Virginia Opens Play at NCAA Cle Elum Regional on Monday
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The No. 24 Virginia women’s golf team competes at the NCAA Regional site at Tumble Creek Club in Cle Elum, Wash., starting Monday, May 6. The Cavaliers are the No. 4 seed in the 12-team regional that runs through Wednesday, May 8.
UVA will be paired with San Jose State and Washington during the first round. Those teams will tee off starting at 9 a.m. PT 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 17-22 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
Regional History
This year’s regional marks the 18th time Virginia has received a bid to the NCAA Championships. Virginia will be looking to advance to the NCAA Championships for the 14th time in the program’s 21-year history. Last year the Cavaliers were fourth at the Westfield (Ind.) Regional. Amanda Sambach shared medalist honors after shooting 13-under 203. UVA went on to finish 24th at the NCAA Championships led by Sambach’s 54th-place finish after three rounds.
UVA’s has never won a regional but finished as the runners-up in 2022 and 2018. Virginia was third in 2011, fourth in 2023, 2019 and 2009 and has been fifth five times (2015, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2005). UVA has had three 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. Last season Sambach became the third Cavalier to achieve the honor.
The Field
The field at the Cle Elum Regional site includes (in seed order) 1. Stanford, 2. Duke, 3. Arizona State, 4. Virginia, 5. San Jose State, 6. Washington, 7. Alabama, 8. Virginia Tech, 9. Kansas, 10. Long Beach State, 11. Sacramento State and 12. Seattle.
All-ACC
Virginia junior Amanda Sambach was named to the 15-member 2024 All-Atlantic Coast Conference team. She is currently the No. 7 player in the NCAA individual rankings. It marks the third consecutive year she has received the honor. Sambach tied for second at this year’s ACC Championships. It was the third consecutive season she has posted a top-3 finish at the ACCs. She won the event in 2023 on the way to earning first-team All-America honors.
The ACC
Virginia is one of eight ACC teams to receive an invitation to this year’s national championship. Also qualifying were Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
UVA Regional Lineup
Stroke Low Low
Golfer Events Rds. Avg. Rd. Tourney
Amanda Sambach (Jr.) 9 27 71.15 67 207
Jaclyn LaHa (Fr.) 9 27 73.15 67 215
Celeste Valinho (Grad.) 7 21 75.81 71 217
Rebecca Skoler (Sr.) 9 27 74.48 68 212
Megan Propeck (Jr.) 9 27 73.67 68 211
Jennifer Cleary(Sr)* 1 3 76.00 75 228
* Alternate
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.