Alabama
NCAA Auburn Regional
Alabama Closes NCAA Regional Play by Posting its Best Team Total of the Spring Season
5/8/2019 5:10:00 PM | Women's Golf
Sophomore Angelica Moresco earns a top-10 finish to automatically qualify as an individual at next week’s NCAA Championships
AUBURN, Ala. – Behind the play of sophomore Angelica Moresco, the Alabama women's golf team finished play at the 2019 NCAA Auburn Regional on Wednesday with a team total of 895 (300-303-292) – its best score of the spring season. Despite the solid effort, the Crimson Tide finished 10th overall and failed to advance to next week's NCAA Championships, however, Moresco qualified as one of 12 individuals to compete at nationals, which will begin next Friday, May 17, at University of Arkansas at the Blessings Golf Club, in Fayetteville, Ark.
"This is our lowest round since the second tournament of the year, back in October," head coach Mic Potter said. "Looking forward to Angelica moving on and seeing what she can do at the NCAA Championships. Angelica's performance is a great way for us to get a good start to get ready for a great 2019-20 year."
Moresco, who entered the day tied for 12th overall, carded her second consecutive round of 2-under par 70 on Wednesday to become one of three individuals from the Auburn Regional not associated with an advancing team to earn a spot at the national championships. The Caldogno, Italy, native was the Tide's most consistent performer over the three-day, 54-hole regional this week. She closed play tied for eighth overall with a 1-under par 215 (75-70-70), which marked her fifth top-10 finish of the year and her 14th below par round – both of which lead the team.
"Just being one of the top-three individuals that gets to go to the NCAA Championships is obviously a great achievement," Moresco said. "I can't wait to go there, it's an honor. I was there last year, and I get to live the dream again."
Moresco was the third and final individual qualifier to clinch a spot at nationals, sealing her NCAA Championship fate with a birdie on the final hole. It was her fourth birdie on the day and eighth for the regional, which tied her for the Alabama lead. Moresco was especially strong in par 5 holes, finishing tied for the fourth-best average (4.83, -2) in the entire field.
Along with Moresco's third-round performance, two additional Alabama golfers recorded final rounds at even par or better on Wednesday to pace the Crimson Tide. Junior Jiwon Jeon improved her score each day capped by a 2-under par 70 in the third round to close postseason play tied for 33rd overall at 6-over par 222 (77-75-70). She is tied with Moresco with now 14 rounds of par or better this season.
Junior Kenzie Wright finished off a strong week with an even-par 72 to end at 9-over par 225 (73-80-72) for the tournament which tied her for 51st place overall. She was on pace for a below-par round by collecting three birdies and only one bogey over her first 16 holes, however, ended the day with bogeys in each of her last two holes to result in the even-par round.
Junior Anna Reid wrapped up her first season at the Capstone with a 237 (75-78-84) on the par 72, 6,371-yard Saugahatchee Country Club Course, while freshman Mary Mac Trammell (86-82-80/248) rounded out the Crimson Tide golfers.
Sixth-ranked Vanderbilt won the Auburn Regional title with a 4-under par 860 (287-293-280), with No. 11 Florida State (863), No. 3 Duke (868), No. 17 Virginia (873), No. 13 Auburn (874) and No. 42 Tennessee (876) securing the top six spots to advance to the national championship.
In all, 24 teams will battle it out at the 2019 NCAA Women's Golf Championships, which will be played May 17-22 in Fayetteville, Ark. After 54 holes of stroke play, the field is trimmed to the top 15 teams and top nine individuals not associated with an advancing team for the final round of stroke play.
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Players Mentioned
