Tuesday, May 21
Carlsbad, Calif.
8:50 AM
Texas A&M
vs
UCLA
Photo by: Sydney Stevenson/Texas A&M Athletics
Women's Golf Ends Season in NCAA Quarterfinals
May 21, 2024 | Women's Golf
CARLSBAD, Calif. – The Texas A&M women's golf team fell to the UCLA Bruins by a score of 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2024 NCAA Championships quarterfinal match on Tuesday at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.
The Maroon & White started the quarters strong, taking multi-hole leads in three matches near the turn. However, the Bruins erased the deficit and took points versus Blanca Fernández García-Poggio (1UP), Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio (2&1) and Zoe Slaughter (3&2) to advance to the semifinals. Adela Cernousek and Jennie Park's matches were tied when the victory by UCLA was clinched.
"We got off to a good start and played really well on the front, but lost momentum at the turn," Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell said. "We didn't play the last part of the back nine well and we just weren't playing very clean. UCLA was not going to beat themselves and they played great. It is always special making it to match play. We will learn from this and get better."
The Aggies' season was highlighted by 11 top five-finishes, including three runner-up outings. Under Chadwell, Texas A&M has qualified for match play in three-straight years, and crowned its first Individual National Champion in program history with Cernousek earning the distinction earlier this week.
Cernousek not only won the individual national title, but the junior also became the first A&M women's golfer to average below a 70.00 stroke average in a single season. The junior tabbed a 69.94 average, shattering the previous mark of 71.24 set by Maddie Szeryk in 2016. The junior won the U.S. Women's Open Qualifier in Pearland, Texas, on May 14 and will be competing at the prestigious event May 30-June 2 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
"In some ways it is an end of an era," Chadwell said. "Our three young ladies that we are sending out into the real world today transformed our program. They changed my life, and I will always be thankful for them. We have some experience coming back, so I am excited for that. This is still a celebration. We won in a lot of ways because of their bond as sisters."
The senior class of Blanca Fernández García-Poggio, Slaughter and Park all end their careers within the top-10 in program history for stroke average. Blanca Fernández García-Poggio was a 2022 All-American and All-SEC First Team selection. Park earned two All-America honors and competed at the Augusta National Women's Amateur (2023, 2024) and 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup. Slaughter still holds the 54-hole school record of 18-under 198, set at the ICON Invitational in 2023, and is the only Aggie to have shot 7-under or lower in at least four rounds.
Freshman phenom Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio ended her inaugural collegiate campaign with the second-lowest stroke average by an A&M freshman ever at 72.09. The Madrid, Spain, native was 4-1 in match play this year and tied for 16th in stroke play at NCAAs. Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio currently ranks as the No. 17 amateur in the world.
Match Play Results Versus UCLA
Meghan Royal (UCLA) def. Blanca Fernández García-Poggio (A&M) – 1UP
Caroline Canales (UCLA) def. Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio (A&M) – 2&1
Zoe Slaughter (A&M) vs. Natalie Vo (UCLA) – 3&2
Adela Cernousek (A&M) vs. Kate Villegas (UCLA) – Unfinished – Tied thru 15
Jennie Park (A&M) vs. Zoe Campos (UCLA) – Unfinished – Tied thru 15
The Maroon & White started the quarters strong, taking multi-hole leads in three matches near the turn. However, the Bruins erased the deficit and took points versus Blanca Fernández García-Poggio (1UP), Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio (2&1) and Zoe Slaughter (3&2) to advance to the semifinals. Adela Cernousek and Jennie Park's matches were tied when the victory by UCLA was clinched.
"We got off to a good start and played really well on the front, but lost momentum at the turn," Head Coach Gerrod Chadwell said. "We didn't play the last part of the back nine well and we just weren't playing very clean. UCLA was not going to beat themselves and they played great. It is always special making it to match play. We will learn from this and get better."
The Aggies' season was highlighted by 11 top five-finishes, including three runner-up outings. Under Chadwell, Texas A&M has qualified for match play in three-straight years, and crowned its first Individual National Champion in program history with Cernousek earning the distinction earlier this week.
Cernousek not only won the individual national title, but the junior also became the first A&M women's golfer to average below a 70.00 stroke average in a single season. The junior tabbed a 69.94 average, shattering the previous mark of 71.24 set by Maddie Szeryk in 2016. The junior won the U.S. Women's Open Qualifier in Pearland, Texas, on May 14 and will be competing at the prestigious event May 30-June 2 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
"In some ways it is an end of an era," Chadwell said. "Our three young ladies that we are sending out into the real world today transformed our program. They changed my life, and I will always be thankful for them. We have some experience coming back, so I am excited for that. This is still a celebration. We won in a lot of ways because of their bond as sisters."
The senior class of Blanca Fernández García-Poggio, Slaughter and Park all end their careers within the top-10 in program history for stroke average. Blanca Fernández García-Poggio was a 2022 All-American and All-SEC First Team selection. Park earned two All-America honors and competed at the Augusta National Women's Amateur (2023, 2024) and 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup. Slaughter still holds the 54-hole school record of 18-under 198, set at the ICON Invitational in 2023, and is the only Aggie to have shot 7-under or lower in at least four rounds.
Freshman phenom Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio ended her inaugural collegiate campaign with the second-lowest stroke average by an A&M freshman ever at 72.09. The Madrid, Spain, native was 4-1 in match play this year and tied for 16th in stroke play at NCAAs. Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio currently ranks as the No. 17 amateur in the world.
Match Play Results Versus UCLA
Meghan Royal (UCLA) def. Blanca Fernández García-Poggio (A&M) – 1UP
Caroline Canales (UCLA) def. Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio (A&M) – 2&1
Zoe Slaughter (A&M) vs. Natalie Vo (UCLA) – 3&2
Adela Cernousek (A&M) vs. Kate Villegas (UCLA) – Unfinished – Tied thru 15
Jennie Park (A&M) vs. Zoe Campos (UCLA) – Unfinished – Tied thru 15
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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Wednesday, September 10
Press Conference: Gerrod Chadwell
Tuesday, September 02
Season Preview Press Conference: Gerrod Chadwell
Wednesday, August 27
Gerrod Chadwell Press Conference
Monday, November 18
