IRVING, Texas – Three teams from the American Athletic Conference are headed to regional sites in the quest to qualify for the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship.
Tulsa, the 2021 American champion, earned the conference’s automatic bid earlier this month at Pinehurst No. 6 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Houston and UCF joined Tulsa as at-large selections into team competition. East Carolina’s Dorthea Forbrigd secured an automatic bid into NCAA Regionals as the 2021 American individual medalist.
The NCAA Regional schedule will feature four tournament sites with 18 teams and six unattached individuals participating on May 10-12. The top six team finishers and best three individuals from non-qualifying teams at each regional site will advance to the 2021 NCAA Championship on May 21-26 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Houston was the highest seeded team from The American drawn into NCAA Regionals, as the Cougars were slotted eighth in the Baton Rouge Regional to be held at the University Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fresh off a runner-up finish at the 2021 American Women’s Golf Championship, Houston is set for its sixth straight appearance at NCAA Regionals and will look to advance into the NCAA Championship field for the first time.
UCF returns to NCAA Regionals for the 15th time in program history and the seventh time in the last 10 seasons, earning the No. 9 seed in the Louisville Regional at University of Louisville Golf Club in Simpsonville, Kentucky. The Knights advanced to the NCAA Championship in 2019 after placing sixth at the Cle Elum Regional in Cle Elum, Washington. UCF finished fourth at the 2021 American Women’s Golf Championship to earn an at-large bid.
Tulsa secured its first conference championship as a member of The American with a three-shot win over Houston at Pinehurst No. 6. Tulsa claimed the No. 13 seed and will join Houston in the field at the Baton Rouge Regional at University Golf Club. The Golden Hurricane return to NCAA Regionals for the 18th time since 1993, and Tulsa is in search of its first finals appearance in the NCAA Championship since 2008. Tulsa has made the finals portion of the NCAA Championship 19 times since 1982, winning the national championship in 1982 and 1988* (*later vacated by the NCAA).
Forbrigd will also take part in the Baton Rouge Regional after finishing as the only golfer under par (1-under-par 215) in the 50-player field to capture individual medalist honors at the 2021 American Women’s Golf Championship. Forbrigd will compete at NCAA Regionals for the third time in her career, most recently finishing in a tie for 28th place at the 2019 Auburn Regional as a member of the ECU team lineup.
American Athletic Conference Women’s Golf
2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship
NCAA Regionals (Top six teams, top three individuals from non-qualifying teams advance from each site)
NCAA Baton Rouge Regional – May 10-12; University Club, Baton Rouge, La.
No. 8 seed Houston (at-large)
No. 13 seed Tulsa (American Champion)
No. 6 seed Dorthea Forbrigd, East Carolina (American Champion)*
NCAA Louisville Regional – May 10-12; Louisville Golf Club, Simpsonville, Ky.
No. 9 seed UCF (at-large)
*- competing as an individual