradan Hannah Wood, Oklahoma 72-66-77–215
