Women’s Golf Moves Into Tie For Fourth At NCAA Austin Regional As Szeryk Retains Individual Lead

AUSTIN- The Texas A&M women's golf team moved into position to advance to the NCAA Championship, sitting in a tie for fourth place after shooting a 2-under 286 at the NCAA Austin Regional Tuesday. Senior Maddie Szeryk maintained her outright individual tournament lead, shooting a 3-under 69.
 
"I challenged the team this morning," said Texas A&M head coach Trelle McCombs. "I told them, when we got out of the van this morning, we have to have a good round today. They rose to the challenge of that, and I'm super-proud of them."
 
The Aggies moved up from 9^th place to start the day to a four-way tie for fourth, which would force a four team playoff for three spots at the NCAA Championship, if the tournament ended after 36 holes. After Wednesday's final round, the top six teams and the top three individuals not on an advancing team, move on to the NCAA Championship in Stillwater, Okla., May 18-23.
 
Texas A&M's 286 is its best round in the NCAA postseason since the Second Round of the 2015 San Antonio Regional, a span of 11 rounds. It is the Aggies' seventh par-or-better round of the season, the fourth-most in school history.
 
Szeryk continued her stellar performance at the NCAA Austin Regional, shooting a 3-under 69 at the University of Texas Golf Club. Szeryk, who leads the tournament by a stroke over Arkansas' Dylan Kim, is a 7-under 137 after two rounds. She is looking to become the second Texas A&M golfer to win an NCAA Regional, and the first since Katerina Ruzickova in 2012.
 
Szeryk had her 89^th career par-or-better round on Tuesday, which clinched the NCAA career record for par-or-better rounds. Duke's Leona Maguire is second all-time with 83.
 
Freshman Amber Park shot a 1-under 71 for the second consecutive day, and is tied for eighth with a 2-under 142 after two rounds. After a bogey on No. 3, Park pared the next 14 holes and finished with a birdie on No. 18.
 
Sophomore Courtney Dow shot an even-par 72, her 20^th career round of par-or-better. Dow is now tied for 53^rd with a 7-over 151 for the tournament. Freshman Morgan Lay, playing in her hometown, shot a 2-over 74, matching her best round of the spring season, and putting her in the tie for 53^rd at 151.
 
Freshman Ariana Saenz rounds out the Aggie lineup with a 10-over 82 on the par 72 / 6,341-yard course, and is 89^th in the tournament with a 20-over 164.
 
The Aggies tee off in the third and final round of the NCAA Austin Regional at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, with live scoring available on Golfstat.