Women's Golf Prepared For Second Straight NCAA Regional
5/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University's women's golf team got its first look at Tumble Creek at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Wash., Wednesday, the site of the NCAA West Regional which has the Bulldogs teeing off at noon Thursday.
"The course is amazing," head coach Brad Rickel said following Wednesday's practice round. "It's very complex. We will have to continue learning it each day. The greens are firm and the wind is constant."
The course will be 6,252 yards and play to par 72 with 18-hole rounds to be played Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The Bulldogs, seeded 17th in this year's regional, will play with No. 16 seed University of Wisconsin and No. 18 seed University of Notre Dame the first two days, teeing off at noon Thursday on the 10th hole and 7:30 a.m. Friday on the first hole. Tee times for Saturday's final round are determined by the 36-hole standings.
Rickel said he will start the same line-up which finished second in the West Coast Conference Championship - WCC medalist junior Alice Kim playing No. 1, freshman Ciera Min at No. 2, sophomore Raychelle Santos at No. 3, junior Han Wu at No. 4 and senior Tai Jade ‘TJ' Kliebphipat at No. 5.
Rickel believes this year's club is ready for the challenge ahead.
"We have had a good couple of weeks juggling school, finals and practice. We have had many short, focused practices and feel much more prepared for regionals this year," Rickel said. "We are excited to go to compete this year whereas last year we were just happy to be there."
The Bulldogs have three players who hold four of the top five all-time single-season stroke averages in Gonzaga history heading into the regional. Kim, who has won three straight tournaments and led wire-to-wire in all three, is atop the list with a 74.24 this season; Min is second at 74.33, and Santos is third with her 73.34 of a year ago and fifth with a 75.10 this season.
The Bulldogs are also on target to set a single-season team record for stroke average, Gonzaga entering the regional with a 298.08 average which is ahead of last year's school record of 300.38.
The top eight teams in each of the three 24-team regionals advance to the NCAA Tournament May 20-23 in Tulsa, Okla. The other two regionals are the East being staged in Tallahassee, Fla., and the Central in Norman, Okla.
