Virginia Set to Start Play at NCAA Westfield Regional
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The No. 25 Virginia women’s golf team competes at the NCAA Regional site at the Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Ind., starting Monday, May 8. The Cavaliers are the No. 5 seed in the 12-team regional that runs through Wednesday, May 10.
UVA will be paired with Iowa State and Tulsa during the first round. Those teams will tee off starting at 8 a.m. from the 10th tee.
Format
Each regional site is a 54-hole event with a single-round scheduled for Monday through Wednesday. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual (six individuals total) not on an advancing team from each regional site qualify for the national championships. The NCAA Championships are set for May 19-24 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Regional History
This year’s regional marks the 17th time Virginia has received a bid to the NCAA Championships. Virginia will be looking to advance to the NCAA Championships for the 13th time in the program’s 20-year history. Last season UVA placed second at the regional site at the University of Michigan. The Cavaliers were led by fifth-place finishes from Amanda Sambach and Jennifer Cleary at 2-over 215. Virginia went on to place 15th at the NCAA Championships led by Beth Lillie’s ninth-place showing.
2022 marked the second time the Cavaliers have posted a runner-up finish at a regional site. UVA was also second in 2018 at the Madison, Wisc., site. Virginia was third in 2011, fourth in 2019 and 2009 and has been fifth five times (2015, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2005). UVA has had two first-place individual finishers at NCAA Regionals. Calle Nielson was the first to accomplish the feat, placing first in 2010 at the West Regional at Stanford. In 2016, Elizabeth Szokol shared first-place honors, also at the Stanford Golf Course.
The Field
The field at the Westfield Regional site includes (in seed order) 1. Mississippi State, 2. Oregon, 3. Vanderbilt, 4. Iowa State, 5. Virginia, 6. Tulsa, 7. Tennessee, 8. Michigan, 9. Oregon State, 10. Xavier, 11. Lipscomb and 12. Morehead State.
All-ACC
Virginia junior Jennifer Cleary and sophomore Amanda Sambach were named to the 15-member 2023 All-Atlantic Coast Conference team. It marked the second consecutive year both players have received the honor. Sambach was the ACC medalist, shooting a league and school record 14-under 202.
The ACC
Virginia is one of seven ACC teams to receive an invitation to this year’s national championship. Also qualifying were Clemson, Duke, Florida State, NC State, North Carolina and Wake Forest.
UVA Lineup
Stroke Low Low
Golfer Events Rds. Avg. Rd. Tourney
Amanda Sambach (So.) 8 23 71.57 65 202
Jennifer Cleary (Jr.) 8 22 73.14 67 206
Celeste Valinho (Sr.) 7 20 73.40 67 209
Megan Propeck (So.) 8 21 74.24 69 212
Rebecca Skoler (Jr.) 4 11 75.27 67 217
Riley Smyth (Grad.)* 7 20 75.05 69 219
* Alternate
The Rankings
Golfstat Golfweek
(5/1) (4/27)
Virginia 25 21
Amanda Sambach 40 11
Jennifer Cleary 91 78
Celeste Valinho 140 140
Follow
Live scoring for NCAA Regional will be available online at Golfstat.com. Follow the Cavaliers on social media at Twitter: @UVAWomensGolf & @CoachRiaScott and Instagram: UVAWomensGolf.