No. 3 Florida tees off National Championship Friday

Friday, May 22

Carlsbad, Calif. / Omni La Costa: North Course

2:50 p.m. (18 holes)

Florida Gators

NCAA National Championships

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No. 3 Florida tees off National Championship Friday

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 | Women's Golf

Live Scoring (Stroke Play)Live Scoring (Match Play)Buy Tickets Watch (Golf Channel)Watch (Babygrande Golf)

The Gators are the top seed out of the SEC and tee off Friday at 2:50 p.m. and Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

By: Matthew Hutchison

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Dates: Friday, May 22 - Wednesday, May 27
Location: Omni La Costa - Carlsbad, Calif.
Host: NCAA & University of Texas
Course Par/Yardage: 72 / 6,339 yards
Format: 72-hole stroke play (18-18-18-18) and three rounds of match play
Tee Times: 2:50 p.m. on Friday and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, TBD on other days
Live Scoring: Stroke Play & Match Play
Watch: Babygrande Golf & Golf Channel (Monday-Wednesday)
Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

LINEUP
No. 1 - Paula Francisco
No. 2 - Megan Propeck
No. 3 - Siuue Wu
No. 4 - Katelyn Huber
No. 5 - Elaine Widjaja
Alternate - Addison Klonowski

TEE OFF
The No. 3 Florida women's golf team tees off the NCAA National Championships on Friday at 2:50 p.m. at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, Calif. Round two is set for 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. The Gators are the top seed out of the SEC and the No. 3 seed nationally and are paired with No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 USC for the first 36-holes.

Entering the final tournament of the season, Florida has won five team titles, a runner-up, two third place finishes, a fourth and sixth place outing.

THE FIELD (Seed Number)
1. Stanford, 2. USC, 3. Florida, 4. Texas A&M, 5. Texas, 6. Auburn, 7. Arkansas, 8. Wake Forest, 9. Duke, 10. Pepperdine, 11. North Carolina, 12. SMU, 13. Iowa State, 14. Tennessee, 15. Ole Miss, 16. Oklahoma State, 17. Florida State, 18. Arizona State, 19. Ohio State, 20. Baylor, 21. Eastern Michigan, 22. Houston, 23. Northwestern, 24. Missouri, 25. Kentucky, 26. LSU, 27. Virginia, 28. Michigan State, 29. Oregon State and 30. Texas Tech.

THE INDIVIDUAL FIELD (Seed Number)
1. Thanana Kotchasanmanee – Princeton
2. Emma Bunch - New Mexico State
3. Isabella McCauley – Minnesota
4. Johanna Sjursen - ULM
5. Sheridan Clancy – Indiana
6. Kirstin Angosta, TCU

FORMAT
Play consists of four days of stroke play (18 each day) starting Friday, which first features a 54-hole cut with the top-15 teams and nine individuals on a non-advancing team on Sunday to play in the final round of stroke play on Monday.

After the final 18 holes, the top-8 teams will advance to match play and a 72-hole individual champion is crowned. The team national champion will be determined by a match-play format features the quarterfinals and semifinals conducted on Tuesday, followed by the finals on Wednesday.

HOW TO WATCH
Golf Channel will start its broadcast of the tournament on Monday, May 25 for the final round of stroke play starting at 6 p.m. Then Tuesday, May 26 quarterfinal coverage will go from 1-3:30 p.m. followed by the semifinals broadcast starting at 6 p.m. The finals match broadcast begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27.

Additionally, coverage of the first three rounds of stroke play will be streamed on Babygrande Golf.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
UF will make their 30th appearance all-time in program history since the inaugural NCAA-sanctioned golf tournament in 1982, entering its 44th year - no tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19. It is the ninth time under head coach Emily Glaser Florida has reached nationals. The 30th appearance marks one of eight overall and one of two SEC schools (Texas) to reach the final tournament of the year 30-plus times.

Florida has won two team championships titles in back-to-back years in 1985 and 1986 with Page Dunlap also winning the individual title in 1986. The Gators were the first program to win consecutive titles.

Last year, UF reached nationals for the first time since 2019 and Addison Klonowski shot a final round of 2-under in a T24 performance to mark the best finish by a Gator freshman at the NCAA National Championships in 20 years.

PAULA'S RESUME IS GROWING
Paula Francisco has been having a breakout junior season and building her resume daily. The 2026 SEC Individual Champion was named an ANNIKA Award Finalist and to the Division I PINGA WGCA Player of the Year Watch List.

