Buffs Moving Forward From "Unlucky Seven" With Eye On NCAA Finals

BOULDER – One stroke.

That has been the difference between advancing to the national finals and going home each of the past two seasons for the University of Colorado women's golf team.

The Buffaloes have finished seventh at their respective NCAA Regional tournament the last two seasons, and in both, one shot out of the top six, which marks the cut line for teams advancing to the NCAA Finals.

With four of five players, and a coaching staff, that have endured that heartbreak, Colorado now looks forward to the NCAA San Francisco Regional, May 7-9. In a bit of irony, with a hint of teasing by the selection committee, the Buffaloes are the No. 7 seed as play begins at the Par 72, 6,369-yard TPC Harding Park Course.

"We have a bit of a chip on our shoulder," said Colorado head coach Anne Kelly, shortly after last week's announcement. "We've missed the finals by one shot, two years in a row. It was very heartbreaking for all of us last year, and I think they're very determined to make it through this year."

Aside from Colorado's tough-luck finishes the last two years, it should also be celebrated that the Buffaloes are embarking on their fifth-straight NCAA appearance and eighth in 10 years. With zero trips in the program's first 14 years (1995-2008), making the NCAA Regional round is becoming the baseline standard for Colorado.

To make that next step? At least for this year it's fine tuning the short game. The Buffaloes have a good ball striking team with the ability to score in the red, but it's that approach to the green – the chip or pitch – is what Colorado needs to improve upon to make it to Stillwater, Okla., and the NCAA Finals, May 18-23.

"Short game, short game, short game," Kelly said. "I feel like a broken record but that's where we are and that's how we're going to make it through."

The Buffaloes will utilize the same lineup that finished sixth at the 2018 Pac-12 Conference Championship in April. Senior Brittany Fan has been Colorado's low scorer in five of six stroke play events since the beginning of March. All-Pac-12 honoree Robyn Choi leads Colorado in stroke average and rounds under par at 11. Kirsty Hodgkins has a win and three Top 10 finishes as a sophomore.

Junior Gillian Vance, who placed 33^rd at the Stanford Regional as a freshman in 2016, makes her second NCAA appearance. Alisha Lau is the lone newcomer, the freshman having scored in 21 rounds this season.

"It's great that since I've been here the team has been good enough to go to regionals every year," Fan said. "So yeah, I'm excited about that."

Colorado will pair with No. 8 seed Louisville and No. 9 North Carolina State in the first round on Monday with that group set to tee off at 9:50 a.m. MT from hole No. 1. The Buffaloes didn't see Louisville this season, but joined NC State in Puerto Rico in February to open the spring season. The Wolfpack finished two spots and nine strokes ahead of Colorado at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic.

"Coming out of (the finish at) Pac-12, it's a great mark for where we are right now," Fan said. "You can never underestimate teams from other conferences. Once you get there it's whoever plays best."

Buffs Moving Forward From "Unlucky Seven" With Eye On NCAA Finals

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Players Mentioned

Robyn Choi

Brittany Fan

Kirsty Hodgkins

Alisha Lau

Gillian Vance