Newberry College to host 2017 Division II Women’s Golf South Super Regional

Newberry College has announced it will serve as the host school for the 2017 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf South Super Regional tournament, which will be played at the Members Club at Woodcreek course on the outskirts of Columbia. “I could not be more excited for the state of South Carolina – this is a great opportunity to begin hosting great events statewide,” said Newberry College director of athletics Matthew Finley. “I am pleased that Newberry College is able to step up and host such a prestigious event. I am so appreciative of the staff and community who have stepped up to help make this bid become a reality.” The tournament will be a 54-hole event played May 8-10, 2017. The announcement of Newberry’s successful bid to host the 2017 South Super Regional marks the first NCAA postseason event held at a predetermined site in the state of South Carolina since the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state house in July 2015.  This is also the first time Newberry will serve as the host school for a predetermined site for an NCAA championship event. No predetermined NCAA championship events have been held in the state since the 2002 Division I men’s basketball regional in Greenville. Also of note, one of the last predetermined site NCAA championship events held in the state of South Carolina was the 1999 Division I Women’s Golf regional tournament at The University Club in Blythewood, which was hosted by the University of South Carolina and run by current Newberry head women’s golf coach Clarissa Childs and then-USC head coach Kristi Coggins, who is now a volunteer assistant coach at Newberry College.  “We are honored and privileged for Newberry College to be able to host the 2017 NCAA Division II South Super Regional tournament, said Childs. “Our staff and team will certainly make it a championship to remember as we welcome NCAA championship golf back to South Carolina.”

The South Super Regional will feature 12 teams and six individuals from Conference Carolinas, the Gulf South Conference, the Peach Belt Conference, the South Atlantic Conference and the Sunshine State Conference. The top three teams advance to the NCAA Division II National Tournament, which will be held on May 17-20, 2017, at the Findlay (Ohio) Country Club.

This tournament will feature some of the toughest competition in all of collegiate athletics over its 54 holes. Since the Division II women’s golf championship was made into its own division entering the 2000 season, 16 of the 17 national champions have come from the South Super Regional, including 2016 national champion Rollins College.

Of the 12 teams who participated in the 2016 South Super Regional, none were ranked lower than 25th in the Golfstat Statistical rankings.  “We are all excited about providing a great student-athlete experience at this event,” added Finley.  “I know that Newberry and South Carolina will welcome all with a nice dose of southern hospitality.”

The Members Club at Woodcreek course is a Tom Fazio designed course in the Sandhills area of metropolitan Columbia. The course is one of the home courses for the University of South Carolina’s golf teams.

The course is a beautiful, wooded par-72 course which plays just over 7,000 yards from the tips. An official yardage for the NCAA Division II South Super Regional is yet to be determined.

Winding through hardwoods, wetlands, hills and valleys, Woodcreek is a natural beauty where players will encounter dazzling displays of wildflowers, natural streams and lakes.