Golf set to compete in 14th NCAA Regionals

After a disappointing finish in the Pac-10 Championships, the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee announced that the Huskies will compete in the Central Regional in Austin, Texas, starting today through Sunday, as the No. 16 seed.

This will be the team’s 14th appearance in the last 15 years.

Proving that the Pac-10 conference is one of the top conferences in women’s golf, Washington is one of eight teams from the Pac-10 to be selected in this year’s championship field.

In the April 27 Golfweek poll, USC and UCLA hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the nation, respectfully, while Arizona State ranks No. 5.

The Huskies will face some tough competition in the Central Region, which features top ranked teams such as No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Purdue, No. 3 University of Alabama and No. 10 and host University of Texas.

“It’s a really good region,” Coach Mary Lou Mulflur said.

The NCAA Central Regional Championship will be held on the par-72, 6,344-yard University of Texas Golf Club course.

While wind might be a factor in the competition, the Huskies have not done anything different to prepare for this competition.

“We just had our usual practice,” Mulflur said.

The last time the Huskies competed in the postseason was in 2006, when the team reached the NCAA Championships. That year, the Huskies finished in a tie for sixth place with a score of 50-over-par with 1201. Then-senior Paige Mackenzie finished in eighth place in the individual standings, shooting 5-over-par with 293.

The Huskies will need to finish in the top eight of the Central Region to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships, which will be held May 20-23 in Albuquerque, N.M.