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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – No. 6 seed Florida State will face No. 3 seed Wake Forest in the quarterfinals of match play on Tuesday beginning at 9:20 a.m. (ET) as the Seminoles finished in sixth place in stroke play at the NCAA Division I Championship Finals at the Grayhawk Golf Club. The Seminoles advanced to match play for the second consecutive season with its program-best tying sixth place finish in four rounds of stroke play. It marks the second consecutive year the Seminoles have finished in a program-best sixth place during stroke play and advanced to match play at the National Championship Finals.
The Seminoles are one of just three teams – Florida State, Stanford, and Texas A&M – who have advanced to match play in the NCAA Championship Finals in the last two seasons.
Stanford finished in first place in stoke play and earned the No. 1 seed in match play. The Cardinal was followed by No 2 seed Texas, No. 3 Wake Forest, No. 4 South Carolina, No. 5 seed Southern California, No. 6 seed Florida State, No. 7 seed Texas A&M and No. 8 seed Pepperdine in the final team standings.
Sophomore Rose Zhang of Stanford won her second consecutive NCAA individual title. She carded a four-round score of 10 under par 278 – a score that included an 8 under par score of 64 in the second round.
“I’m extremely proud of all of the girls,” said Head Coach Amy Bond. “They all dug deep and got the job done. The big thing about playing in this round is making pars and doing what you need to do to manage the course. That’s what we did today.”
Florida State’s four round team score of 1,155 now stands as the school record for a four-round team score in the NCAA Championship Finals. The Seminoles’ 2023 score eclipses the former school record of 1,174 strokes in 2021 by an amazing 19 strokes.
Junior Charlotte Heath finished in a tie for eighth place with a 6 under par score of 282 to mark the best individual national finish of her career. He score of 282 and her 6 strokes under total are both Florida State records for the NCAA Championship Finals. She carded a 1 under par score of 71 in the fourth round and finished as one of only three players who finished with four scores of under par golf in the during stroke play. Heath’s scores of 71-71-69-71 put the ANNIKA Award finalist in select company with Lucia Lopez-Ortega of San Jose State (68-69-71-71) and Chayse Gomez of Oregon State (71-71-70-71) as the only players in the field who carded four scores of under par golf.
Heath’s tied for eighth place individual finish is the second best finish in Florida State NCAA Championship history. Morgane Metraux, who finished in a tie for fifth place in 2018, holds the school record for highest individual NCAA Finals finish in school history. Heath is now one of four players in school history with a top-10 finish in the NCAA Finals – Metraux in 2018, Heath in 2023, Beatrice Wallin (tie for ninth) in 2021, and Frida Kinhult (tied for 10th) in 2019.
“I was a little disappointed with today as my putts just didn’t drop,” said Heath. “I was happy with my ball striking today as I haven’t had my best stuff all week. I’m super excited for our team to advance into match play. It’ll be the second time in school history and I’m proud to be a part of that for our program.”
Bond continued to be impressed with the play of her three-time ACC selection.
“I thought Charlotte played well again today,” said Bond. “Overall, she gutted the round out. She has worked hard and has played a great four days of golf. She’s definitely taking advantage of her wedges, and taking what the course is giving her. Honestly, I don’t think she’s played her best golf yet.”
Senior Amelia Williamson (even par 72 on Monday) and freshman Lottie Woad (1 over par 73 on Monday) finished in a tie for 31st place in the individual standings with scores of 1 over par 289.
Florida State advanced to match play for the first time at the NCAA Championship Finals in 2022 as the No. 6 seed where they lost a close 3-2 decision to No. 3 seed Texas A&M. Three current Seminoles – Alice Hodge, Amelia Williamson and Charlotte Heath – played against the Aggies last season.
“It’s incredible to have the opportunity to face Wake Forest, a team that we obviously know very well,” said Bond. “To advance we have to beat great teams at this point. We’re going to continue to keep plugging away and work on playing our best golf at the most important time of the year.”
NCAA Division I Championship Finals/May 19-24, 2023
Grayhawk Country Club/Scottsdale, Ariz./Par 72
6/30.-Florida State, 1,155
8.-Charlotte Heath, 282
T31.-Lottie Woad, 289
T31.-Amelia Williamson, 289
74.-Alice Hodge, 306
S.-Madison Hewlett, 222
S.-Kaylah Williams, 78
NCAA Division I Championship Finals/May 19-24, 2023
Grayhawk Country Club/Scottsdale, Ariz./Par 72
1.-Stanford, 1,133
2.-Texas, 1,138
3.-Wake Forest, 1,139
4.-South Carolina, 1,153
5.-Southern Cal, 1,154
6.-Florida State, 1,155
7.-Texas A&M, 1,156
8.-Pepperdine, 1160
T9.-New Mexico, 1,163
T9.-Arizona, 1,163
T11.-SMU, 1164
T11.-Oklahoma State, 1164
13.-Mississippi State, 1165
T14.-Georgia, 1167
T14.-LSU, 1167