Francisco continues to add another milestone to her breakout season. On Wednesday, May 6 she clinched a spot in the 81st U.S. Women's Open shooting 2-under 140 in the qualifier at the Wilderness Country Club (Naples, Fla.). The junior won the 2026 SEC Individual Championship, for her second win in three starts as she finished runner-up and one shot back in the non-win outing. The Madrid, Spain native was also named to the All-SEC First Team and selected to this year's Arnold Palmer Cup.

She became the eighth Gator to win the SEC Championship and first since Maria Torres in 2016. This is the 10th time a UF golfer has been crowned the conference champion, which leads the SEC. The win was the second of Francisco's collegiate career and season. She had a 54-hole tournament score of 202 (-8), which is the third lowest all-time by score in SEC Championship history. It is also the lowest by par from a Gator since Maria Torres won the conference title in 2016 and finished 9-under.

Ranked the No. 8 player in the nation, she tied the program's 54-hole tournament record (202) in the spring opener. Then broke the 10-year program record with a final score of 200 (-10) to capture her first collegiate win at the Gators Invitational. In round two, Francisco tied for the second-lowest round in program history with a 65 (-5). She has a team-low stroke average of 70.3 and 17 of her 31 rounds have been under par.

ALL-SEC GATORS
Florida led the conference with the most All-SEC honors (6), headlined by head coach Emily Glaser for Coach of the Year and Megan Propeck Newcomer of the Year.

Additionally, Paula Francisco and Propeck were named to the First Team, Siuue Wu on the Second Team and Katelyn Huber a member of the Freshman Team. The six conference accolades are Florida's most since 2017. In the last three years, UF has had four members on the first-year team, the most by any school.

Other accolades included Glaser being named to the WGCA National Coach of the Year Watch List and assistant coach Ashley Sease to the WGCA National Assistant Coach of the Year Watch List.

Both Francisco and Propeck were selected for the 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup, totaling five Gators, which the most of any school.

MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUT
Paula Francisco and Siuue Wu both qualified for the 81st U.S. Women's Open, which will take place at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. from June 4-7. The outings will mark their major championship debuts.

No. 3 ranked Florida is one of three schools (Stanford - 3 & USC - 2) to have multiple current players making the field. Qualifying for the tournament features a one-day 36-hole round with the top-two finishers earning a spot in the field. There are 26 conducted sites from April 20-May 13.

Wu secured a spot after winning a three-for-one playoff at Sugar Mill Country Club (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) on Monday, April 27. She defeated Polly Mack and 2026 SEC Player of the Year Farah O'Keefe (Texas) for the exemption. Wu shot 3-under 141 (70-71) in her qualifier.

Francisco continues to add another milestone to her breakout season. She clinched her major championship ticket shooting 2-under 140 at Wilderness Country Club (Naples, Fla.) on Wednesday, May 6.

REGIONAL REWIND
Florida clinched a spot into the NCAA Championships after finishing third and 3-under at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional behind the program's second-lowest tournament total by score (861) and par (-3) at regional play all-time. The lowest was a 7-under performance in 2016.

Freshman and Gainesville native Katelyn Huber led the lineup with a 6th place finish and 4-under performance. She started her final 18-holes with back-to-back birdies and three in her first four holes. Huber shot a final round of 71 (-1) for her third under par round this postseason.

Megan Propeck bounced back for a final round of 69 (-3) after shooting a 77 (+5) in round two. Playing in her fourth career regional and helping her team clinch a spot in her fourth National Championship (3 at UVA prior), she closed with three birdies in the last five holes and back-to-back on 17 & 18. Propeck finished T10 for her team-high seventh top-10 and 10th top-25 finish.

The next three Gators also finished with a 75s (+3) in Paula Francisco, Elaine Widjaja and Siuue Wu. Francisco placed T19 to tie Propeck for team-high 10th top-25.

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP LOOKBACK
Florida's postseason began at the SEC Championship, which was highlighted by Paula Francisco winning the individual conference title. She became the eighth Gator to win the SEC Championship and first since Maria Torres in 2016. This is the 10th time a UF golfer has been crowned the conference champion, which leads the SEC. The win was the second of Francisco's collegiate career and season.

Francisco shot all three rounds under par this weekend for a 54-hole tournament score of 202 (-8), the third lowest all-time by score in SEC Championship history. It is the lowest by par from a Gator since Maria Torres won the conference title in 2016 and finished 9-under.

This year's conference tournament lineup only featured one returner from last year (Francisco) and three underclassmen (Huber, Widjaja & Wu).

