Arkansas Women’s Golf // NCAA | Sports - RAW CHILI

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas women’s golf has already reached a place no Razorback team has gone before. Now, the challenge is finding a way to go even further.

The Razorbacks are coming off the best NCAA Championship team finish in program history, finishing third in stroke play before advancing to the semifinals for the first time since the match-play format was introduced in 2015. Arkansas defeated Oklahoma State 5-0 in the quarterfinals before falling to USC 3-2 in the semifinals. USC went on to lose to Stanford in the championship match.

The historic run came after a season in which Arkansas consistently competed near the top of the national rankings. The Razorbacks finished inside the top six in every regular-season tournament except the SEC Championship and collected three tournament victories, including wins at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, the Dale McNamara Invitational and the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic.

At the center of that success was Maria José Marín, who continued to establish herself as one of the best golfers in college golf.

The senior from Cali, Colombia, finished inside the top 10 in 11 of 12 tournaments last season, including a victory at the Clemson Invitational. She also led Arkansas with a 70.02 stroke average and finished the year ranked second nationally.

Marín’s season extended beyond the college circuit. In April, she became the first Razorback, first SEC golfer and first South American to win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, setting a tournament record with a 14-under score. She later finished tied for eighth at the U.S. Women’s Open.

With Marín returning for her final season, Arkansas enters the new year with one of the country’s most accomplished players leading the way. She has already won the NCAA individual championship, and her return gives the Razorbacks a chance to build around a player who has consistently delivered in the biggest moments.

The team will also look to build on the contributions of Reagan Zibilski, who earned WGCA All-America honorable mention honors after finishing tied for eighth at the NCAA Championship. Zibilski played all 37 rounds for Arkansas last season and finished with a 71.8 stroke average.

Arkansas will begin its season Sept. 7 at the Cougar Classic in Charleston, South Carolina. The Razorbacks will then return to the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, where both the men’s and women’s teams will compete in October.

The expectations are high, but so is the opportunity. Arkansas has already shown it can compete with the best teams in the country. The next step is turning that historic run into a national championship.

Arkansas will begin its season Sept. 5 at the Cougar Classic in Charleston, South Carolina. The Razorbacks will then return to the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, where both the men’s and women’s teams will compete in October.