The Kansas women’s golf team is set to go to its third straight NCAA regional after securing the No. 4 seed in the Columbus Regional.
The Jayhawks received an at-large bid and the highest regional seed in school history. This is the fourth time the Jayhawks have received a bid, three of which have come in the first four years under coach Lindsay Kuhle.
“I came in with coach Kuhle, and coach Kuhle was very much, ‘Here’s the culture, here’s what we want to build,'” senior Lauren Clark said. “To be a part of the building blocks of that program has been really rewarding.”
She added: “The ultimate goal is to leave the program better than we found it. I can definitely say, regardless of what happens, we are definitely leaving it better than we found it. That is the culture and what we set out to do.”
This year’s selection show event was a little different than the previous two years. The Jayhawks were all but guaranteed to get a spot, as they were ranked No. 23 in the country according to the NCAA’s rankings on April 22. Still, there were some nerves among the celebrations.
“The last two years, we were just excited to get in,” Kuhle said. “This year, we are more nervous because of where we’re going and who’s our competition because we feel like we can really get through and make it to the championship.”
The top five teams in each region advance to the championship in Carlsbad, California, beginning on May 16.
Kansas has learned a lot from those prior two regional appearances. Competing in a situation where every stroke matters is a different environment, but the team has now experienced it and understands the pressure that comes with it.
“The players learned… how to handle pressure, how to handle (when) every shot matters,” Kuhle said. “We talk about that all year round, but it’s really apparent when it’s a competitive field.”
It’s been a quick turnaround for the Kansas program under Kuhle, who is only in her fourth year as the head coach. Kuhle said she knew she brought in a special group of golfers who wanted to build a team as much as they wanted to succeed individually. Kuhle said it’s because of the team’s leadership, particularly the four seniors, saying they’ve “set the tone for this culture of how hard we work, how competitive we are.”
“To see it all come true and to fruition is just awesome as a coach,” Kuhle said. “You always have this dream and this vision, but it’s because of our four seniors and our leaders.”
The Jayhawks are a deep group, with six of the 10 golfers holding a stroke average below 73. What makes the team stand out is its dedication to putting the team first and accepting a fluid lineup.
Clark won three of her 10 events and placed in the top five in four. Senior Lily Hirst was the other Jayhawk to finish first in an event, as she won the Match in the Desert in late January after finishing the tournament 3-under.
Junior Amy DeKock was in the same seat two years ago when the Jayhawks were selected as a No. 11 seed. Now, she’s watching her team enter the regional as one of the top teams with a good chance of making it to the championships.
“It’s crazy… it’s surreal,” DeKock said. “It’s so special to see we’re a four-seed now. We worked so hard all year.”
DeKock said she has family in Columbus, Ohio, who will be able to watch her, as will her parents, who are making the flight out to support her.
“It’ll be super special to have family and friends out there,” DeKock said.
DeKock said the course, the Scarlet Course at The Ohio State University Golf Club, has a difficult reputation, but that she and the team are ready for the challenge. Having competed in multiple regionals before, the Jayhawks understand that it will be very different than golfing in Kansas, but they believe they’re experienced and ready for anything.
The Big 12 will have 11 teams compete in regionals, a conference record. The Jayhawks earned the fourth-highest seed in the conference, behind No. 2 Arizona State in the Gold Canyon Regional, No. 3 Arizona in the Lubbock Regional and No. 3 TCU in the Lexington Regional.
Arkansas holds the top seed in Columbus, with LSU holding the second and host Ohio State in third. Big 12 opponent Houston falls right behind Kansas with the fifth seed, and No. 6 SMU, No. 7 UNLV, No. 8 Illinois, No. 9 Kent State, No. 10 Illinois State, No. 11 Xavier and No. 12 Oakland rounding out the region.
The Jayhawks will compete in the three-day regional tournament starting on May 5.
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