United Athletic Conference

NM State's Pun Chanachai has been named Western Athletic Conference Women's Golfer of the Week for April 3 to April 9. Chanachai, a junior from Bangkok, Thailand (The Demonstration School of Ramkhamhaeng), set a new program record with her sixth individual win after earning medalist honors at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic in Maricopa, Ariz. The two-time WAC Player of the Year shot an 8-under-par 208 to earn the title by four strokes. Her best round came on the first trip around the course, shooting a 5-under-par 67. As a team, the Aggies took third among 20 teams competing.

 

Other women's nominees: California Baptist's Jocelyn Chee won a playoff to earn medalist honors at the Indiana Spring Invitational with a 2-under-par 142, also helping the Lancers win their third team title of their inaugural Division I season … UT Rio Grande Valley's Julie Lucio tied a career-low with a 1-under-par 71 in the second round of the Kansas City Intercollegiate.

 

It's time for the 2019 WAC Women's Golf Championship at Oakbrook Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash. NM State will be the number one seed and will be led by the junior duo of Pun Chanachai and Dominique Galloway. Defending champion Grand Canyon is the second seed, followed by Utah Valley as the thirsd seed. Seattle U is the fourth seed and will play its opening round with NM State and seventh-seed CSU Bakersfield. Kansas City earned the fifth seed based on Golfstat ranking and will be teamed up with GCU and eighth-seed Grand Canyon in the third wave while UVU will play with sixth-seed UT Rio Grande Valley and California Baptist, who will be competiting as individuals due to the Lancers' transition to NCAA Division I.

 

WAC-newcomer California Baptist sits atop the team leaders in stroke average at 294.8 through 25 rounds played. Grand Canyon is second at 299.2 followed by NM State in third at 301.1. CBU's Erica Wang is the top individual with a stroke average of 73.0. NM State's Pun Chanachai is second at 73.5, followed by CBU's Yifei Wang in third at 74.1. NM State's Dominique Galloway is fourth at 74.2, followed by Grand Canyon's Courtney Vogel in fifth at 74.5.

 

California Baptist took to the course for their first NCAA Division I tournament on Sept. 15 at the USA Intercollegiate in Mobile, Ala. and the Lancers made quite the entrance, earning the team title with a 4-under-par 860. Grand Canyon's Courtney Vogel earned the WAC's first individual title of the season, winning the Rose City Collegiate with a 2-under-par 211. Vogel also led the Lopes to a team title at the Battle at the Rock to open spring play while NM State's Pun Chanachai tied for medalist honors at the Mission Hills Individual Invitational. The Lancers earned their second title of the season on March 14-15 in St. George Utah, firing a 13-over-par 589 to win the Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird. Most recently, NM State won the team title at the Red Rocks Invitational with a 1-over-par 853 while UVU's Kaylee Shimizu won the Anuenue Spring Break Classic with an even-par 216. CBU made it three wins in the final tournament of the regular season, winning the Indiana State Invitational with a 2-over-par 578. The Lancers' Jocelyn Chee tied with teammate Erica Wang and won a playoff hole to earn medalist honors at the event. NM State's Chanachai also earned some hardware in the final week, winning the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic for her school-record sixth individual title.

 

California Baptist is the newest member of the Western Athletic Conference as the Lancers begin the four-year transition to NCAA Division I. While CBU will not be eligible to compete for the team title until the 2023 WAC Championship, the Lancers will be able to compete as individuals at the WAC Championship. In 2018, California Baptist placed second at the NCAA Division II Championship.

 

The 2018 WAC Women's Golf Championship heads to the Pacific Northwest and Oakbrook Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash. Built in 1966, Oakbrook Golf Club features hundreds of oak trees and immaculate turf conditions. In 2012, Oakbrook opened its doors to the public after 56 years of private operations. Ryan Moore, PGA Tour professional and Tacoma native, brings his knowledge of championship golf to Oakbrook Golf Club through Ryan Moore Golf ownership, to continually improve the golf course and elevate the overall guest experience.