South Carolina's midseason arrival Eila Galitsky takes down world No. 1 Lottie Woad
MELBOURNE, Fla. – The new kid on the block isn't just impressing the world No. 1; she's making a habit of beating her, too.
Eila Galitsky burst onto the scene two years ago by capturing the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific and later earning low-amateur honors at the LPGA's Chevron Championship. Now 18 years old, the Thai standout early enrolled at the University of South Carolina last month, just days after she took down Lottie Woad, the world's top-ranked amateur, in singles at the Patsy Hankins Trophy, won convincingly by Galitsky's Asia-Pacific side, 21-11. In defeat, Woad recognized the talent of her opponent, calling Galitsky's driving ability – 270-plus yards of carry thanks to 105-plus mph swing speed – the best weapon she's witnessed from another amateur.
On Tuesday, Galitsky and Woad met again, this time in a sudden-death playoff at the Moon Golf Invitational, one of the premier events of the spring with 11 top-25 teams in attendance.
And for the second time in as many months, Galitsky got the better of the Florida State junior.
While Florida State held off Wake Forest (led by its own midseason arrival, Chloe Kovelesky, who tied for sixth) and South Carolina for the three-shot team victory, Woad couldn't avoid the charging Gamecocks freshman, who led the field with 14 birdies. Down three with four holes to play, Galitsky drove the par-4 15th hole, which was playing shorter than its listed 383 yards and downwind, to set up the first of two consecutive birdies. Woad, meanwhile, bogeyed No. 15 and needed a birdie at the par-4 17th just to regain a share of the lead at 5 under. Neither player could birdie the par-5 18th in regulation, but in the playoff, Galitsky canned a 35-footer to steal the trophy from Woad, who technically still receives credit for the win as the NCAA doesn't officially recognize playoffs in regular-season competition.
Woad, the reigning Augusta National Women's Amateur champion and low amateur at last summer's AIG Women's Open, still has not finished outside the top 10 in an amateur tournament since the 2023 European Ladies Amateur.
Galitsky hopes to be starting her own such streak following a T-34 in her college debut earlier this month at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Galitsky blew up that week with a second-round 78 in windy conditions, and in Sunday's first round at Suntree, she carded four bogeys and a double in 35 mph gusts, yet still grinded out an even-par 72.
South Carolina head coach Kalen Anderson marvels at Galitsky's ability, though if the teen has anything to learn, it's better flighting her shots in the wind. Galitsky adds that she's had to adjust to less preparation at college tournaments and playing on a team, but otherwise, the transition has been seamless.
'It's been a good experience so far,' Galitsky said. 'My teammates have been great, and I've made some great friends.'
A couple years ago, Galitsky never would've envisioned this chapter in her career, cramming academically last fall so she could become eligible for college golf this spring.
'After I won the Asia-Pacific, I totally thought I was going to turn pro,' Galitsky said. 'But I talked to a lot of players, and most of the ones that didn't go to college, wanted to go to college, and the ones that did go never regretted it, so I was like, might as well try it out. If I hate it, I'll go on tour, and if I love it, I'll stay. So far, it's been really good.'
Galitsky's arrival gives the fourth-ranked Gamecocks a fearsome top trio, which also includes All-Americans Hannah Darling and Louise Rydqvist, who missed Moon Golf with a minor injury. All three players were in contention at last year's ANWA, where Galitsky trailed Darling by a shot after the first round before backing up with a 74 at Augusta National. This year, Galitsky plans to finally take a local caddie for the final round.
To win the ANWA, she'll have to go through the defending champ.
Luckily for Galitsky, that's not been a problem of late.
