Alabama
NCAA Franklin Regional
Polly Mack Crowned NCAA Franklin Regional Champion, Alabama Advances to 2022 NCAA Championship
5/11/2022 4:30:00 PM | Women's Golf
The Crimson Tide women’s golf team finished in second place at the NCAA Regional in Franklin, Tenn.
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Polly Mack fired off 20 birdies through 54 holes this week, en route to being crowned the 2022 NCAA Franklin Regional Champion in Franklin, Tenn., Wednesday. Meanwhile, the University of Alabama women's golf team turned in a 6-under-par 282 in the final round, its best round of the tournament, for an 8-under-par 856 tournament total to finish runner-up and punch its ticket to the big dance.
The Crimson Tide has earned 16 all-time NCAA Championship berths and 15 under head coach Mic Potter.
Twelve teams competed at the NCAA Regional at the Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course (par 72, 6,450 yards) in Franklin, Tenn., this week. Hosts and sixth-seeded Vanderbilt came out on top thanks to a 16-under-par 848 tournament total, followed by second-seeded Alabama who came in second place with an 8-under-par 856. Rounding out the four Franklin regional teams that advanced to the national stage are No. 1 seed Wake Forest in third place (3-under-par 861) and No. 3 seed Texas A&M in fourth place (3-over-par 867).
In a field that featured 66 players, including four players ranked in the Golfstat Top 15, Mack turned in the lowest tournament total by an impressive four strokes. The senior recorded rounds of 65, 73 and 66 to produce a 12-under-par tournament total to top the leaderboard.
The graduate is arguably playing the best golf of her career, and her performance this week solidified that. Mack, who is ranked No. 7 in the nation according to Golfstat, led the tournament in par-4 scoring, par-5 scoring and birdies. That, and her 10 birdies Monday, which included seven straight to walk off the course, helped her record two of the lowest rounds in her career with her first-round 65 and her final-round 66.
It marks Mack's second medalist honor this spring, while she is the first Crimson Tide player to win an NCAA Regional since Stephanie Meadow did so in 2013.
Alabama had not one, but two players finish inside the top five in Franklin, the site of the Crimson Tide's 2012 National Championship.
Benedetta Moresco tied for fourth place on a 5-under-par 211 overall score. The sophomore was one over after Monday, but she responded with a 68 in the second round and a 70 in the final round to improve 15 spots on the individual leaderboard over the course of the tournament.
It marked her third finish inside the top five this season.
Two of Emilie Øverås' three rounds were counted toward the team score this week, which included her mirroring first- and final-round scores of 73. She was even par through the 17th hole Wednesday, finding a bogey on the par-5 No. 18 to conclude her round. The junior recorded a 6-over-par 222 tournament total to earn a share of 33rd place.
Competing in her first NCAA Regional, Isabella van der Biest followed up her second-round 71, which was a career low, with a final-round 74. The freshman put together a 7-over-par 223 overall score to tie for 36th place.
Senior Angelica Moresco competed in her last NCAA Regional, turning in a 1-over-par 73 in the final round and an 8-over-par 224 tournament total for a share of 40th place. Moresco had the fewest amount of marks on her scorecard today, compared to the Crimson Tide lineup, recording a pair of bogeys and squeezing in a birdie on the par-3 No. 16 before day's end.
The Crimson Tide will compete at the 2022 NCAA Women's Golf Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club Raptor Course in Scottsdale, Ariz., May 20-25.
From Head Coach Mic Potter
On Alabama's runner-up performance…
"I was really proud of the team's performance today. They stayed in the present, hey handled adversity when it came their way and the result was one of their best tournaments of the year. It is the goal of every golf team at the beginning of the year to compete for the National Championship. We now have a chance to do that."
On Polly Mack winning the NCAA Franklin Regional…
"I'm really proud of Polly. She overcame adversity by being three over after two holes the first day and finishing 12 under for the tournament. She is a great player and works hard. She is very deserving of this victory."
Results
- 1 Polly Mack 12-under-par 204
- T4 Benedetta Moresco 5-under-par 211
- T33 Emilie Øverås 6-over-par 222
- T36 Isabella van der Biest 7-over-par 223
- T40 Angelica Moresco 8-over-par 224
For all the latest information on the team, follow @AlabamaWGolf on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
