Oklahoma Opens NCAA Championships on Friday

NORMAN – Oklahoma tees off Friday in its 10th all-time appearance at the NCAA Championships, held at Omni La Costa's North Course in Carlsbad, Calif. The Sooners return to the national stage for the first time since 2018 and are seeking their first team national title.

OU enters the 30-team championship as the No. 26 seed after earning a bid with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Norman Regional. Head coach Veronique Drouin-Luttrell's squad battled through a competitive field and inclement weather at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club to punch its ticket to La Costa.

"We're excited to be back at the NCAA Championships and competing for our ultimate goal," Drouin-Luttrell said. "Our team showed how gritty it is during the regional, and we'll need that same mentality out at La Costa. We'll be ready to give it our all and see where everything ends up."

The Sooners begin play at 9:47 a.m. CT on Friday on the par-72, 6,330-yard course, which is hosting both the men's and women's championships for the second consecutive season. The format includes 72 holes of stroke play, with the field cut to 15 teams after 54 holes. The top eight teams after 72 holes will advance to match play to determine the national champion.

Oklahoma's lineup remains unchanged for the third straight event. Juniors Savannah Barber and Gracie Mayo lead the team in the top two spots, followed by senior Raegan Chaney at No. 3. True freshman Audrey Rischer holds the fourth position, and junior MaKayla Tyrrell rounds out the lineup. Isabella Schlick will serve as the team's substitute for the week.

SEASON OVERVIEW
Oklahoma turned in its strongest season since 2017–18, highlighted by a team victory at the Paradise Invitational and a pair of individual titles. Gracie Mayo earned medalist honors at the Paradise Invitational in February, while freshman Audrey Rischer claimed the top spot at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, the team's regular-season finale. The Sooners collected three SEC Weekly honors throughout the year – two by Rischer and one by Raegan Chaney. OU posted top-five finishes at every spring tournament leading up to the SEC Championship and placed outside the top five just three times in 11 total events. The team capped its postseason push with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Norman Regional, its best regional showing since 2013–14.

THE FIELD BY CHAMPIONSHIP SEED
1. Stanford
2. Arkansas
3. South Carolina
4. Florida State
5. Oregon
6. Texas
7. Wake Forest
8. Arizona State
9. Southern California
10. Virginia
11. Northwestern
12. LSU
13. Ohio State
14. Ole Miss
15. Mississippi State
16. Kansas
17. Florida
18. Michigan State
19. Vanderbilt
20. Oklahoma State
21. Kansas State
22. UCLA
23. Iowa State
24. Tennessee
25. Georgia Southern
26. Oklahoma
27. UNLV
28. Baylor
29. Purdue
30. Cal State Fullerton

LAST TIME OUT
Oklahoma secured a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Norman Regional, rallying from a slow start on the opening nine holes to record the program's best regional finish since 2014. Raegan Chaney led the charge, tying for fifth at 4-under to help punch the Sooners' ticket to nationals. MaKayla Tyrrell followed with a tie for 11th at even par, while Savannah Barber tied for 23rd. Audrey Rischer and Gracie Mayo rounded out the lineup, finishing tied for 32nd and 41st, respectively.

NCAA Championships Information:
Dates: Friday, May 16 - Wednesday, May 21
Location: Carlsbad, Calif.
Course: Omni La Costa North Course
Live Results: ScoreboardLive

Oklahoma Lineup:
1. Savannah Barber
2. Gracie Mayo
3. Reagan Chaney
4. Audrey Rischer
5. MaKayla Tyrrell
SUB: Isabelle Schlick

THE COURSE
The North Course at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa will serve as the site of this year's NCAA Championship, offering a scenic yet demanding test for the nation's top collegiate golfers. Located in Carlsbad, Calif., just north of San Diego, the par-72 layout measures 6,330 yards and was named one of America's top 100 golf courses in 2020. Since its opening in 1965, the course has developed a rich tournament legacy. A recent redesign by renowned architect Gil Hanse, crafted with championship play in mind, has positioned the North Course as the official home of the NCAA Golf Championships through at least 2026.

FORMAT
The NCAA Championship begins with 54 holes of stroke play over the first three days of competition. After that, the top 15 teams and the top nine individuals not on an advancing team will compete in a final 18-hole round on day four. At the conclusion of 72 holes, the top eight teams will advance to match play, and the individual national champion will be crowned. Match play will determine the team champion, culminating with the title match on May 21.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
The Sooners are making their first NCAA Championships appearance since 2018 and the 10th in program history. Oklahoma's best finish came in 2014, when head coach Veronique Drouin-Luttrell guided the team to a fourth-place showing. The program has produced one individual national champion – Chirapat Jao-Javanil, who claimed the title in 2012.

TV SCHEDULE
Golf Channel will deliver live coverage of the final three days of the tournament, highlighting the top talent in women's collegiate golf.

LIVE STATS AND COVERAGE
Live scoring and results will be available on ScoreboardLive, with full daily recaps posted on SoonerSports.com following the completion of each round.