Indiana women’s golf redshirt junior Sheridan Clancy earned a spot in the NCAA Championships following a 9-under-par performance at the NCAA Simpsonville Regional at the University of Louisville Golf Club in Simpsonville, Kentucky.
The event was one of six regionals that took place May 11-13, with the top five teams, and lowest-shooting individual not on a top-five team, advancing to the NCAA finals in Carlsbad, California.
While Clancy punched her ticket to Carlsbad as an individual, Indiana finished eighth as a team, shooting 3 over par for a final score of 867, sending the Hoosiers home for the season.
Indiana opened play Monday with a 4-over-par score of 292, which planted the team in 10th place after day one, 10 strokes behind first place.
Clancy was the only Hoosier to score under par in the first round, boasting a 4-under-par 68 in a round that featured six birdies. Clancy’s opening scorecard was good enough for fourth place after day one, tied with College of Charleston junior Emilie von Finkenstein.
The University of Houston and the University of Mississippi were knotted for first place after Monday’s round, both shooting 6 under par. The rest of the top five included the University of Arkansas, Xavier University and a tie for fifth place between Auburn University and Virginia Tech.
The Hoosiers played their best golf in round two, scoring 1 under par for a total of 287 strokes. Indiana tied for the seventh-best score Tuesday but was unable to climb the standings, remaining in 10th place with one round to play.
Clancy stayed consistent through the first two days, earning a 5-under-par score of 67 in round two. It was only the third best of the round but good enough to plant her in first place individually at the conclusion of Tuesday’s action.
The top five after round two saw a few changes, with Ole Miss falling to sixth place after a 1-under-par Tuesday. Auburn’s 15-under-par score of 273 broke the tie with Virginia Tech as the Tigers sat in second place, just two strokes behind Houston.
Xavier fell out of the top five after shooting even par in the second round, as a 12-under-par score of 276 from Iowa State University replaced Xavier in the qualifying threshold.
An even-par third round for Indiana boosted the Hoosiers up two places in the final standings, solidifying an eighth-place finish for the team. Redshirt senior Maddie May and senior Madison Dabagia both shot under par on Wednesday.
Clancy’s final round was an even-par 72, which dropped her to second place at the conclusion of regional tournament play. However, with Auburn junior Anna Davis's team already clinching a spot in the finals, Davis’s first-place title did not hinder Clancy from advancing to Carlsbad.
After a 2-under-par 286 in round three, Ole Miss found its way back in the top five at the end of the third round, joining Auburn, Houston, Arkansas and Iowa State as finals-qualifying teams.
Clancy will join five other individuals and 30 total teams for the NCAA women’s golf championship May 22-27 at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.
