Miami Set For NCAA Championship Action On Friday

SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – The No. 13-ranked University of Miami women’s golf team opens play at the 2017 NCAA Championship on Friday at 2:06 p.m. ET. The tournament, hosted by Northern Illinois University, will be held at the par 72, 6,343-yard Rich Harvest Farms Golf Course.

THE BASICS
-All 24 teams and 12 individuals will complete 54 holes of stroke play, beginning Friday and running through Sunday.
-Following the 54 holes of stroke play, the top 15 teams, along with the top nine individuals not on an advancing team, will move on for one additional day of stroke play to determine the top eight teams for match play competition and the 72-hole stroke-play individual champion.
-The top eight teams after 72-holes will be placed into a bracket and will begin match play competition on Tuesday. Match play competition concludes on Wednesday.
-Friday, May 19 – First Round – 2:06 p.m. ET  (Miami will tee off from hole No. 1)
-Saturday, May 20 – Second Round – 9:36 a.m. ET (Miami will tee off from hole No. 10)
-Sunday, May 21 – Third Round – TBA
-Monday, May 22 – Fourth Round – TBA
-Tuesday, May 23 – Match Play Begins – TBA
-Wednesday, May 24 – Match Play Concludes – TBA
-Fans can follow the action live by clicking here.

COMPETING TEAMS (Rankings based on Golfstat.com)
No. 2 Alabama, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 17 Baylor, No. 21 California, Clemson, No. 8 Duke, No. 3 Florida, No. 5 Florida State, No. 9 Furman, No. 14 Kent State, No. 13 Miami, Michigan State, Michigan, North Carolina, No. 12 Northwestern, No. 25 Ohio State, Oregon, Pepperdine, No. 24 Purdue, No. 6 USC, No. 11 South Carolina, No. 1 Stanford, No. 16 Texas, Texas Tech.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
Golf Channel’s live tournament coverage of the women’s championship will begin on Monday, May 22 to crown the individual national champion, as well as to track the teams attempting to qualify for the eight-team match-play tournament. Golf Channel’s coverage also will include all three rounds of the team match-play tournament on Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24.

Monday, May 22 – Individual National Championship: 4-8 p.m. (Live)
Tuesday, May 23 – Quarterfinals, Team Match Play: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Live)
Tuesday, May 23 – Semifinals, Team Match Play: 4-8 p.m. (Live)
Wednesday, May 24 – Team Match Play National Championship: 4-8 p.m. (Live)

THE CANES AND THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
The Hurricanes enter the NCAA Championship for the 25th time in program history. The Hurricanes have won five national championships, with their last coming in 1984. Miami’s last appearance in the NCAA Championship occurred in 2016 when it placed 21st. Prior to its NCAA trip in 2016, Miami’s last visit to the NCAA Championship was in 1992, when it placed 10th.

THE QUOTE
“I’m so proud of my girls for never giving up. I’m so excited because we are such a young team. This is only the beginning of their greatness and I can’t wait to see us perform at nationals.”
-Head coach Patti Rizzo following the team’s final round at the NCAA Regional

DELFINA DAZZLES AT ACC CHAMPIONSHIP
Senior Delfina Acosta made her final ACC Championship appearance one to remember, as she finished third.

Acosta’s performance marked her best career finish at the ACC Championship. Her final day score of 68 was the lowest round among the individual tournament field and capped a tournament that saw her post a season-best three-round total of 213.

The Argentina native posted six birdies on the final day. She began by carding birdies on four of the first six holes. She then finished the front nine four-under-par (32) and closed out the tournament by shooting even par on the back nine.

HURRICANE FRESHMEN MAKING AN IMPACT
Miami freshmen Macarena Aguilera, Renate Grimstad and Filippa Moork have made an immediate impact this season, propelling the Hurricanes to a top-20 ranking for the entire spring campaign.

During the 2016-17 season, the three Hurricane rookies have competed in 90 rounds, 31 events and have posted six top-10 finishes.

