Northern Arizona golf team disqualified from NCAA Women's Regional
Northern Arizona was disqualified from NCAA Women's Regionals on Tuesday, May 12, due to not having enough players.
The Northern Arizona women's golf team was disqualified from the NCAA regionals on Tuesday, May 12, due to not having enough players. Coach Brad Bedortha is taking the blame, but it’s not all his fault. NAU earned an automatic qualifying spot after winning the Big Sky Conference tournament last month, but in its first NCAA postseason appearance in four years, the Lumberjacks are done early.
Senior Lizzie Neale withdrew before the second round concluded on May 12, leaving NAU with only three players, one less than the required four. Neale has been dealing with a back injury all spring and playing through it, but she withdrew after nine holes. She was in so much pain, she couldn’t feel one of her legs.
“She did everything she could for us,” Bedortha said. The program has eight players listed on its online roster, but only four of them went to Ridgewood Country Club in Waco, Texas. Several players left the team for different reasons, from dismissals to one player scheduling her wedding for Thursday, May 14, due to an issue Bedortha blames on himself.
“I told the team the wrong dates and didn’t realize until too late. ” Neale, Amy Hodgkins, Frankie Dezis and Lydia Lin all traveled with the team to regionals. The four also competed in the Big Sky Championship, but senior Nina Lukyanenko, who finished T-10 at the conference tournament, was not with the team.