No. 9 Women’s Golf Set for NCAA Las Vegas Regionals
LAS VEGAS – The No. 9 ranked Arkansas women’s golf team is the No. 2 seed at the NCAA Las Vegas Regionals and are set to play in their 21st straight postseason, 22nd overall, this week. Arkansas will play at the Spanish Trail Country Club in Las Vegas, a par 72, 6665-yard course. The Las Vegas Regional is hosted by UNLV.
The three rounds will take play Monday, May 6 to Wednesday, May 8 in the 54-hole format on the canyon and lakes nines. On Monday, Arkansas will tee off at 8 a.m. off the first tee. After the three rounds, the top five teams out of the 12-team field will advance to the NCAA Championship played at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California from Friday, May 17 to Wednesday, May 22.
Arkansas is looking to win its second NCAA Regional in school history, first since 2018 in Austin. The Hogs will also look to punch its 12th ticket to the NCAA Championship as a team, first since 2022.
As the No. 2 seed, Arkansas is one of eight teams in the field ranked inside the top 50, according to the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd rankings. The Hogs are the lone SEC team in the Las Vegas Regionals with three teams representing the PAC 12 (UCLA, Arizona and California), two teams coming from the Big 12 (Baylor and Oklahoma) and one each from the ACC (Florida State), Big 10 (Purdue) and Mountain West (Colorado State), as well as conference champions in Kent State, Xavier and Dartmouth.
Reagan Zibilski will play at the No. 1 spot in her second NCAA Regional appearance. She tied for 57th with a 14-over 224 (70-76-78) at the SEC Championship and tied with Texas A&M’s Jennie Park in match play, when Zibilski was 1UP through 17 holes. Zibilski holds a 72.96 scoring average with a tie for the second most rounds at par or better with 13. The sophomore has four top 20 finishes this season, highlighted by a tie for 11th with a 2-under 214 (72-72-70) at the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic.
Kendall Todd will make her return to the desert and Spanish Trail Country Club, one of UNLV’s home golf courses, after spending her freshman year with the Rebels. Todd will serve as No. 2 in the lineup for her second NCAA Regional appearance, going into regional play with three top 10 finishes and six top 20 showings. She is coming off tying for 11th at the SEC Championship after logging a 2-over 212 (67-72-73) in stroke play. Todd has the most pars on the team with 304 and is tied for second on the team in scoring average (72.04) and rounds at par or better (13).
Kajal Mistry is third in the lineup, competing in her fourth and final NCAA Regional event. Mistry is coming off a tie for 11th at the SEC Championship with a 2-over 212 (71-72-69). She holds a 72.29 scoring average with five rounds at par or better. Mistry has four top 20 finishes this year, highlighted by tying for fourth at The Bruzzy with a 2-over 212 (69-72-71). The graduate student is coming into this week with a 73.58 career scoring average.
The 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year and All-SEC First Team selection in Maria José Marin will play at the fourth spot in the lineup. She is ranked No. 4 in the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd rankings and No. 19 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. José Marin finished SEC Championship stroke play with a 7-over 217 (74-73-70) to tie for 30th after making the cut for the second straight week at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur the week before. The Cali, Colombia native leads the Hogs with a 70.70 scoring average with 17 rounds at par or better and six rounds in the 60s. She is going into regionals with one tournament win, two runner-up showings, three top five finishes and seven top 20 showings.
Miriam Ayora will play at the No. 5 spot in her final NCAA Regional action, making her third regional appearance. Ayora is ranked inside the top 100 in the Scoreboard Powered by Clippd rankings at No. 74. At the SEC Championship, she tied for 47th in stroke play with an 11-over 221 (75-75-71). In match play vs. Texas A&M, she powered past Texas A&M’s Zoe Slaughter, 5&4. Ayora has the most birdies on the team with 88 and is tied for the second most rounds at par or better (13) and third on the team in scoring average (72.54).
Giovanna Fernandez will be the alternate for the Hogs in Las Vegas. She has played as an individual at four tournaments this season, including a career best eighth place showing at The Bruzzy with a 4-over 214 (71-74-69). Fernandez has a 74.18 scoring average with three rounds at par or better. The junior will be available as a substitute during the NCAA Regionals.
Arkansas has sat inside the top 10 in each week’s inaugural Scoreboard Powered by Clippd rankings. The team has three wins, tied for the second most in school history and most since 2013-14, as well as six top five showings.
COMPETING TEAMS (SCOREBOARD BY CLIPPD RANKINGS)
- UCLA (4)
- Arkansas (9)
- Arizona (16)
- Florida State (19)
- Cal (28)
- Purdue (33)
- Baylor (40)
- Oklahoma (46)
- Colorado State (52)
- Kent State (70)
- Xavier (120)
- Dartmouth (125)
INDIVIDUALS:
- Toa Yokoyama, UNLV
- Lauren Lehigh, New Mexico
- Lauren Zaretsky, Texas Tech
- Myah McDonald, New Mexico
- Victoria Liu, Princeton (Ivy League)
- Lizzie Neale, Northern Arizona (Big Sky)
TEE TIMES OFF 1 (CT)
10 a.m. – Miriam Ayora
10:11 a.m. – Maria José Marin
10:22 a.m. – Kajal Mistry
10:33 a.m. – Kendall Todd
10:44 a.m. – Reagan Zibilski
COURSE
Spanish Trail Country Club – Las Vegas, Nev. – Par 72 – 6,665 yards
LIVE SCORING
UP NEXT
The top five teams and top individual from non-advancing teams will advance to the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
MORE INFORMATION
Keep up with all of the latest news and information and get behind the scenes looks into our program on our social media accounts. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @RazorbackWGolf and check out our Facebook page “Razorback Women’s Golf.” Stats, news and player information can be found at ArkansasRazorbacks.com.