In addition, Miami’s freshman trio has posted an average score of 74.59, which ranks third among all NCAA Division I teams, according to Golfstat.com.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Hurricanes earned a second straight trip to the national tournament, as it tied for fifth at the 2017 NCAA Regional Championship in Albuquerque, N.M. on May 10.

Miami’s second straight trip to the national tournament marks the first time since the 1991-92 seasons that the Hurricanes have earned back-to-back trips to nationals.

The Hurricanes battled heavy winds, which reached speeds of up to 30 miles per hour to post a final round team score of 297 to earn a spot in the national tournament.

The Hurricanes finished the tournament with a three-round score of 888. As a team, Miami finished the final round of competition with 13 birdies.

WATCH THE BIRDIE
The Hurricanes earned a second straight bid to the national tournament in large part to their ability make birdie putts, as Miami tallied a tournament-best 39 birdies at the NCAA Regional Championship in Albuquerque, N.M.

IRON CANES
Miami senior Delfina Acosta and freshmen Filippa Moork and Renate Grimstad are the only Hurricanes to play in every round this season.

WEBER EARNS ALL-ACC HONORS
Sophomore Dewi Weber was named to the 2017 All-ACC Women’s Golf Team on May 11 in a vote conducted by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Weber earned a spot on the all-conference team after she posted a standout 2016-17 campaign and helped the Hurricanes to the NCAA Championship for the second straight season.
This past year, Weber posted a team-best six top 10 finishes and placed in the top 15 in 11 events. She also won two tournaments.
 
THE LINEUP
Dewi Weber
-Averaging a team-best 71.52 heading into the national tournament.
-Tied for 14th at the NCAA Regional.
-Tied for 14th at the ACC Championship, a career best.
-Has finished in the top-15 nine times this season.
-Ranked No. 15 in the nation according to golfstat.com
-Has 11 career top-10 finishes.
-Tied for 11th at the Bryan National Collegiate.
-Tied for third at the Briar’s Creek Invitational.
-Tied for third at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate.
-Tied for sixth at the Florida Challenge.
-Won medalist honors at the Betsy Rawls Invitational.
-Captured medalist honors at the Fossum Invitational.
-2016 NCAA National Runner-up.
 
Filippa Moork
-Has posted a scoring average of 73.59 in 32 rounds this year.
-Has tallied three top-10 finishes this season.
-Tied for eighth at the Briar’s Creek Invitational.
-Placed 21st at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate.
-Tied for 12th at the Betsy Rawls Invitational to close out the fall season.
-Tied for 20th at the Jim West Challenge.
-Tied for 39th at the ACC Championship.
-One of three freshmen on this year’s roster.
 
Delfina Acosta
-Has posted a scoring average of 73.44 in 32 rounds this year.
-Posted her best finish of the spring at the ACC Championship on April 15, as she placed third.
-Tied for 35th at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate.
-Tied for 14th at the Florida Challenge to open the spring season.
-Tied for 15th at the Jim West Challenge.
-Opened the 2016-17 season by finishing third at the Fossum Invitational.
-Owns eight career top-10 finishes.
-The only senior on this year’s roster.
 
Renate Grimstad
-Owns a scoring average of 74.47 in 32 rounds this season.
-Led the way for the Hurricanes at the NCAA Regional, as she tied for eighth.
-Has tallied three top-10 finishes this season.
-Tied for third at UCF Challenge to lead the team.
-Tied for sixth at the Florida Challenge.
-Posted a season-low 69 in the final round of play at the Jim West Challenge.
-Tied for 22nd at the Fossum Invitational.
-Tied for 21st at the ACC Championship
-One of three freshmen on this year’s roster.
 
Macarena Aguilera
-Has totaled a scoring average of 75.50 in 26 rounds this year.
-Tied for 31st at the ACC Championship.
-Tied for 47th at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate.
-Tied for 35th at the Betsy Rawls Invitational.
-Tied for 44th at the Fossum Invitational in her Miami debut.
-One of three freshmen on this year’s roster.