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Erik Bakich Makes Bold Omaha Promise After Clemson's Season-Ending Loss
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New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Men's College World Series 2025 players talk toughest opponent, favorite venue and more
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Jaxon Appelman, RHP, Coastal Carolina: I'm a freshman. I just got here. I really like ODU's new stadium. I thought it was very nice. Nice little area. Dalton Beck, P/OF, LSU: I'll say Texas A&M. It's funny with their student section being on top of you. You can hear everything. Landon Beidelschies, LHP, Arkansas: I liked Florida a lot. Phoenix Call, 2B, UCLA: I loved Purdue. Really nice surface. Chase Clatur, RHP, Murray State: Ole Miss for sure. The atmosphere was electric. Wyatt Danilowicz, LHP, Louisville: Clemson was a really cool environment. Logan de Groot, OF, UCLA: Oregon. Daniel Dickinson, 2B, LSU: Auburn. Kane Elmy, RHP, Murray State: Let's go with Indiana State. Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville: I liked Clemson's field a lot. Advertisement Max Fraser, LHP, Oregon State: Cal Poly. That was really fun. Kingsley Guthrie, C, Murray State: Ole Miss. Jacob Hustedde, RHP, Murray State: Ole Miss. That was pretty cool. Aiden Jimenez, RHP, Arkansas: LSU was pretty cool. 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I was injured when we went there my freshman year. Justin Thomas Jr., OF, Arkansas: Definitely LSU. Gavin Turley, OF, Oregon State: I really liked playing at Nebraska.. Aaron Walton, OF, Arizona: West Virginia was a cool atmosphere. They had a lot of fans there. Josh Alger, RHP, UCLA: I'd be an outfielder. Jaxon Appelman, RHP, Coastal Carolina: I would definitely say center field. I like to run out there and catch fly balls and make some diving plays. Landon Beidelschies, LHP, Arkansas: Shortstop, no doubt. Phoenix Call, 2B, UCLA: I play center field, too. That is where my heart is. Advertisement Chase Clatur, RHP, Murray State: I played left field in high school, so left field. Wyatt Danilowicz, LHP, Louisville: Center field. Logan de Groot, OF, UCLA: Probably third base. Daniel Dickinson, 2B, LSU: Shortstop. Kane Elmy, RHP, Murray State: Third base. That's where I played in high school. Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville: I was an outfielder my freshman year and then I switched over to pitcher last year. So I'd say outfield. It's pretty fun. Max Fraser, LHP, Oregon State: First base. Kingsley Guthrie, C, Murray State: Pitcher. Jacob Hustedde, RHP, Murray State: Probably center field. I played the outfield in high school. Aiden Jimenez, RHP, Arkansas: Shortstop. Luke Jones, RHP, Coastal Carolina: Probably shortstop. That's where I played in high school. Nelson Keljo, LHP, Oregon State: Left field. Kasen Khansarinia, UTL, UCLA: I'd be a pitcher. Matt Klein, C, Louisville: First base. Roman Martin, 3B, UCLA: Shortstop. Dustin Mercer, OF, Murray State: I would like to think I would be a pitcher. Steven Milam, SS, LSU: Center field. Elliott Peterson, C, Arkansas: Shortstop. Matthew Potok, RHP, Coastal Carolina: Probably third base. I like to think I could field a little bit. Zion Rose, OF, Louisville: Catcher. Mason Russell, LHP, Arizona: Outfield, for sure. Tommy Splaine, 1B, Arizona: Pitcher. Chris Stanfield, OF, LSU: Shortstop. Easton Talt, OF, Oregon State: I was a catcher my freshman year. I'd say shortstop so I could do something different. Justin Thomas Jr., OF, Arkansas: Definitely shortstop. Gavin Turley, OF, Oregon State: I wish I played shortstop. Aaron Walton, OF, Arizona: I'd want to play shortstop. Phoenix Call, 2B, UCLA: Definitely. For sure. No doubt. I have faith in myself. Advertisement Logan de Groot, OF, UCLA: Yeah, I think I could. I could throw strikes and maybe get a few guys out. Daniel Dickinson, 2B, LSU: Absolutely. Kingsley Guthrie, C, Murray State: Yes. 100 percent. Kasen Khansarinia, UTL, UCLA: Absolutely. I pitched in high school. I think I could. Matt Klein, C, Louisville: I could go out there and throw strikes. It just depends on when they pull me. I'd give up runs, but I'd throw strikes Roman Martin, 3B, UCLA: