Fletcher Qualifies for NCAA Championship Finals

Wednesday, May 8

Norman, Okla.

TBA

University of Memphis

NCAA Regional

May 08, 2019 | Women's Golf

NCAA Norman Regional Final Stats

Senior will make her second NCAA championship final appearance at The Blessings Golf Course in Fayetteville.

By: Tammy DeGroff

NORMAN, Oklahoma – Battling for one of three individual spots in a field of 96 players, senior University of Memphis women's golfer Michaela Fletcher carded a third round 73 (+1) to earn her way to the NCAA Women's Golf Championships Wednesday. Fletcher finished tied for third overall at 211 (68-70-73) in the NCAA Norman Regional, earning her second appearance at the championships.

Oklahoma's Kaitlin Milligan was the top-qualifying individual, finishing at 208. Arizona State's Olivia Mehaffey (208) and Texas' Agathe Laisne (210) both finished ahead of Fletcher in the individual scores, but as members of qualifying teams, did not take individual qualifying spots, making Fletcher the second of three individuals qualifying in the tournament.

Virginia Tech's Amanda Hollandsworth took the final individual spot out of the Norman Regional at 213.

"This is the hardest way to go to nationals," Head Coach Beth Harrelson said. "You're going out there by yourself and across the entire country, only 12 individuals make it to the nationals on the women's side."

And the weather did its best to rattle Fletcher. Overnight storms and heavy overnight and morning rains meant tee times were adjusted as the final round had to finish Wednesday. Instead of teeing off of one and competing with other individuals from Oklahoma State who had shots at individual spots, the individual competitors were paired with competitors from teams that started Wednesday in 17^thand 18^thplace in a shot gun start.

But Fletcher was nonplussed.

"Honestly I just went in with the idea that I'm going to be playing my own game anyway, so the changeup of partners didn't hurt me in any way," she stated. "The conditions this morning were just really, really tough. You knew you were just going to have to grind because everyone was going to have trouble holes. I was standing on the range with handwarmers and was all bundled up, but luckily it cleared up and made it more manageable."

Fletcher started on 16 and came around to the first hole even. That hole had gotten a bogey from Fletcher on both Monday and Tuesday, but she parred the hole Wednesday. Then on two, a hole birdied Monday, she found a little trouble and bogeyed.

"I knew today was one of those days I wasn't striking the ball great and was having a little trouble with my long game," she said. "I knew I needed to use my short game, but that's why I've been practicing so much in my short game. It was a change from previous days where I was going for birdies. Today I just didn't want to make mistakes."

And other than a bogey on six, Fletcher birdied eight to get back to +1 on the day and closed out the final seven holes with pars.

"She was just a magician in the short game today," Harrelson said.

"It was nerve-racking," Fletcher said. "I was very aware of my score today, but just trusted all the work I put in on my short game."

Fletcher now advances to the NCAA Championship finals, along with six teams from the Norman Regional: Texas, Florida, Wake Forest, Purdue, Arizona State and Ole Miss. The NCAA Championship Finals will be hosted by the University of Arkansas at The Blessings Golf Club, May 17-22. The event features four rounds of stroke play for individuals, then two days of match play for team entries.