Women’s Golf Finishes Second at The American Championships

PINEHURST, N.C. – The University of Houston Women's Golf program posted a score of 310 in the Final Round of the American Athletic Conference Championships to finish second with a 54-hole score of 897 on Pinehurst No. 6 at Pinehurst Resort on Tuesday afternoon.

Tulane recorded a score of 295 in the Final Round to capture the team championship at 892. No. 28 UCF finished third at 899, while SMU (904) and South Florida (905) rounded out the Top-Five leaders on the 6,290-yard, par-72 course.

Competing in her first American Championships as a Cougar after transferring from Coastal Carolina, sophomore Nicole Abelar tied for fourth with a score of 222 to lead the Cougars to their best team finish of the 2021-22 campaign.

Senior Maria Jose Martinez tied for seventh with a score of 224, while senior Annie Kim joined them among the Top-12 leaders with a score of 225 to tie for 12^th. Senior Ariana Saenz tied for 21^st at 230, while sophomore Delaney Martin tied for 32^nd at 234.

SMU's Kennedy Pedigo earned medalist honors at 219 to finish one shot ahead of UCF's Tunrada Piddon. Tulane's Sandra Vazquez finished third at 221, while Abelar joined Tulane's Daozeng Liu in fourth at 222.

This was the Cougars' second appearance in The American Championships at Pinehurst #6 at Pinehurst Resort. A year ago, Houston finished second with a score of 891, while First-Team All-American Karen Fredgaard finished third at 218.

HOUSTON in AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
This was Houston's eighth appearance at the American Athletic Conference Championships. The Cougars have finished among the Top-Three team leaders at the tournament every season in which it was eligible to compete, winning championships in 2019, 2018 and 2016.

Houston did not compete as a team at the 2014 American Championships, per NCAA rules, sending four student-athletes to play as individuals, while the 2020 Championships was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leonie Harm is the only Cougar to win The American Championships individual title, posting a score of 8-under 208 at the 2019 event on the Conservatory Course at Hammock Beach Resort & Golf Club in Palm Coast, Fla.

With Abelar's and Martinez' 2022 performances, Houston now has 18 individual Top-10 finishes at The American Championships.

UP NEXT
Following the American Athletic Conference Championships, the Cougars will learn their NCAA postseason fate during the Selection Show, airing at 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 27, on Golf Channel.

Seventy-two teams and 12 individuals not on those teams will compete at six NCAA Regional sites across the nation. Those venues include Stanford Golf Course (Stanford, Calif.); Vanderbilt Legends Club (Franklin, Tenn.); The Championship Course at UNM (Albuquerque, N.M.); University of Michigan Golf Course (Ann Arbor, Mich.); Karsten Creek Golf Club (Stillwater, Okla.) and Seminole Legacy Golf Club (Tallahassee, Fla.).

JOIN the P.A.R. 4 CLUB
Fans are invited to join The P.A.R. 4 Club to support Houston Women's Golf. P.A.R. 4 Club members provide financial support directly to Houston Women's Golf for needs beyond the program's operating budget.

Fans who join the P.A.R. 4 Club can begin receiving benefits for as little as $100 annually. For more information about the P.A.R. 4 Club, levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarWGolf on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarWGolf or on the team's Instagram page at UHCougarWGolf.

– UHCougars.com –

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