May 9, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s golf team will begin the 2012 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship Thursday morning in the Central Regional held in Columbus, Ohio. The 24-team regional will be held from May 10-12 on Scarlet Course at The Ohio State University Golf Club, a par-72, 6,264-yard layout.
The 24-team regional features seven Southeastern Conference teams, including SEC Champion, Auburn. Along with Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt also represent the SEC. The regional boasts seven 2012 conference champions, including Auburn, Butler, Harvard, Siena, South Florida, UNC Wilmington and UTSA. The remaining field consists of East Carolina, Florida St., North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue, Southern California, Texas State and Virginia.
Entering their second-consecutive appearance in an NCAA Regional, the Wildcats are coming off a ninth-place finish at the 2012 SEC Championship. Senior Ashlee Rose led Kentucky in Fayetteville, Ark., finishing in a tie for 12th at 14-over-par 230. Rose finished the final SEC Championship of her career with 35 pars, the second most on the weekend by an individual.
Junior Betsie Johnson finished the SEC Championship in a tie for 29th at 21-over-par 237. Johnson sunk five birdies to along with 27 pars. Sophomore Liz Breed finished just one stroke behind Johnson in a tie for 32nd at 22-over-par 238. Breed was consistent, sinking 29 pars on the weekend.
The Wildcats enter the NCAA Championship after one of the best seasons in program history. In head coach Golda Johansson Borst’s second year, Kentucky’s scoring average is 303.8, nearly two strokes better than the previous school record. Junior Ashleigh Albrecht posted a 75.71 scoring average on the year, just .47 strokes behind Mallory Blackwelder’s school record of 75.34 in 2007-08.
Led by Albrecht’s 9-over-par 225, Kentucky finished 20th at 63-over-par 927 in the 2011 East Regional in Daytona Beach, Fla. Albrecht finished in a tie for 44th after shooting a 9-over-par 225.
The NCAA Women’s Golf Championship is made up of three regionals that each consist of 24 teams and six individuals. With the Central Regional being held in Columbus, Ohio, the East Regional will be held in State College, Penn. while the West Regional will be hosted by the University of Colorado in Erie, Colorado.
The three regional sites are preliminary rounds the NCAA Championship. Eight teams and two individuals will advance from each regional to participate in the championship’s finals at Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn. on May 22-25.
Kentucky will tee off in 11-minute intervals from the first tee box on Thursday with Albrecht leading off at 12:30 p.m. Albrecht will be followed by junior Heather Lott, Breed, Johnson and finally Rose at 1:14 p.m. All times are Eastern.
Follow the Central Regional of the 2012 NCAA Championship with live scoring on Golfstat.com.