After winning stroke play, the Gators reached the SEC Championship Semifinals as a team, which featured only one returner from last season's runner-up finish. In the last two conference championships, UF has finished runner-up and T3.

In final round of stroke play, the Gators shot their lowest round and the low round of the day with a 276 (-4) to produce a 54-hole score of 831 (-9), six shots ahead of second-place Oklahoma and Texas (-3). Florida's 831 score is the program's lowest three-round total by score in program history at the SEC Championship, beating the previous record (842) by 11 shots in 2017, the last time UF won the conference title.

Also, the total is second-lowest by score (824-South Carolina 2025) from an SEC team at the conference tournament. The 9-under is the third-lowest in UF history at SECs and only the fourth time under par in 45 years of the SEC Championship.

STRONG SEASON ONCE AGAIN
For the second straight season, the Orange and Blue finished with a strong resume in the regular season which featured five victories in the last seven tournaments. Individually, Paula Francisco & Megan Propeck both secured the first collegiate individual victories. The five team titles marked consecutive seasons for just the third time in program history (2015-16 & 2016-17, 1984-85 & 1985-86). Outside of UF's wins, they finished runner-up, third, fourth and sixth.

The two upperclassmen (Francisco & Propeck) pace the Gators, tying for a team-best nine top-25 finishes as Propeck led with six top-10s and Francisco in stroke average at 70.3. A trio of underclassmen logged strong regular seasons as well, led by true freshman and Gainesville native, Katelyn Huber owning five top-10s and eight top-25s while playing in all nine tournaments and in the lineup eight times. Along with Huber's consistent play was the sophomore pair of Siuue Wu (3 top-10s & eight top-25s) and Elaine Widjaja (stroke average of 71.5 and six top-25s).

At the 54th Gators Invitational, Florida rewrote the record book en route to sweeping the home tournament. The Gators went wire-to-wire and won by 18 strokes while shooting a program-record 820 (-20) 54-hole tournament score and beating the previous record by 15 shots. In the opening round, the Gators reset the tournament low round record by score with a 271 (-9), three shots better than the previous record.

After tying the 54-hole tournament record (202) in the spring opener, Francisco broke the 10-year program record with a final score of 200 (-10) to capture her first collegiate win. In round two, she tied for the second-lowest round in program history with a 65 (-5). The junior closed with a final round of 67 (-3) to win by five shots. The weekend performance boosted new career-bests in round, tournament score and finish as she owned two runner-up finishes.

Florida's victory was the 28th all-time in the 54th playing of the Gators Invitational, which started in 1973 as Francisco is the 12th UF golfer to claim medalist honors at the home tournament. The Gator sweep is the 11th occurrence all-time and in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2007-08 and just the fourth time overall. Additionally, the Gators have won 10 of the last 11 Gators Invitationals dating back to 2016.

PROPECK AT AUGUSTA
Megan Propeck earned the prestigious honor of playing in this year's Augusta National Women's Amateur.

Propeck made her first appearance in the annual event that was created in part by UF alum and current Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley, who announced the commencement of the ANWA in 2018 with the inaugural event beginning in 2019.

Creating the only event played by women on the prestigious course and home of The Masters. The event features the top-72 amateurs and was established to inspire greater interest and participation in the women's game by creating a new, exciting and rewarding pathway for these players to fulfill their dreams.

FALL RECAP
Florida closed the fall with back-to-back wins at the OU Intercollegiate and The Ally while finishing 3rd and runner-up in the other two fall outings. Florida's win in the fall finale at The Ally was its third straight at the event and marked the 11th win and 21st top-3 outing since the 2022-23 season. The tournament title was also the 38th all-time under head coach Emily Glaser; 39th total as she was an assistant coach for a season in 2011-12. It is the third straight season with multiple wins and nine overall under Glaser in 14 seasons.

Individually, transfer Megan Propeck won her first collegiate event at the OU Intercollegiate by four shots and final round of 67 (-3). She leads the team in stroke average (71.4), top-10s (3), top-25s (4), and under par tournaments (3).

THE SILENT ASSASSIN
Playing in her first collegiate season, Addison Klonowski was a key factor in the Gators' success last season.

Klonowski had the top finish (T24, -2) by a Gator freshman at the National Championship in 20 years. The redshirt-freshman joined the Gators in the spring of last season and redshirted before becoming a mainstay in the lineup in her first season of collegiate golf en route to earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors. Klonowski also secured both match-clinching points in the SEC Championship Quarterfinals (3&2 vs. LSU) and Semifinals (1Up vs. Arkansas). She was in the lineup for all 12 tournaments, including the No. 1 spot on three occasions and led the lineup in top-25 finishes (10) and under par rounds (13).

