Women's Golf Ties for Third to Advance to NCAA Championship

STOCKTON, Calif. ­— Despite strong winds, the St. Mary's University Women's Golf team moved up on the final day to finish the NCAA West Regional in a tie for third place and punch its ticket to the NCAA Championships.
 
The Rattlers fired a 289 on Wednesday to shoot an 876 for the three-day tournament and advance to their fourth NCAA Championship and first since 2021. 
 
"I'm so proud of this team and their ability to fight until the very end of day three," said Director of Golf Connor McCarthy. "The first day didn't go our way, but they did not lose any confidence for a single minute! Every one of them did a fantastic job staying in the moment and focusing one shot at a time. It's especially true in today's tough and windy conditions. We got off to a great start at -4 as a team through seven holes. The wind picked up even more and we stayed steady. I'm excited that these young ladies get another opportunity to prove themselves in Orlando!"
 
Senior Rebecca Reed (Midland, Texas) shot a 71 in her final round, ending with a 215 (71-73-71) to tie for fifth place. She becomes the seventh Rattler to finish in the top five in school history. Reed's round consisted of five birdies, three bogeys and 10 pars.
 
Freshman Savannah Dupre (Boerne, Texas) made the absolute most of her return to the lineup from injury, finishing tied for ninth place with a 217 (72-75-70) and ending the week with a two-under-par 70. She tallied five birdies in the final 18 and was one of only two freshmen to place in the top 10.
 
Orla O'Leary, a junior from Galashiels, Scotland, matched her opening round score, carding a 73 to finish tied for 19th with a total of 222 strokes (73-76-73). The 222 is her lowest tournament total of the year, bettering her 224 from the WT Fall Invitational. 
 
Senior Estelle Beck-Dixon (Lakeway, Texas) shot a 75 to tie for 27th place and ended with a 224 (78-71-75) for her second-lowest round of the year. Beck-Dixon ended the tournament even-par on par-3 holes and +1 on par-5 scoring.
 
Libby Kilbride, a junior from Sheffield, England, equaled her second round with a 78 on day three, ending tied for 54th place with a 232.  
 
The Rattlers advance to the NCAA Championship, which will take place May 21-25 at Orange County National Golf Resort and Lodge in Winter Garden, Florida.