This year, WSU has the distinct honor of hosting the Pac-12 Women’s Golf Championship Tournament. What makes this even more special is that this will be the final Pac-12 tournament before the exodus next year. Eleven teams will gather in Pullman at its very own Palouse Ridge Golf Club, where the tournament will take place. The first round will kick off Sunday morning and the final round will finish Tuesday afternoon.
Heading into the tournament, the teams are in very different spots. Stanford is currently ranked as the No. 1 women’s golf team in the nation, according to Scoreboard, and they will be the favorites this weekend.
However, No. 4 UCLA, No. 8 USC, No. 12 ASU, No. 14 Arizona and No. 16 Oregon have all put together good seasons in 2024 as well, so the competition will likely be very stiff. Those schools are pretty much locks to be selected as part of the 72-team field for the NCAA regional tournaments in May.
Also hoping to qualify for regionals include No. 26 Cal, No. 34 Washington, No. 45 Oregon State and No. 72 Colorado. Colorado finds itself on the fringes of being a top-72 team, so they will need a strong performance in the Pac-12 Championships to secure a spot.
On the outside looking in is WSU, ranked the lowest of Pac-12 teams, in 101st place. While they are unlikely to be selected for regionals, anything is possible, and this is probably their best opportunity.
The Cougars have been practicing on this course since August, giving them a distinct advantage over every other team. Many of the opposing golfers have probably never played Palouse Ridge until this weekend, so the Cougars will hopefully have a leg up, giving them an opportunity for an upset.
Last year, USC won the championships, which were held in Phoenix, Arizona. WSU has hosted the tournament three times previously.
In 1992, they hosted in Walla Walla and finished in ninth place. In 2002, again in Walla Walla, they finished in eighth, and in 2012, Palouse Ridge hosted for the first time, and WSU finished in eleventh place.
There are no auto bids in golf the way there are in other collegiate sports, but perhaps if WSU can impress with a surprise winning performance at their home course, they can sneak into the field of 72. If not, the Cougars will get to finish their season at home, and it should be a fun tournament for them either way.
