Auburn Expands Lead in NCAA Regional; McCauley Moves up

College

AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn answered the question of which team will win the NCAA Women's Division I Auburn Regional on Tuesday. Playing on their home course, the Tigers put together the only sub-par team total so far, a 1-under 287. That put them at 577 after two rounds, and they lead by 14 shots over second-place Houston with one round to go.

Houston sophomore Moa Svendenskiold followed her Monday 72 with a 3-under 69, and her 36-hole total of 142 has her first in the individual competition, by one stroke over Auburn teammates Anna Davis and Megan Schofill. Davis is a freshman for the Tigers now, but the long-hitting left-hander won the Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2022, when she was a junior in high school. On Tuesday, she matched Svendenskiold for the low score of the day -- and tournament -- with a 69.  Schofill, a fifth-year senior with an even more impressive resume than Davis -- she won the U.S. Women's Amateur last year -- had a 73.

Louise Rydqvist, the South Carolina sophomore from Sweden who was tied with Schofill for first at the start of the second round, shot 74 and she's now alone in fourth.

Houston shot 293 on Tuesday and moved up from a tie for third into solo second, at 591. North Carolina is one behind the Cougars at 592, and Oregon is fourth at 595. 

The top five teams will advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be played May 17-22 at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif. 

Going into Wednesday's final round, Georgia and Tulsa are tied for fifth at 596. South Carolina fell from second to seventh with a less-than-steller 305 on Tuesday, but the Gamecocks are only two shots out of fifth at 598.

For the second year in a row, Minnesota's Bella McCauley is playing in an NCAA Regional as an individual only, which makes it really difficult to qualify for the NCAA tournament. She made it last year by finishing sixth in the East Lansiing Regional. But the sophomore from Inver Grove Heights got off to a rocky start at Auburn, with a first-round 77 and was tied for 34th. A double bogey at the  par-5 16th was the low point of Monday's round. The former MGA Girls Junior champion -- and State Class AAA high school champion -- made another double Tuesday, at the par-4 14th, which was her fifth hole of the day, but she fought back and posted a 72. That lifted her into a tie for 18th overall.

But that isn't what really matters.  Basically, McCauley is playing in a tournament within a tournament this week. To make it to Carlsbad, she has to fiinish first among 41 players -- the 35 who are on the seven teams that end up not advancing from the regional, plus the other five players who are at Auburn as individuals only. (She doesn't have to worry about Davis or Schofill, or Svendeskiold either, unless Houston has a disastrous third round.) After Monday's round, she was tied for 15th in that 41-player sub-tournament that she has to win, but she moved up into a tie for sixth with the 72 on Tuesday.   


NCAA Women's DI Auburn Regional

At Auburn University Club

Par 72, 6,480 yards

Auburn, Ala. 

Second-round results

1 Auburn                      290-287--577

2. Houston                   298-293--591

3. North Carolina          300-292--592

4. Oregon                     298-297--595

T5. Georgia                 306-290--596

T5. Tulsa                      298-298--596

7. South Carolina         293-305--598

8. Miami                       305-306--611

9. Michigan                  311-304--615

10. East Tenn. State    308-310--618

11. Kennesaw State     317-317--634

12. Albany                    321-325--646

Individuals

1. Moa Svendenskiold, Houston     72-69--141  

T2. Megan Schofill, Auburn             69-73--142

T2. Anna Davis, Auburn                  73-69--142

4. Louise Rydqvist, So. Carolina     69-74--143

5. Kayla Smith, North Carolina        72-72--144

T6. Casey Weidenfeld, Auburn        75-70--145

T6. Megan Streicher, No. Carolina   71-74--145

T6. Sara Byrne, Miami                      74-71--145

T9. Caterina Don, Georgia                77-69--146

T9. Grace Kilcrease, Tulsa                73-73--146

T18. Bella McCauley, Minnesota    77-72--149