Fresno State senior Madchen Ly sat nervously in the Duncan Josephine Theater with her teammates on Monday afternoon watching the NCAA women’s golf selection show on the Golf Channel to see if she would be one of the few golfers in the country selected for postseason play.
Suspense started to build as Ly did not see her name called until the fourth and final regional site was announced.
“It feels pretty good,” Ly said. “I’m excited, and I was nervous because I didn’t see my name pop up until the last part of the show.”
Ly not only made the NCAA Women’s Golf Regionals but also was selected as the No. 1 seed for the event — which takes place at the Warren Golf Course on the University of Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Indiana, from May 7-9.
There, she will compete against five other individuals: Elizabeth Tong from Indiana University, Martina Edberg from Cal State Fullerton, Leilanie Kim from the University of Idaho, Gabby Yurik from Michigan State and Michaela Fletcher from the University of Memphis.
“I’m just going to try to stay confident and work on the little things that I need to work on,” Ly said. “Now that I know I’m going for sure, I’m just going to start practicing hard and get ready for it.”
For Ly, this moment felt even more special, having made the postseason cut in her final season.
“That was my No. 1 goal this year [to make the postseason], especially since I’m a senior. This moment is pretty up there so I’m happy,” she said.
Women’s golf head coach Emily Milberger is just as excited as Ly, because she recognizes the work her senior leader has invested in her craft throughout her golf career to get back to the postseason for a second-straight year.
“I’m extremely proud, and I’m really excited for her,” Milberger said. “She has really put in a lot of work and really put in the time and effort to make her dreams come true. It’s really been exciting to see her set her goals at the beginning of the year in August, and watch them come to fruition this postseason. It’s been really a fun ride.”
Ly, a Clovis High graduate, is coming off of a sixth-place finish at the Mountain West Championships at Mission Hills Country Club in Southern California this past week.
“It was really a strong year overall for everybody, but Madchen Ly has been that constant for us,” her coach said. “She’s really been the heartbeat and pulse, the driving force in our success. She’s racked up numerous accolades through the fall and spring and with getting her first collegiate win at the Fresno State Classic in the fall. It’s just been really exciting to see her grow and mature in her game, and I know some of the best is still yet to come.”
Ly will practice this entire week before heading to the Midwest on Tuesday. She will participate in the practice round the day after her arrival, on Wednesday, to get some work in before the main event.
Of the four regions across the country, there are a total of 18 teams and six individuals participating in each. There will be a total of 384 golfers participating in the regional events, which serve as the preliminary round to determine who moves on to the national championships field. Of those, only 132 will advance to the NCAA Championships.
