Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Travel West For NCAA Women's Golf Regionals
May 04, 2016 | Women's Golf
BOULDER– The University of Colorado women's golf team travels to the Bay Area this week as the Buffaloes are set to compete in the NCAA West Regional at Stanford Golf Course, May 5-7 in Stanford, Calif.
Senior Alexis Keating, juniors Esther Lee and Natalie Vivaldi, sophomore Brittany Fan and freshman Gillian Vance will compete for the Buffs in the standard five-scoring-four format. All-together, the Buffaloes' quintet has made a combined eight regional appearances. Keating and Vivaldi will be playing in their third straight while Vance is set to make her NCAA postseason debut.
The Buffaloes, who are making their third straight regional appearance and sixth as a team in program history, are ranked 34/21 (GolfStat/Golfweek) in the latest polls and a No. 9 seed in the region will play alongside Texas Tech and Ohio State in the opening round on the 6291-yard, par 71 course. The first group tees-off from hole No. 1 beginning at 8:30 a.m. MDT.
The 54-hole stroke-play tournament is scheduled for one 18-hole round each of the three days (Thursday – Saturday) with the forecast calling for cloudy skies, temperatures in the mid to high 60s and a chance of rain showers on Friday and Saturday.
Colorado is one of 18 teams slated to square off on the 86-year old Stanford Golf Course. A group of six golfers will also compete as individuals. The field includes a pair of fellow Pac-12 opponents—Southern California, the top seed in the region along with host, Stanford as the No. 3 seed. The University of Arkansas-Fayetteville is the No. 2 seed. The other schools, in order of seeding from four to 18 are: Virginia, Nevada, San Diego State, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Colorado, Wake Forest, Michigan, North Carolina, Pepperdine, San Jose State, UC Riverside, Idaho, Richmond and Seton Hall.
The Buffs have become quite acquainted with playing on the West Coast this spring. In seven events, five of them have been played in California, including their most recent trip to Pleasanton for the Pac-12 Championships late last month. Colorado recorded its lowest 54-hole score in postseason history on its way to matching a program-best fifth place finish at the league event. Keating's 210, tied a school record she set in the 2015 Pac-12 Championships as she anchored the Buffs and finished tied for fifth, making it her second consecutive top five performance at the Pac-12s.
CU has a good deal of experience on Stanford's home course. The Buffaloes played here in February when it opened its spring season at the Peg Barnard Invitational. The Buffaloes also played in the same event the previous two years. Colorado shot 594 or 26-over par during the 36-hole tournament and finished sixth.
Lee, currently ranked 21st in the country, leads the team in most statistical categories, including stroke average at 72.48. She has played in 27 rounds of stroke play this season, all of which have counted toward team scoring. Keating owns a 74.15 average and Fan is third on the team with a 74.63 mark.
The top six teams and three individuals who are not members of those squads from each of the four regions—Bryan Texas, Baton Rouge, La. and Shoal Creek, Ala. being the others will advance to the NCAA Championship Finals, scheduled for May 20-25 at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore. Live scoring for each of the four regional events is available at GolfStat.com.
