Women’s Golf: UVA finishes 14th at NCAA Golf Championships

The No. 17 UVA women’s golf team tied for 14th at the NCAA Championships by shooting its lowest score in three rounds of play at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark. The Cavaliers shot 13-over 305 on Monday for a 54-hole total of 50-over 926. UVA shared 14th place with No. 14 Arizona State and No. 30 Ole Miss.

The final round of stroke play was suspended due to darkness. It will be completed Tuesday morning. The top eight teams after 54 holes of play will advance to the match play portion of the tournament later on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers were led in the final round by a 1-over 74 from freshman Riley Smyth. She finished at 14-over 233. UVA senior Anna Redding was UVA’s top finisher at 8-over 227. Sophomore Beth Lillie shot 11-over 230. Seniors Katharine Patrick and Morgan Gonzales rounded out the Cavaliers’ scoring at 240 and 244, respectively. Their individual finishes will be determined following the completion of the third round.

“Morgan, Katharine and Anna have been incredibly impactful players and people to our program,” said UVA coach Ria Scott. “We love that each of these captains brought unique leadership perspectives to our team, and all high quality, but very different golf games. Anna and Morgan were part of the 2016 ACC Championship team and NCAA quarterfinalists in the same year. Katharine has improved each year that she’s been here, and has been a vital part of this team’s success. Each one of our players truly played a role in our national finish this year.

“Our seniors played with so much heart, especially this postseason. Their desire to compete for both conference and national championships was motivating and very evident. They are all driven individuals with great work ethic and we can’t wait to see where life takes them.”

Arkansas’ Maria Fassi, playing on the Razorbacks’ home course, shot 5-under 68 during the final round to win the NCAA individual title at 8-under 211. She was one of just four players in the 132-player field to shoot under par.

Virginia was making its 11th NCAA Championships appearance in the 16-year history of the program. UVA’s finish tied as its eighth best at the championship. UVA was 22nd at last year’s event.