The SMU Mustangs women’s golf team expressed gratitude for their experience at the ACC Women’s Golf Championship, according to an April 19 report. After a loss to top-seeded Stanford in match play, the team remained positive and focused on the broader impact of their participation.
Team member Odwin said, “At the end of the day, we’re very lucky to do what we do. It’s a privilege and a blessing being able to travel around and play golf. Being able to come out to Wilmington, play on a really good golf course against some really good competitors, it’s what we want to do. But I think a big part of that is inspiring kids and trying to give them those experiences. I think that’s just as important as what we do on the golf course.”
Last year marked SMU’s first appearance at the ACC Championship where they finished 14th out of 15 teams in stroke play and did not advance further. This year, however, they placed second in stroke play and advanced through match play by defeating North Carolina before facing Stanford in the final round.
Coach Lauren Mason said, “We’ve got such a great team this year, and I keep telling people that. Everything’s coming together at the right time. The pieces are falling into place. We’ve played really solid golf collectively, and now we’re seeing our hard work pay off when it matters most, in the postseason run. We’ve put in a lot preparation, and it’s finally showing. I’ve told people all along how special this group is.”
With a top-30 national ranking already secured and expectations high for improvement next week, SMU now awaits selection for NCAA Division I Women’s Golf regionals set for May 11-13 across six locations nationwide; championships will follow later in May.
Odwin added optimism about future prospects: “I think it speaks a lot to the work that both Lauren and (Associate Head Coach) have done the last year putting the pieces together, recruiting some of the best players to try and put us in this position so we can make a deep run this week,” she said. “It speaks to the strength of this team and the depth that we have… I’m just really proud of this team.”
