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Bunch scheduled to tee off at 7:50 a.m. MT on Monday.
Source: NMSU Athletics
By Michael Navarrette
Photo: Courtesy
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Emma Bunch will officially begin competition at the NCAA Lexington Regional on Monday morning at Keen Trace Golf Club. The regional hosted by the University of Kentucky will include 12 teams and six individuals, including Bunch who will be making her second straight NCAA Regional appearance.
NCAA LEXINGTON REGIONAL
Dates: Monday, May 5 – Wednesday, May 7
Location: Lexington, Ky.
Course: Keen Trace Golf Club
Par/Yardage: 72 / 6,095 yds
Live Scoring: SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd
Bunch will go off hole one to open the tournament at 7:50 a.m. MT and she will tee off alongside Samford’s Gabi Nicastro and Kentucky’s Marta Lopez who will both also be competing as individuals.
THE FIELD
NM State will be one of 17 programs represented at the Lexington Regional this week with top-seeded Florida State, Southern California, TCU, Vanderbilt, Kansas State, Georgia Southern, Pepperdine, Louisville, Miami (FL), Western Kentucky, Morehead State and FDU competing as a team and Samford, Kentucky, Indiana and Ball State having individuals representing them.
Among the field will also be Florida State’s Lottie Woad who finished as the runner-up in the 2024 NCAA National Championship and enters the week as the second ranked player in the nation. In the rankings she only sits behind teammate Mirabel Ting who will also be competing in Lexington this week. In total, three of the nation’s top 10 ranked players will be at Keen Trace this week as USC’s Jasmine Koo currently sits at No. 7 in the latest SCOREBOARD rankings.
TEAMS
| Seed | Team (Conference Champion) | SCOREBOARD Rank |
| 1. | Florida State (ACC) | 3 |
| 2. | Southern California | 9 |
| 3. | TCU | 15 |
| 4. | Vanderbilt | 22 |
| 5. | Kansas State | 28 |
| 6. | Georgia Southern | 34 |
| 7. | Pepperdine | 40 |
| 8. | Louisville | 46 |
| 9. | Miami (FL) | 54 |
| 10. | Western Kentucky (CUSA) | 60 |
| 11. | Morehead State (OVC) | 163 |
| 12. | FDU (NEC) | 223 |
INDIVIDUALS
| Seed | Individual (Conference Champion) | SCOREBOARD Rank |
| 1. | Emma Bunch, NM State | 85 |
| 2. | Gabi Nicastro, Samford | 121 |
| 3. | Marta Lopez Echevarria, Kentucky | 146 |
| 4. | Madison Dabagia, Indiana | 178 |
| 5. | Caroline Smith, Indiana | 201 |
| 6. | Jasmine Driscoll, Ball State (MAC) | 660 |
EMMA BUNCH – 7:50 a.m. MT (Round 1)
Bunch will open the week coming off a second-place finish at the Conference USA Championship where she forced a playoff with WKU’s Sydney Hackett. At the tournament, Bunch ultimately shot six-under for the week after rounds of 69, 70 and 71 for a 54-hole score of 210.
This season, Bunch has continued a stellar Aggie career and now ranks first all-time in wins in program history following a first-place finish at the Spring Break Shootout last month. Thus far, Bunch has played 27 rounds in tournament play and enters the week with an average score of 71.6 on the year. She has totaled seven top-10 placements and eight top-15 finishes in just nine tournaments this year.
Thus far, she has recorded seven rounds in the 60s, including recording a season-low 66 in the final round of the Spring Break Shootout to secure the seventh individual title of her collegiate career. In the first event of this year, she earned the win at the Golfweek Fall Challenge where she shot 7-under to open the year on a high note.
Following the Aggies’ final event of the year, Bunch spent a week in Georgia where she competed in the renowned Augusta National Women’s Amateur where she finished tied for 11th to pace all first-time competitors in a field of the world’s best amateur golfers.
THE COURSE
Nestled in the rolling hills of Central Kentucky, Keene Trace Golf Club provides members with 36 holes of premier golf and facilities. Located just south of Lexington in Nicholasville, Kentucky, Champion Trace and Keene Run Golf Courses are a mere fifteen minutes from downtown Lexington. Keene Trace brings together two exceptional golf courses for a unique club experience. Pristine course conditions challenge golfers of all skill levels. Beautiful horse farms and breathtaking views offer an unbeatable scenic atmosphere for practice or play. Practice facilities are fully supplied daily, and our newly renovated short game areas allow golfers to sharpen their skills. At Keene Trace, you will experience unrivaled amenities and a Professional Staff that will welcome you, assist you and make you feel right at home.
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