Aggies advance to NCAA Championships with fifth place in Bryan Regional

Texas A&M women’s golf coach Gerrod Chadwell may not be happy with the way his team wrapped up the NCAA Bryan Regional, but he can’t argue with its result of advancing to the NCAA Championships.

The Aggies overcame a 9-over performance on the tournament’s final day on Wednesday, May 8 to stay within the cut line at fifth place and 6-over at Traditions Club. The finish punched A&M’s ticket to the Big Dance for the third year in a row, with the previous two trips ending in the semifinals in Chadwell’s first two seasons in Aggieland.

Despite competing on the team’s home course, a strong showing was all but a guarantee for the No. 2-seed Aggies. They entered Round 3 tied for third place with LSU at 3-under 573, ahead of Ohio State at 7-over. Yet A&M’s 12-stroke advantage over sixth-place Vanderbilt proved to not be enough.

The Maroon and White’s 10-under performance through Wednesday’s first three holes coupled with improved showings by the Buckeyes and the Commodores put the Aggies in sixth on the outside looking in.

“It wasn’t the ideal start,” Chadwell said. “We compounded our poor start with some putting mistakes, but we told them to stay patient. The front nine was going to get its licks, but the back nine was going to present some opportunities.”

That’s where junior Adela Cernousek came into play, turning in four consecutive birdies on holes 9, 10, 11 and 12 to bring A&M even with Ohio State. Her seven birdies on the final day spurred a run that pushed the Aggies ahead of the Buckeyes, who finished at 11-over. LSU won the regional at 8-under, four strokes ahead of SMU and Clemson.

Vanderbilt posted Wednesday’s best showing amongst teams at 8-under, making the leap from sixth place to fourth at 1-under.

Cernousek’s 1-under 71 final round contributed to her tie at third place amongst players at 7-under. The All-SEC First Teamer’s 15 birdies over the three days were good for the second-most behind LSU graduate Ingrid Lindblad’s 19. She is the world’s top-ranked women’s amateur and produced three 4-under days to come in first at 12-under.

Freshman Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio complemented the effort with three birdies on Wednesday, while graduates Blanca Fernández García-Poggio and Jennie Park added two on the course’s back nine. The three players each tied for 28th place at 6-over 222. Senior Zoe Slaughter’s 9-over tied for 39th.

“The front nine was going to get its licks, but the back nine was going to present some opportunities,” Chadwell said.

The Aggies’ rough outing in the Regional’s final round looked uncharacteristic based on the squad’s under-par outputs over the first two days. A&M overcame a misty Monday morning to shoot 1-under and come in third with Cernousek in fifth and Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio tied for sixth.

“It wasn’t very pretty, but we had a good outing,” Chadwell said. “This course is tough but if you would have told me that we would be under par this morning after the round, I would have taken it. Hole locations were very tough today, but I am proud of the way they competed.”

A&M’s 2-under on Tuesday put it in a tie for third while Cernousek was alone in third place individually.

“I am proud of them for staying in it and am glad we have another tee time in California next week,” Chadwell said.

The Aggies are one of 30 teams to reach the NCAA Championships at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California from May 17-22. It includes SEC programs Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

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