ST. GEORGE, Utah – Freshman Alivia Brown of the Washington State women's golf team finished in sixth place at the NCAA Division I Women's Golf St. George Regional, Saturday, to qualify for the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships. Brown fired a third-round 71 (E) and finished the tournament 6-over par (219) to become the first Cougar in school history to qualify as an individual for the national championships.
Competing in a field that featured 18 teams and 96 golfers, Brown offered consistent play in the final round on the Entrada Golf Course at Snow Canyon Country Club. The Gig Harbor, Wash., freshman rebounded after firing a 77 (+6), Friday, to finish even with par in the final round, Saturday. Brown carded par on 12-straight holes before bogeying No. 13. Brown saved par with a birdie on the par-4 No. 17 hole to finish the tournament one stroke out of a tie for fifth place. UNLV's Dana Finkelstein (-2, 211) took individual honors, while USC (+28, 880) won the team title.
“I'm really excited,” Brown said. “I had a great time playing out here and just focused on playing my game. Everyone says it's hard to succeed your freshman year, but I didn't want it to be a waste. I wanted to meet my goals and expectations. It feels good to reach them.”
With her performance in the final round, Brown lowered her season scoring average to 74.14, the lowest by a freshman in school history and the third-lowest score by any Cougar in program history. Her third-round 71 ties for the best single-round performance in postseason play in WSU history.
Brown's upcoming appearance in the NCAA Championships marks the second appearance by the Crimson and Gray at the national championships in school history. The Cougars qualified for the championships as a team in 2003, when All-American Kim Welch led Washington State to a 23rd-place finish.
“Today was incredible,” WSU Head Coach Kelli Kamimura said. “Alivia is a tough competitor and she did a great job sticking to her game plan and taking it one shot at a time. It's been such a great week. It's great to be going to nationals and have the opportunity to represent Washington State.”
Brown will now return to Pullman, Wash., before traveling to Bradenton, Fla., May 22-27, to compete in the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships.
