SMU women’s golf extended its lead at the NCAA Waco Regional on May 12, with all five Mustangs players positioned in the top 11. Head coach Lauren Mason said, “Really proud of the way our team competed today. To post the low round of the day at 11-under par and put ourselves in this position heading into the final round is a testament to the preparation, trust, and resilience of this group.”
The team’s performance has put them eight strokes ahead of Texas A&M after starting the day with a three-shot lead over both Texas A&M and Oregon. The Mustangs’ score of 269 was their second-lowest round in program history, just behind their record at last season’s Jim West Challenge.
Mason highlighted her coaching staff’s contributions: “Having Associate Head Coach’s course knowledge and expertise has been a huge advantage for us this week,” she said. “The way she’s helped our team navigate the golf course and manage their games has been incredibly valuable.” Mason also expressed optimism about future rounds: “What’s exciting is I still don’t think we’ve seen our best collective performance yet. We were very close to having everyone firing at the same time today, and that’s what makes this team so dangerous. The best is still ahead of us, and we’re looking forward to embracing the opportunity tomorrow and finishing what we started at the beginning of the event.”
Individually, one Mustang posted a score of 64—her lowest career round—which included seven birdies over her final eleven holes to move into a tie for first place from twelfth position earlier in play. Two other SMU golfers are tied for sixth place after steady performances across both rounds.
The Mustangs will need to finish among the top five teams on Wednesday to secure advancement to their third NCAA Championship appearance in four seasons.