Yes. Easy. Dustin Mercer, OF, Murray State: Yes. I have thrown two innings this year. So, yes! Steven Milam, SS, LSU: Yes. Elliott Peterson, C, Arkansas: Not at this level, no. Danny Rollins, C, Murray State: I think I could get through an inning. I'm pretty crafty. Zion Rose, OF, Louisville: No, not at all. Tommy Splaine, 1B, Arizona: I'd say no. These guys work way too hard. It's not that easy. Chris Stanfield, OF, LSU: Yes. I believe. Easton Talt, OF, Oregon State: Oh, for sure. I've been telling my pitching coach all year to let me on the mound. Justin Thomas Jr., OF, Arkansas: Easily. I definitely could. Aaron Walton, OF, Arizona: No, no shot. Absolutely not. Josh Alger, RHP, UCLA: I think so. For sure. I think I could do it. Jaxon Appelman, RHP, Coastal Carolina: Yeah, I would say so. I was a decent hitter in high school. I could go out there and get some hits. Landon Beidelschies, LHP, Arkansas: I was a pretty good hitter in high school, so I think I could. Chase Clatur, RHP, Murray State: Probably not. Wyatt Danilowicz, LHP, Louisville: No. But I hit a little bit in high school. If you gave me a little bit of time, I'd like to think I could figure something out. Kane Elmy, RHP, Murray State: I feel like I could handle the position on defense, but I don't think I could hit .200. Advertisement Luke Jones, RHP, Coastal Carolina: I could hit .300. Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville: Yes, I could. I did my freshman year. Max Fraser, LHP, Oregon State: I don't know about against Omaha pitching. But put me in some midweeks and I've got a chance for sure. Jacob Hustedde, RHP, Murray State: Oh no way. Not a chance. I wish. Aiden Jimenez, RHP, Arkansas: Do I have to hit in the SEC? I could pull out .200 I think. Nelson Keljo, LHP, Oregon State: Yes. Matthew Potok, RHP, Coastal Carolina: Probably not. I think I would hit a home run, but probably wouldn't hit .200. Josh Alger, RHP, UCLA: He's actually funny. He might come off as very serious, but he's actually very funny. Jaxon Appelman, RHP, Coastal Carolina: He's a really funny guy. People don't know this, but Kevin Schnall is a very funny guy. Dalton Beck, P/OF, LSU: He lives, breathes, eats baseball. He is always thinking about the next pitch, the next play, what he can do to help us prepare. He basically lives in his office. Landon Beidelschies, LHP, Arkansas: He's got triplet grandkids. They were born just about the time I was being recruited here, so he had to miss part of my visit for that. Phoenix Call, 2B, UCLA: He's funny. He's serious. But he's funny. Logan de Groot, OF, UCLA: The guy is the hardest worker I've ever seen. Scouting reports. I don't think he ever sleeps. Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville: The competitiveness is something that everyone sees in the program, but he has a nice side. He's a really good guy. Jacob Hustedde, RHP, Murray State: He's a really lovable guy. On the outside, he has a hard shell, but he's really a nice guy on the inside. Aiden Jimenez, RHP, Arkansas: He's funny. Luke Jones, RHP, Coastal Carolina: He gets emotional. He shows himself as a hard guy, but he loves us and he gets emotional from time to time. Advertisement Nelson Keljo, LHP, Oregon State: He's a good golfer. Matt Klein, C, Louisville: He has a soft side for his dogs. Roman Martin, 3B, UCLA: He has zero hobbies. He just does baseball. Dustin Mercer, OF, Murray State: People have started to catch on, but just how good of a guy he is. He loves us. The connections we build with him, not a lot of players have that. I love that. Steven Milam, SS, LSU: His jokes are really funny. Elliott Peterson, C, Arkansas: He's a stud. Matthew Potok, RHP, Coastal Carolina: He's a Jersey guy. People think he's from (the South), but he's a Jersey guy. A lot of us are Jersey guys, so we have a connection. Zion Rose, OF, Louisville: He's actually a really funny guy. He has good comedic timing. Mason Russell, LHP, Arizona: I think he's very superstitious. Tommy Splaine, 1B, Arizona: He's definitely the best husband and family man out there. Chris Stanfield, OF, LSU: He loves Fleming's (the restaurant). Aaron Walton, OF, Arizona: He's funny. He is a great guy to be around. We like hanging out with him. He's awesome.
USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
With loss in College World Series, Dave Van Horn and Arkansas facing another postseason heartbreak
OMAHA, NE ― Dave Van Horn has built Arkansas into one of college baseball's best powerhouses. Under Van Horn, the Razorbacks have made the NCAA tournament 21 times with eight College World Series appearances. Van Horn himself has been named SEC Coach of the Year three times. But there's one accolade still missing: a national championship. And the route to that feat got a lot harder with Arkansas' 4-1 loss to LSU on June 14 in its Men's College World Series opener at Charles Schwab Field to drop to the losers' bracket. The Razorbacks will face Murray State in an elimination game June 16. Arkansas is one of the best programs nationally to never win a national title. Entering 2025, its 11 trips to Omaha without a title were fourth in the country after Florida State (24), North Carolina (12) and Clemson (12). But Clemson hasn't made it to Omaha since 2010, and Florida State and North Carolina have been in and out of relevance. Arkansas has made five of the last 10 College World Series; meanwhile, in that span, Florida State has gone three times, North Carolina twice and Clemson not at all. The Razorbacks' road to the title will be a long and difficult one. They'll need to win four games in four days to even advance to the championship series, then two of their final three should they stave off elimination. In the last 25 tournaments, 22 champions won their first game. Van Horn should be familiar with one of the teams that didn't, though — 2018 Oregon State, the team that beat Arkansas in the championship series after three Razorbacks failed to catch what would've been a championship-clinching pop-up. Since then, the postseason has been full of heartbreak. The 2019 team went to Omaha but lost two one-run games to get eliminated. The 2021 team was the No. 1 national seed and heavy title favorite but dropped a home super regional to NC State. The 2023 and 2024 teams both lost home regionals as national seeds. Only the 2022 team — the only Arkansas team since 2016 to not host a regional — did well in Omaha, making it to the semifinals. "We need to move on from this one and get over it and not think too far down the road," Van Horn said. "We've just got to take care of business on Monday. We need to play good Monday because if we don't there's no Tuesday. ... These guys, they've come back and won games. They've done some great things this year. So that's what I told them. We've got a bullpen full of pitchers. We've got a bunch of hitters that can hit. They didn't have a good night. We need to move on and get ready for Monday." Van Horn will face some tricky decisions with his pitching. He said the likely starter for the elimination game was Gage Wood. After that, he could turn to Landon Beidelschies, Aiden Jimenez or Colin Fisher. Starter Zach Root, who lasted just 1⅔ innings and threw 38 pitches, could return as soon as Tuesday. But relief ace Gabe Gaeckle, who pitched a career-high six innings out of the bullpen, likely won't be available until at least the semifinals, if Arkansas makes it that far. WINNERS AND LOSERS: College World Series winners and losers: The best and worst from Day 2 in Omaha In theory, if anyone has the pitching and offensive depth to make a run through the losers' bracket, it's the Razorbacks. Arkansas ranks top-15 nationally in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), home runs and ERA. While Root has been a solid arm, the Razorbacks have thrived all season without a true ace to the level of LSU's Kade Anderson, who threw seven innings of one-run ball in the opener. Instead, Arkansas has the sort of reliable relief options that every team longs for. And its starting lineup for the opener featured seven players with double-digit home runs. "No one here is worried," outfielder Charles Davalan said. "We'll try to be ready by Monday and play hard." The Razorbacks have won four games in four or fewer days once this season, when they swept Washington State on opening weekend. But the College World Series is an entirely different challenge, and it's one Van Horn will need to solve for the first time to finally get the monkey off his back. Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@ or on X @aria_gerson.
