MAGNOLIA — The Sam Houston women's golf team saved its best for last and ran away from the field on Wednesday to claim the 2024 Conference USA Championship at High Meadow Ranch Golf Club.
Sam Houston and NM State were neck-and-neck midway through the day, but the Bearkats turned it on and finished at -9 for the day and -14 for the tournament as the only team under par for the week, 14 shots better than the second-place and even-par Aggies.
It is the first CUSA title for the Bearkats, but the fourth time in its last five conference tournament appearances in which Sam Houston has come out victorious. The Kats won Southland Conference titles in 2019 - also at High Meadow Ranch GC - and 2021 along with the 2023 WAC championship prior to this season's win.
In total the Bearkats now have six conference championships to their credit all-time.
The win is also the sixth of the season for the Bearkats, including each of the past four. The six wins ties the program record for tournament wins in a season, a mark set just last season.
The Kats pulled off the win thanks in large part to placing four individuals in the top 10 after two players fired under-par rounds on Wednesday. The final round was led by Viera Permata Rosada, who turned in a final-round score of 66.
Her day was highlighted by an ace on No. 11, a Par 3 measuring 148 yards. She made the turn at even par but birdied the Par-5 10th hole before acing 11. She then followed with birdies on three of her final six holes to shoot a bogey-free 30 on the back nine.
Rosada's round finished her in all alone in third place for the week, three shots behind teammate Jennifer Herbst who posted her second consecutive round of 69 and finished just one shot out of first place, which was claimed by NM State's Emma Bunch at -7 for the week.
Herbst went into the back nine just a shot behind Bunch and immediately fell to two shots back after Bunch birdied No. 10. From there the pair posted matching pars from Nos. 11 to 17 before Herbst put the pressure on with a birdie at No. 18; however, Bunch was able to finish the round with her eighth straight par to secure the one-shot win.
Herbst and Rosada each earned All-Tournament honors for finishing in the top five, but they were joined by two more Bearkats who ended the week with top-10 finishes, Grace Jin (-1) in seventh and Jenn David (E) in eighth. Jin closed out her week with an even-par score of 72 to close the week under par, while David closed with a round of 75 to go with scores of 72 and 69 in Rounds 1 and 2.
For the second straight day Zulaikah Nasser provided the fourth scoring round for the Bearkats with a score of 72.
Sam Houston's win claims CUSA's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships which begin with the selection show on Wednesday, May 24. The show is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Golf Channel.
Regionals will take place May 6-8, followed by the championship finals from May 17-22 in Carlsbad, Calif.
