Bunch becomes first Aggie since 2002 to compete at National Championship.
Source: NMSU Athletics
By Michael Navarrette
Photo: Courtesy
CARLSBAD, N.M. – NM State women’s golfer Emma Bunch wrapped up competition at the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship. After 54 holes at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Bunch posted a score of 227 (+11) to finish in a tie for 122nd. Bunch’s appearance on college golf’s biggest stage marked the first time since 2002 that an Aggie competed at the national championship and became just the third woman in program history to qualify as an individual.
In the opening round on Friday, Bunch carded a pair of birdies and finished the day three-over to shoot a 75. With this, she wrapped up the first round in 100th among the 156-person field. Bunch followed the opening round with her best score of the week, shooting a 73 (+1) on Saturday to move up the leaderboard and into a tie for 81st. In the second round, Bunch carded a birdie on hole four and managed a bogey-free front nine.
On Sunday, Bunch turned in her fourth birdie of the week, and closed out the week with a 79 (+7) on the scorecard. This left the Lynge, Denmark, native in a tie for 122nd alongside nine other competitors. With this, she was outside the cut line, which landed at even-par for the nine advancing individuals. In addition to the 15 advancing teams, Kyra Van Kan (Tennessee), Kajsalotta Svarvar (Ole Miss), Kirstin Angosta (TCU), Thanana Kotchasanmanee (Princeton), Sophia Fullbrook (Florida State), Yurang Li (Baylor), Jaclyn LaHa (Virginia), Taylor Kehoe (Michigan State) and Taylor Riley (LSU) also advanced to play the final round of stroke play on Monday.
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