Lemke Begins Play in NCAA Regional

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Creighton sophomore women's golfer Katherine Lemke parred her final three holes of both the front and back nine and shot a 9-over 81 on Monday in the first round of the NCAA Regionals. The two-time BIG EAST champion is tied for 61st place after 18 holes of the three-day event.

The lone postseason qualifier in program history, Lemke teed off at 8:50 a.m. Central on the No. 10 hole and captured her lone birdie of the day on her sixth hole, the par 3 No. 15, by draining a long putt. She would make the turn in 39, then closed with a 42 on her final nine holes of the day. She would finish with six bogeys, two double-bogeys and a birdie.

Lemke earned her spot in the NCAA Regionals on April 19th when she won the BIG EAST Championship at Riverton Pointe Golf and Country Club in Hardeeville, S.C. It made Lemke the first player in league history to win back-to-back women's golf championships, and also made her the nation's only Division I women's player to win medalist honors at a league meet each of the past two seasons. She remains Creighton's only individual league champion in any sport since joining the BIG EAST 10 years ago.

Lemke has now played 34 rounds this season, with four of those of par or better. Her 75.41 scoring average is the second-best figure by a Bluejay since at least 2003-04 and has helped her to six top-five finishes in 11 completed events. Prior to earning medalist honors at the BIG EAST Championship, she had won the Stampede at the Creek title on April 11. Entering NCAA Regionals, GolfStat ranked Lemke as the seventh-best golfer in the BIG EAST Conference.

Michigan State's Brooke Biermann led the field of 66 golfers with a 3-under 69 on Monday, one shot better than Northwestern's Kelly Sim and Miami (Fla.) qualifier Sara Byrne. Led by Biermann, Michigan State fired a 3-under 285 to lead the team standings by 11 shots over South Florida.

Thirty teams will advance to the NCAA Championship in Scottsdale, Ariz., — five from each of the six regional sites, plus the top individual (not on an advancing team) advancing from each regional. The finals are May 19-24 and will be held for the third straight year at Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor Course) in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The PGA National Resort course features a 6,315 yard layout and owns a par of 72, making it the longest course to host a Creighton women's golf team or individual since March 8-9, 2021, when Boulder Creek Golf Course in Boulder City, Nev., measured 6,322 yards. Play continues through Wednesday at the NCAA Regionals. Lemke will tee off at 7:55 a.m. Central on Tuesday, once again on the 10th hole.

Last year Lemke shot rounds of 84, 79 and 78 in Ann Arbor, Mich., to finish 58th in her postseason debut in NCAA Regional play.

Here's video of @katlem5220's LONG birdie putt on 15. #NCAAGolf x #GoJays pic.twitter.com/Yboej11UjQ
— Creighton W Golf (@CreightonWGolf) May 8, 2023

Katherine Lemke (Creighton - Individual)

Round: 1 - Tee Time: 9:50 ET - Start Hole: 10
PGA National Resort - NCAA Women's Golf Regional - Round 1

Hole

OUT

TOT

Yardage

360

510

356

152

468

168

380

363

3117

526

350

378

365

390

146

380

155

508

3198

6315

Par

Score

To Par

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Katherine Lemke