TUSCALOOSA Ala. – The No. 1-ranked Alabama women's golf team will be making its 13th consecutive appearance - and 14th overall - at the 2018 NCAA Women's Golf Championships. The Crimson Tide is one of 24 teams vying for the national championship, May 18-23, at the par-72, 6,328-yard Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla. Alabama will tee off at 12:15 p.m. CT on Friday, May 18 and will be paired with No. 2 Arkansas and No. 3 UCLA in the first two rounds.

Alabama at the NCAA Championships

This will be Alabama's 14th national championships appearance and the 13th under head coach Mic Potter . The Crimson Tide has played in the NCAA championships in all 13 seasons of Potter's tenure and captured the school's first national title in 2012 in Franklin, Tenn. The Tide has finished in the top-15 in the last 10 tournaments, including a five-year run of top-10 placements from 2010-14. Alabama alum Emma Talley earned the Crimson Tide's first NCAA individual championship at the 2015 tournament in Bradenton, Fla. This will be Potter's 28th NCAA Championship appearance as a head coach. He led Furman to 15 appearances in his 22 seasons at the school.

Crimson Tide Boasts Three of the Nation's Top 20 Golfers

Junior Lauren Stephenson is the nation's No. 3 golfer in the latest Golfstat player rankings released May 9. Stephenson (69.60) is joined in the top 20 by sophomore Kristen Gillman (6th, 70.50) and junior Cheyenne Knight (19th, 71.43). Stephenson (second), Gillman (seventh) and Knight (17th) are also among the leaders in the latest Golfweek player rankings released May 10.

Alabama Wins Tallahassee Regional

Alabama advanced to this year's championship by winning the NCAA Tallahassee Regional by eight shots over runner-up Florida State. The Crimson Tide finished 33-under par (282-276-273/831) to set a school record for low score and low score vs. par in regional play. Alabama's 15-under par third round was also a UA regional record.



Gillman Qualifies for U.S. Open

Alabama's Kristen Gillman fired a 4-under par 140 to win the U.S. Women's Open qualifier at the Deerwood Club in Kingwood, Texas on May 14. Gillman's three-shot victory over Maria Fassi of Arkansas qualifies the sophomore for the 2018 U.S. Women's Open that will be played at the Shoal Creek Club, May 28-June 3, in Shoal Creek, Ala. This will be the fourth U.S. Women's Open in the last five years that has included an Alabama golfer in the field. Emma Talley and Janie Jackson qualified in 2014 and Lauren Stephenson qualified in 2016 and 2017.

Stephenson Named to WGCA Player of the Year Watch List

Alabama junior Lauren Stephenson is among six golfers named to the 2017-18 PING WGCA Division I Player of the Year Award Watch List, the Women's Golf Coaches Association announced May 16. Joining Stephenson on the watch list are Maria Fassi of Arkansas, Andrea Lee of Stanford, Leona Maguire of Duke and Lilia Vu and Patty Tavatanakit of UCLA. The winner of the PING Player of the Year Award will be announced following the conclusion of medalist play at the NCAA Championships. The award is presented annually by the WGCA to the best player in Division I women's golf.

Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaWGolf, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.