Off the course, she earned Academic All-American honors.

NEW FACES IN THE ORANGE & BLUE
The Gators welcomed a pair of new golfers this season in All-American Graduate transfer Megan Propeck (Leawood, Kan.) from Virginia and Gainesville native Katelyn Huber (P.K. Yonge HS), who both are in the lineup this week.

Florida also welcomed the 2024 Florida State Amateur Champion & Junior Player of the Year in Sophia Dyer (Shorecrest Preparatory) this spring. She is a legacy Gator, her brother Blake (2016-20) and dad Kevin (1984-88) were members of the men's golf program

NO MORE BABY GATORS
After rolling out a lineup of all underclassmen, the Gators are an experienced team as the group won five tournaments, qualified for the NCAA National Championship for the first time since 2019 and finished runner-up at the SEC Championship. All five from the National Championship lineup return, headlined by Paula Francisco, who was tabbed a preseason All-American by Golf Channel.

The young Gators also collected some preseason recognition by being ranked No. 10 via Golf Channel and No. 12 via Golfweek and WGCA Coach's Poll.

A SEASON AGO
Last season a young Gators squad laid the ground work behind five tournament victories, a runner-up finish at the SEC Championship, T3 at NCAA Regionals and advancing to the NCAA National Championships for the first time since 2019, and finished 17th. Additionally, Florida was the only team in the field of 30 teams at NCAAs, to play an all underclassmen lineup each round and travel a fully freshman-sophomore group.

Individually, freshman Jessica Guiser won the Gators Invitational becoming the second UF freshman to earn medalist honors at the 53rd Gators Invitational while head coach Emily Glaser was tabbed to the WGCA National Coach of the Year Watch List.

Closing out the successful season on a strong note and momentum into next season, redshirt-freshman Addison Klonowski finished T24 with a final round of 2-under for the best finish by a UF freshman golfer at the NCAA National Championships since Tiffany Chuddy (T16) in 2005.

The Gators qualified for the National Championships for the first time since 2019 behind sophomore Paula Francisco's runner-up finish with a 54-hole score of 4-under 209 at the Charlottesville Regional, as she was just one shot behind medalist honors. Francisco led through the first two rounds and opened her second start in regionals with a career-low 4-under 67, her second of the postseason after the same mark in round one of the SEC Championship. She was tied for a tournament-best this week with 12 birdies and one eagle. The finish is the best by a Gator at an NCAA Regional since 2017 when Kelly Grassel won medalist honors in Columbus.

Florida had a final team round of 293 (+9) for a three-round score of 864 (+12) to finish tied for 3rd with host Virginia and earn a trip to the final tournament of the season behind an all underclassmen lineup of three sophomores and two freshmen while overcoming some heart breakers at regionals over the last four years, including missing by a shot in back-to-back seasons (2021 & 2022) and leading at the turn last year.

At the SEC Championship, led by a lineup of all underclassmen (three sophomores & two freshmen). The Gators reached the match play finals for the second time in program history since the format was added in 2018 after defeating the No. 2 seed LSU Tigers 5-0 and the No. 6 seed and No. 2 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks 3-2. UF was edged in the finals 3.5-1.5 to the No. 1 seed and veteran (two seniors & graduate student) South Carolina Gamecocks.

All five in the lineup had key moments in the conference tournament as Addison Klonowski highlighted her first appearance with two match-clinching point victories in the quarterfinals and semifinals while firing a final stroke play round of 3-under 67 to help UF advance to match play. Paula Francisco placed T11 in stroke play and went 2-0-1 in match play with two big putts on the 18th, one to clinch a point in the semifinals and another to keep Florida's SEC title hopes alive in the finals.

Florida defended home turf and swept the 53rd Gators Invitational, winning the event for the 27th time in program history in the tournament's 53rd occurrence, dating back to 1973. The Gators won the tournament for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons. Six UF golfers finished in top-23 led by Guiser's first collegiate victory at 4-under 206. The last time Florida swept both the team and individual titles at the home tournament was in 2021. The win by Guiser marks the second Florida freshman to win the Gators Invitational in program history joining Riko Higashio (1996), becoming the 11th UF golfer to earn medalist honors at the home tournament and just the fourth underclassmen: Annabell Fuller (2021) and Sandral Gal (2006).

In the fall portion of the season, Florida closed out the first leg of the season with back-to-back victories, including defending its team title at The Ally. The Gators shot a final round of 6-under to end 15-under for a six-shot victory over host Mississippi State.