Latest news with #ThereseHessionRegionalChallenge
NBC Sports
02-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
From following Kupcho to opening Augusta National Women's Amateur in 70, Hollenbaugh comes full circle
EVANS, Ga. – Kary Hollenbaugh has been working on picking smarter targets. That's been a point of emphasis as Ohio State head coach Lisa Strom has tried to rein in the ultra-aggressive Buckeye. That doesn't mean that Hollenbaugh is afraid to take on pins; she just doesn't fire at every one. The results have followed. Hollenbaugh kicked off the year with a solo third at the Patriot All-America before winning the Sally, a prestigious amateur event. She then she's won three more times in four college starts, including against a loaded field at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge and most recently at the Clemson Invitational. After rising to a career-best 22nd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking on Wednesday, Hollenbaugh continued her sizzling run with a 2-under 70 at Champions Retreat in what was her debut round at the Augusta National Women's Amateur. It wasn't her first time at this tournament, though. When Hollenbaugh was 14 years old, her dad, Paul, took her to the inaugural ANWA in 2019. A family friend hooked them up with a ticket, though Paul had to scalp his after finding out that it was originally just one ticket. That final round, the Hollenbaughs followed the last six holes of Jennifer Kupcho's epic duel with Maria Fassi. 'Honestly, the way that they interacted with each other, like they're kind of rooting for each other,' Hollenbaugh said on what she took away from that day. 'And it was really cool to see at the end how Maria Fassi just kind of praised Jennifer Kupcho. Like if you're going to lose, you want someone to win it, you know. I think that Jennifer Kupcho did that.' DUBLIN, OH - SEPTEMBER 16: Kary Hollenbaugh hits a drive during the girls 12-13 driving competition during the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Muirfield Village Golf Club on September 16, 2017 in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo byfor DC&P Championship) Kirk Irwin During Monday night's dinner for the players inside Augusta National's clubhouse, highlights from that first ANWA were played. 'It brought back so many good memories of me as a kid wishing to be here,' Hollenbaugh said. 'So, it's cool to see it come full circle.'
USA Today
26-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How a freshman standout is helping UCLA push forward after losing two All-Americans midseason
How a freshman standout is helping UCLA push forward after losing two All-Americans midseason When the UCLA women's golf team began its 2024-25 season, the Bruins returned a pair of All-Americans to a roster that added one of the highest-ranked recruits in the country. A return to the national championship match, where UCLA found itself last spring at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, was not out of the question. Heading into the Bruins' co-host tournament alongside Pepperdine at Valencia Country Club, what the rest of the season held for them was questionable. Both All-Americans were no longer on the team, instead forgoing the remainder of their senior years to chase professional opportunities. The standout freshman had yet to break out, even failing to qualify for UCLA's first spring tournament at Palos Verdes. UCLA coach Alicia Um Holmes was trying to keep it together for her team. "We just buckled down and came together," she said. "Really, it was almost like a blank slate, a restart with this group." UCLA, ranked 25th in the NCAA golf rankings, ran away from the field to win the Bruin Wave Intercollegiate, besting second-place Baylor by 22 shots. Francesca Fiorellini, the highly-touted freshman from Italy, had a record performance, shooting 9-under 207 for her first collegiate win. She bested teammate Tiffany Le, who played as an individual, by 10 shots. Her 9-under performance is the lowest score in tournament history, topping former Pepperdine golfer Danielle Kang's 8-under mark from 2010. "(The team) got serious at practice and workouts," Um Holmes said. "I think they just used it as motivation to come out here and make some changes that they've been working on and commit to them." Those changes start with Fiorellini, whose college tenure got off to a rocky start. Facing some pressures from back home to turn pro instead of going to college, she came to UCLA wanting to prove she made the right decision, but it has been anything but easy for the No. 22 golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. She didn't have a top-10 in four fall starts. Doubt started to creep in. She went home for winter break, and upon returning tied for fifth in qualifying ahead of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge. A scorecard playoff was used to determine the fifth spot, and Fiorellini was out of the lineup. Then during a practice round at Valencia a couple weeks before the Bruin Wave Invitational, Fiorellini shot 10 over. She only played 12 holes. "She was pretty down on her game, Um Holmes said, "and for her to kind of turn it around and be mentally strong and just start to commit to some of the swing thoughts that she had... "When I watched her, we would do testing, she would hit like lasers on the target, and then we would go out to the course, and because she had this extreme pressure, she wasn't able to swing the way she wanted. So she kind of let it go. Just trusted her abilities. Decided to go after the ball a little bit more. And it was great." Fiorellini was the only player to finish under par, and perhaps this week can be a springboard for her and push her to become the next face of UCLA golf, where there's a big hole to fill. After the fall season, Zoe Campos decided to leave school to turn pro so she could play in the LPGA's Final Qualifying over the winter. Fellow senior Caroline Canales returned to school and placed T-23 at Palos Verdes in the spring opener, after that tournament decided to leave the team to focus on her professional career. In the blink of an eye, two stalwarts of UCLA's roster, players who contributed to their national runner-up finish less than a year ago, were done. With Fiorellini's victory Tuesday, she has shown she's capable of leading the Bruins for the rest of the year. "I've heard people surrounding us kind of doubting what we can do, and I'm not saying that we're going to do anything similar to last year," Um Holmes said. "Last year was special, but it just gives it gives our squad a little bit more confidence moving forward." With Fiorellini leading the way and the team's renewed mindset, the Bruins have plenty of confidence moving forward.
