RALEIGH, N.C. – Freshman Lottie Woad is in a tie for first place and junior Charlotte Heath is in a tie for fifth place in the individual standings, and the Florida State Women’s Golf team is in second place in the team standings after the first round of the NCAA Raleigh Regional Championship at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course. Woad shot a 5 under par score of 67, while Heath carded a 2 under par score of 70 to lead the Seminoles individually through the first 18 holes of the championship. No. 3 seeded Florida State trails No. 8 seeded and tournament host NC State by one stroke and leads No. 2 seeded Arizona State by one stroke as the Seminoles play for their third consecutive NCAA Regional championship. The Seminoles won the regional championships at Louisville in 2021 and in Tallahassee in 2022.
Florida State is looking to advance out of the Raleigh Regional Championship and into the NCAA Championship Finals for the school-record seventh consecutive time. The top five teams in each of the six NCAA Regionals (which all began on Monday) will advance to the finals at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Az. (May 19-24, 2023). Each of the NCAA Regional Championships are set for 54 holes.
Florida State played its best golf as a team on the back nine, as the Seminoles’ five players recorded nine birdies and only five bogeys after making the turn. The Seminoles totaled nine birdies on the back nine after carding five on the front side of the course. Throughout the entirety of the first round, the Seminoles totaled 14 birdies and just 12 bogeys – and no scores above a bogey.
“We played well and put together a good round for the first day,” said Seminole Head Coach Amy Bond. “We have put ourselves in a position, after the first 18 holes, to accomplish our goals if we continue to play well for the next two days. We need to continue to play well tomorrow, play shot by shot and be gritty – because that’s what it takes to be successful in the postseason.”
Woad, who is tied for the individual lead, carded a team-leading five birdies and all of her 18 holes at par or better. She totaled one birdie on her front nine and four after making the turn. Her score of 67 is tied for the third best single round score in an NCAA Regional Championship by a Seminole, and is a school-record low round in an NCAA Regional Championship by a Florida State freshman.
Woad earned scores of par on her first seven holes, was never over par during the round, and was six strokes under par on her final 11 holes of the round. With a birdie on hole No. 17, Woad was at her first-round best five strokes under par.
“I’m happy with how we played as a team today,” said Woad. “Everything was pretty solid as I worked to minimize my mistakes. I’m looking forward to building on how I played today in tomorrow’s round.”
Heath, who is playing in her third career regional championship, totaled four birdies and was 3 under par over her final 13 holes to card a 2 under par score of 70. She earned two birdies on both sides of the course, and was a total of 4 strokes under par on holes No. 6 through 11. Heath was as many as three strokes under par during the round. She is currently in a tie for fifth place in the individual standings.
Junior Amelia Williamson is in a tie for 20th place in the individual standings after she carded an even par score of 72 in the first round. She was nearly perfect on the day in finishing at even par – she totaled one birdie, one bogey, and 17 holes scored at par or better.
Freshman Madison Hewlett, who is making her first career NCAA Regional Championship appearance, carded a career-best score of 74 and is in a tie for 34th place in the individual standings. Hewlett totaled three birdies and was a total of 2 under par over the final six holes of the round with birdies on holes No. 14 and 15. She carded three consecutive holes at par to close the round.
Sophomore Kaylah Williams carded one birdie on her way to a first-round score of 75. Williams has played in a career-high seven matches this season and is playing in her first career NCAA Regional Championship tournament.
Florida State will play with NC State and Arizona State, with play for the Seminoles, Wolfpack and Sun Devils beginning at 9:06 a.m. from tee No. 1 on Tuesday.
NCAA Raleigh Regional Championship/May 8-10, 2023
Lonnie Poole Golf Club/Raleigh, N.C./Par 72
2/12.-Florida State, 283
T1. -Lottie Woad, 67
T5.-Charlotte Heath, 70
T20.-Amelia Williamson, 72
T34.-Madison Hewlett, 74
T42.-Kaylah Williams, 75
NCAA Raleigh Regional Championship/May 8-10, 2023
Lonnie Poole Golf Club/Raleigh, N.C./Par 72
1.-NC State, 282
2.-Florida State, 283
3.-Arizona State, 284
4.-Arizona, 286
5.-Purdue, 287
6.- Florida, 290
T7.-Wake Forest, 292
T7.-TCU, 292
9.-Nebraska, 296
10.-Campbell, 297
11.-North Texas, 308
12.-Richmond, 310
