AIKEN, S.C. – A single-elimination match play component was added to the NCAA Division I Women's Championship in 2015. With the championship component addition, the growth of in-season match-play events began to, and has continued to, increase in popularity throughout college golf as teams prepare for their appearances in conference tournaments and the NCAA Championship.
The Seminoles, who have long thrived in the match play world of collegiate golf, close out their regular season as the play in the Old Barnwell Derby Match Play event, along with Duke, Mississippi State, and South Carolina beginning Monday (March 25) at the Old Barnwell Golf Club.
The Old Barnwell match play event utilizes a round-robin format where each team plays every other team over two days. The event consists of six players from each of the four teams competing with the top five scores counting toward the overall team score.
A team champion will be decided following the third round of play on Tuesday.
The addition of match play to women's golf on the college level has made for better play and earned more attention for the already popular championship. The championship has become even more popular with more people having access to watch the event now that the NCAA Championship is televised by the Golf Channel.
In 2015 at the NCAA Championships in Bradenton, Fla., the editors of Golfweek likened the addition of match in the NCAA Championship to Superman and a phone booth.
"Women's college golf never looked so good," said Golfweek's Lance Ringler. "It felt like the NCAA Championship walked into a phone booth and came out wearing a cape. So many superheroes in this match-play format, so many out-of-this-world golf shots. The pieces to the puzzle have been there for years, but it took match play to put them all in place."
Florida State head coach Amy Bond, who has long been a proponent of the match play format in both the NCAA and ACC Championships, has embraced the format throughout her career as the winningest coach in Florida State history.
"In order to win a National Championship, we have to win three matches of match play," said Bond. "Our regular season consists of mostly stroke play events. If we want to win, we have to win in both types of matches. Match play has a little different mental approach and an area we can be better in."
As an incredible illustration of Florida State's national success under Bond, she has led the Seminoles into match play in both of the last two seasons. To advance to match play at the NCAA Championships, teams must finish in the top eight of the stroke play portion of the event – the Seminoles finished sixth in 2022 and 2023.
Florida State's sixth-place finish in stroke play in 2022 marked its best-ever national finish and catapulted Bond and her team into match play at the national finals for the first time in school history.
As she walked off the course upon qualifying for match play at the NCAA Championships, Bond couldn't have been more excited.
"It's huge. I'm just excited for the girls to have the opportunity. Now the fun really begins," said Bond on May 23, 2022. "We are one of eight teams that has the opportunity to win a national championship. I'm just excited for them and excited to see what happens over the next couple of days."
The Seminoles are one of just three teams - Florida State, Stanford, and Texas A&M - who have advanced to match play in the NCAA Championship Finals in both of the last two seasons.
In addition to becoming regulars in match play at the NCAA Championships, the Seminoles are a staple as participants in match play in the ACC Championships.
Florida State has advanced to the match play championship round at the ACC Championships in two of the last three seasons.
Florida State's players have also developed an affinity for match play while achieving success in the one-on-one format of competition.
Senior Alice Hodge is a veteran of match play during her career as a Seminole with 14 matches on her golf resume.
Beginning with a 4&3 victory over Mimi Rhodes of Wake Forest as a freshman in 2021, Hodge has won seven of her matches in match play as a Seminole. She won five consecutive matches as a sophom*ore during the Barbara Nicklaus Cup and the ACC Championships and has participated in match play in both of the last two NCAA Championships.
"Match play is a great way to see how you stack up against other players one-on-one," said Hodge. "It's exciting and allows you to stay present because anything can happen in match play."
Senior Charlotte Heath is another very experienced match-play competitor.
"I like that you can be more aggressive on the course in the match-play format," said Heath. "I started playing match-play not long after I picked up golf as match-play is way more common to play in Europe."
Heath begins play on Monday at the Old Barnwell Golf Club undefeated in her last seven match-play competitions. Her winning streak began with a 6&5 win over Erica Shepherd of Duke during the 2022 Wolfpack Match play Invitational, continued into the 2022 ACC and NCAA Championships, and also includes a match-play victory in the 2022 Ivy League Intercollegiate.
Sophom*ore Mirabel Ting, who has a cumulative total of 10 strokes under par in her first four events at Florida State, is also looking forward to her first match-play event as a Seminole.
"I haven't played match-play in a long time, but the adrenaline is different," said Ting. "It gets intense in match-play. I am looking forward to this week. I'm especially looking forward to having another opportunity to play with my teammates."
Bond circled the Old Barnwell Match Play Championship on her calendar when the Seminoles were invited to play in the event more than a year ago.
"This tournament is a great way to end the regular season and to practice a format we will need to excel at in order to win both an ACC championship and a National Championship," said Bond.
Results can be found at Golfstat.com.