NBC Sports
19-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Another All-American has departed UCLA midseason
UCLA is suddenly down another All-American. Senior Caroline Canales is no longer with the team following the Bruins' spring opener earlier this month, UCLA head coach Alicia Um Holmes confirmed on Wednesday. While UCLA had yet to officially announce the departure, the team's roster no longer includes Canales, who becomes the second Bruin to leave midseason. Fellow senior Zoe Campos turned pro to compete in the final qualifying stage of LPGA Q-Series last December, though she missed the cut and will compete on the Epson Tour this year. Canales also qualified for the Q-Series finale but opted to remain amateur and return to school, deferring her Epson status until the summer. Canales is expected to remain amateur through at least the Augusta National Women's Amateur in April and could play Epson as an amateur in the interim. UCLA advanced to the NCAA final last season but is currently ranked No. 31 in the country following a T-11 finish at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge. Canales, ranked No. 100 individually and No. 63 in the world amateur rankings, finished T-21 to lead the Bruins that week. Last season, Canales posted four top-10s and capped her NCAA Championship by going 3-0 in match play.
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Oregon women's golf breaks multiple program records in runaway victory
The Oregon women's golf team won't forget its latest trip to the desert. The Ducks ran away from the field at the Alice & John Wallace Classic at Monterey Country Club in Palm Springs, California, winning by 23 shots over second-place USC. They broke multiple records in the process, too. Oregon broke the program record for total score and total score vs. par in a 54-hole tournament, finishing at 34-under 818. The Ducks closed in 18-under 266 on Monday, six strokes better than the previous program record for the lowest team score in a round, which was set earlier this month in the final round of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge. Freshman Suvichaya Vinijchaitham won the individual title after a stellar 7-under 64 in the final round. Her 12-under 201 total is the second-lowest 54-hole score in program history, while sophomore Kiara Romero (203) tied for the third-lowest and Karen Tsuru (204) tied for fifth-lowest. Vinijchaitham's 7-under 64 tied the second-lowest individual round in program history, matching a 7-under 64 she signed for in the final round of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge. The 7-under 64 also set a new course record at Monterey Country Club, matched on Monday by USC's Catherine Park. Romero tied for second at 10 under for the Ducks, and Tsusu placed fourth at 9 under. The win was the ninth for the Ducks under coach Derek Radley and 39th in program history. Pepperdine, CSU-Fullerton and Washington rounded out the top-five teams, though Oregon and USC were the only ones to shoot under par. USC freshman Jasmine Koo, who had three wins in the fall, tied for sixth at 3 under for the tournament.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oregon women's golf broke multiple program records in runaway victory
The Oregon women's golf team won't forget its latest trip to the desert. The Ducks ran away from the field at the Alice & John Wallace Classic at Monterey Country Club in Palm Springs, California, winning by 23 shots over second-place USC. They broke multiple records in the process, too. Oregon broke the program record for total score and total score vs. par in a 54-hole tournament, finishing at 34-under 818. The Ducks closed in 18-under 266 on Monday, six strokes better than the previous program record for the lowest team score in a round, which was set earlier this month in the final round of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge. Freshman Suvichaya Vinijchaitham won the individual title after a stellar 7-under 64 in the final round. Her 12-under 201 total is the second-lowest 54-hole score in program history, while sophomore Kiara Romero (203) tied for the third-lowest and Karen Tsuru (204) tied for fifth-lowest. Vinijchaitham's 7-under 64 tied the second-lowest individual round in program history, matching a 7-under 64 she signed for in the final round of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge. The 7-under 64 also set a new course record at Monterey Country Club, matched on Monday by USC's Catherine Park. Romero tied for second at 10 under for the Ducks, and Tsusu placed fourth at 9 under. The win was the ninth for the Ducks under coach Derek Radley and 39th in program history. Pepperdine, CSU-Fullerton and Washington rounded out the top-five teams, though Oregon and USC were the only ones to shoot under par. USC freshman Jasmine Koo, who had three wins in the fall, tied for sixth at 3 under for the tournament. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Oregon women's golf breaks multiple program records in latest victory
