INFO | National Championships tournament central
RESULTS | NCAA D2 championships index
 
Eureka, Mo.----Wingate University senior Hailey McLaughlin (Markham, Ontario, Canada) saved her best round for last, posting a two-under-par 70 in the final stanza of the NCAA Division II women's golf national championship tournament at the Fox Run Golf Club Thursday. McLaughlin finished the 54-hole, stroke-play event with a one-over-par 217 on the way to tying for sixth place.
 
McLaughlin is the first Wingate golf student-athlete, male or female, to claim a top-10 NCAA finish in the school's senior college history (1979-present). The No. 25-ranked golfer in Division II, McLaughlin was making her first appearance in the national finals. Ninety-eight players participated in the tournament, hosted by the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
 
Tournament Information
 
NCAA Division II women's golf national championships (18/18/18)
Fox Run Golf Club (par 72, 6187 yards)
Eureka, Mo. (hosted by the University of Missouri-St. Louis)
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate head women's golf coach JD Lamm
 
"Hailey played incredible all week long. This was one of the toughest courses she's seen all year and her game rose to the occasion. Making the national tournament is a huge accomplishment, but finishing in the top 10 is something truly special. I'm extremely proud of Hailey and what she has been able to do on and off the course this year. Lucky for us we get two more years with her!"
 
Wingate senior student-athlete Hailey McLaughlin ('23)
 
"I'm really happy with my performance this week. I couldn't have asked for a better finish to my season. I came into this week with no expectations and having nothing to lose. For me to come out of this shooting one-over-par total on a tough course is more than I could have asked for. I didn't hit it as well today as I have been; however, a big part of my score was due to my short game. I may not have needed him for every shot, but having Coach JD with me made my time here a little easier. I can't thank him enough for all that he's done for me this year."
 
Hailey McLaughlin quick hits
 
- Wingate's McLaughlin shot 73-74-70=217 for a 1-over-par total for 54 holes
- Her total tied her for sixth place with nationally eighth-ranked Amelie Alcantara of Eckerd
- McLaughlin and Alcantara finished seven shots behind medalist Olivia Gronborg of Nova Southeastern
- Gronborg fired a six-under-par 210 in her first NCAA national championship appearance
- McLaughlin's final round 70 was the sixth-best round Thursday
- She made one of the biggest moves of the day, roaring up six spots on the leader board
- The lowest final round in the field was a 68; only five players shot in the 60s
- She came out hot Thursday, notching birdies on Nos. 2, 4 and 6 for a 3-under total
- McLaughlin bogeyed No. 7 and made the turn at 2-under 34
- She then had a bogey on 12 and a birdie on the par-3 17th for a back-nine 36
- For the 54 holes, McLaughlin recorded one eagle, 12 birdies, 31 pars, seven bogeys, two double bogeys and one quadruple bogey
- McLaughlin finished the national championship tied for 6th in par-3 scoring at -3; the best in the field was -5
- She was +8 for the event on par 4s; Olivia Mitchell of DBU was 4-under on the par 4s
- McLaughlin played the par 5s at 4-under for 54 holes, which was third-best
- Gabby Woods of Findlay led the par 5s at -7; Mitchell and Woods tied for second-place individual at -2
- McLaughlin was the top finisher among 11 players from the SAC
- Jessica Rathbone of Anderson was the next best SAC finisher at 32nd, seven shots back of McLaughlin
- McLaughlin can play two more seasons because of Covid-19 impacting two of her years
- The Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) will announce the complete All-American list in the days ahead
- In Division II, 42 student-athletes receive All-American honors (first, second and honorable mention teams)
 
NCAA Division II women's golf national championship tournament quick hits
 
- 2021 NCAA DII national champion Dallas Baptist emerged No. 1 following the 54-hole stroke-play portion of this year's championship
- Ranked 2nd nationally by Golfstat, DBU carded rounds of 295-285-294 (+10) to grab the No. 1 seed for medal match play
- Finishing four shots back in the No. 2 spot was 7th-ranked West Texas A&M, which made the biggest move of the day (up 5 spots) by carding a 5-under 283
- Seven of the eight spots for medal match play were earned by teams ranked in the top 10
- The exception was 16th-ranked Cal State East Bay, which claimed the 8th position at +31, 21 back of DBU
- Tying for the third position was defending national champion Findlay, ranked 4th nationally, and 10th-ranked UIndy at +16
- Spots 5-8 in the medal match play were earned by top-ranked Lynn (+17), 3rd-ranked Nova Southeastern (+18), No. 6 Henderson State (+29) and No. 16 Cal State East Bay (+29)
- Fifth-ranked Anderson, champion of the South Atlantic Conference, struggled in the final round to a 20-over 308 and fell from 5th to 10th, thus ending its season
- The field of 98 players included 52 of the top 100 players in the country
- Third-ranked Olivia Gronborg of Nova Southeastern was the individual national champion
- Gronborg shot 68-69-73=210 to win by six strokes over Findlay's Gabby Woods and DBU's Olivia Mitchell
- Hailing from Helsingør, Denmark, Gronborg had 16 birdies and 10 bogeys in the event
- Mitchell had a 1-shot lead with four holes left, but played 4-over down the stretch to finish tied for second place
 
Wingate national championship fun fact(s)
 
McLaughlin is the first WU woman and only the second Bulldog to qualify for the NCAA golf national championship finals. Fernando Mechereffe qualified for the 2001 NCAA Division II championship finals in Allendale, Michigan. He played one year for Wingate, then transferred to North Carolina State to finish his college career.
 
Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 38 undergraduate majors as well as seven master's and four doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; the Thayer School of Education; and the School of Sport Sciences. 
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 15 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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