No. 9 Gamecock women’s golf team falls short at NCAA Tournament

SAN FRANCISCO – No. 9 South Carolina women’s golf saw its bid for a spot in the 2018 NCAA Championship fall short after placing 10th in the San Francisco Regional Wednesday at TPC Harding Park.

The Gamecocks posted a final-round 288 (E) to total a 54-hole mark of 873 (+9) for the week. Colorado finished at 5-over 869 to finish sixth and grab the final spot in the NCAA Championship from the San Francisco Regional.

Carolina senior Ainhoa Olarra and sophomore Lois Kaye Go both finished just outside the top 25 (T27) after totaling a 2-over 218 for the tournament. Olarra shot an even 72 in her final round ever for the Gamecocks, while Go broke par Wednesday with a 1-under 71.

Olarra was steady in her third round, racking up 14 pars, two bogeys and birdies on Nos. 4 and 12. Go tallied four birdies on the final day, including back-to-back ones on Nos. 12 and 13.

Gamecocks Marion Veysseyre, Ana Pelaez and Anita Uwadia each placed in a tie for 40th at the San Francisco Regional. Veysseyre marked the third Carolina golfer to shoot par or better Wednesday, as she turned in an even 72 in a performance highlighted by birdies on Nos. 2, 1 and 16.

Uwadia also collected three birdies in the third round, two of which came over her first seven holes. She carded a final-round 73 (+1) following a birdie on her last hole of the day, the par-5 ninth. Pelaez, who also notched a birdie on No. 9, posted a 3-over 75 on the last day.

No. 5 Stanford won the San Francisco Regional with a three-round total of 856 (-8), while No. 1 UCLA (860, -4) and Ole Miss (863, -1) rounded out the top three. Louisville (864, E), No. 16 Kent State (865, +1) and Colorado (869, +5) marked the other three schools to clinch a spot in the NCAA Championship, and UCLA’s Patty Tavatanakit won the individual title with a 54-hole score of 208 (-8).

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS

T27. Ainhoa Olarra 73-73-72=218 (+2)

T27. Lois Kaye Go 74-73-71=218 (+2)

T40. Ana Pelaez 74-72-75=221 (+5)

T40. Anita Uwadia 77-71-73=221 (+5)

T40. Marion Veysseyre 75-74-72=221 (+5)

TEAM STANDINGS

1. Stanford 287-287-282=856 (-8)
2. UCLA 280-295-285=860 (-4)
3. Ole Miss 290-287-286=863 (-1)
4. Louisville 287-294-283=864 (E)
5. Kent State 284-290-291=865 (+1)
6. Colorado 284-298-287=869 (+5)

T7. Oklahoma State 291-289-290=870 (+6)

T7. San Diego State 289-294-287=870 (+6)

9. North Carolina 289-292-290=871 (+7)
10. South Carolina 296-289-288=873 (+9)
11. Pepperdine 296-285-294=876 (+12)
12. California 297-292-290=879 (+15)
13. NC State 296-296-291=883 (+19)
14. Oregon 287-290-308=885 (+21)
15. Princeton 305-299-297=901 (+37)
16. Long Beach State 304-304-297=905 (+41)
17. Grand Canyon 306-306-300=912 (+48)
18. Fairleigh Dickinson 315-313-309=937 (+73)

QUOTING HEAD COACH KALEN ANDERSON

“The team put up a good fight the last couple days, but we fell a bit short. Some of the other teams in the field need to be credited for playing extraordinary golf. We didn’t have our putts fall this week and things didn’t go our way. Sometimes it’s like that. We had a very strong season, and I’m proud of this group. We have a lot to hold our heads high about.”

ROUND CHANGER

Ainhoa Olarra was solid over the final nine holes of her collegiate career, logging eight pars and a birdie on the par-5 fourth. The senior finished the week with six birdies.

NOTABLES

>> Wednesday’s result denied the Gamecocks their ninth-straight NCAA Championship bid. Carolina was one of just four schools to reach the NCAA Championship in each of the last eight years prior to this season.

>> South Carolina ranked in the top three this week at TPC Harding Park in par-4 scoring (1st, 4.04) and total pars (3rd, 188).

>> Senior Ainhoa Olarra closed her decorated collegiate career with two victories and the program’s second-lowest career stroke average (73.44).

>> Olarra’s 71.00 scoring average during her senior campaign marked the lowest single-season mark in school history.