An epic year for the UNLV Women’s Golf team continued when the Rebels advanced to the NCAA Golf Championships with a 4th place finish at the Columbus Regional. Anchored by four seniors and inspired by their new Women’s Golf Excellence Center at The Las Vegas Country Club, the team now has a shot at the NCAA title.
“This adds another highlight to our year,” said Amy Bush-herzer, head coach. “These seniors and this group have been absolutely incredible day in and day out. They’ve worked so hard for this. We came in here and fought really tough conditions. But the team just kept on fighting to earn this and now we’re going to the national championship!”
The Rebels will now be making the program’s fifth trip to the national championship – and first since 2015 – when they compete at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, starting May 16.
With its cushion above the fifth-place cut threshold dwindling down to single digits at times, the Scarlet & Gray solidified its position well above that by 14 shots after making 10 of the squad’s 21 birdies for the day across the final five holes. Counting toward the round’s final scorecard were three Rebel seniors, Toa Yokoyoma at 2-under 70, Hina Matsui and Mayumi Umezu each at even-par 72, along with sophomore Zi Yu Foong at 1-over 73. Senior McKenzi Hall finished close behind her counterparts at 2-over 74.
Leading the UNLV lineup that had all five players finish inside the top 25, Yokoyama had a career-best regional finish of fourth place at 3-under 213 for the 54-hole event. Joining her in the top 25, Umezu (+2) tied for 14th, Hall (+4) notched a career-best tied-for-18th regional finish, followed by Matsui (+5) – who also had a career-best regional outing – and Foong each in a tie for 21st (+5).
UNLV Women’s Golf Notes:
– This was Yokoyama’s third time, while it marked Hall’s and Matsui’s second time playing in an NCAA Regional during their four-year Rebel careers. Additionally, Umezu and Foong both made their regional debuts in Columbus.
– Yokoyama was just one of six players to shoot under par for the entire event at OSU Golf Club.
– By way of the fourth-place performance, UNLV increased its top-5 finish count to eight during the 2024-25 campaign. That bunch includes seven top-2 finishes and wins at the Mountain West Championship and Denver’s Ron Moore Intercollegiate.
– In her 14th year at the helm of the UNLV women’s golf program, head coach Amy Bush- Herzer now leads her team to the NCAA Championship for the second time during her tenure.
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