This Week in WAC Women's Golf - March 24
This Week in WAC Women's Golf - March 24
TICKETSMARTER WAC WOMEN'S GOLFER OF THE WEEK ANNOUNCED
Grand Canyon's Siripatsorn Patchana has been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Golfer of the Week for March 16 through March 22.
Patchana, a senior from Anusawaree, Bangkok, Thailand, took second at the Red Rocks Invitational to help GCU secure its second team win of the season. Shooting a 4-under-par 212, she was just one stroke out of the lead but it was enough to help the Lopes win the team title by six strokes over second-place Northern Arizona. On the season, she is fourth in the WAC in stroke average at 73.1 per round.
Other nominees: Dixie State's Abby Livingston tied for ninth at the Red Rocks Invitational in Sedona, shooting a 1-over-par 217 … Utah Valley's Victoria Estrada earned a top-10 finish at the Red Rocks Invitational, firing a 1-over-par 217.
ON THE TEE
The WAC is idle this week as teams get ready for the calendar to turn to April.
BY THE NUMBERS
Sam Houston's Jennifer Herbst is the leader in the WAC in stroke average at 71.9 strokes per round. Teammate Zulaikah Nasser is second at 72.5, followed by SU's Rivekka Jumagulova in third at 73.0. As a team, SHSU is also the top squad with a 294.5 stroke average. Grand Canyon is second at 295.4 followed by Seattle U in third at 295.6.
UPPING THE COMPETITION
The WAC will be in a unique situation this season with two teams having earned automatic qualifications to NCAA Regionals in May. NM State will be the defending WAC champions, having won the 2021 Championship by seven strokes at Boulder Creek GC before earning a top-10 finish at the NCAA Albuquerque Regional. Sam Houston also earned an automatic selection after winning the Southland Conference Championship by 19 strokes over Central Arkansas. The Bearkats were unable to compete in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional after wet weather made the course unplayable. Senior Hanna Alberto still advanced to the NCAA Championship, becoming the first SHSU golfer to play at the final site.
IT'S BIGGER IN TEXAS (AND UTAH)
On Jan. 14, the WAC announced the addition of five new schools in the upcoming years. Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Southern Utah were all offered and accepted membership invitations. With the addition, the WAC now has six schools in Texas, more than any other conference in the country, and will have three schools in Utah, also a national best. The four Texas schools joined the league on July 1, 2021 and Southern Utah will follow 365 days later, officially joining the WAC on July 1, 2022.
WAC CHAMPIONSHIP HEADS TO THE LONE STAR STATE
Originally the site for the canceled 2020 WAC Women's Golf Championship and for the first time since 2004, the WAC Championship heads to Texas as Riverhill Country Club in Kerrville will play host to the conference tournament on April 18-20, 2022. Designed by Byron Nelson and Joe Finger, Riverhill has been host to over 40 USGA and Texas Golf Association events.