Wingate and LMU Advance to Women's Golf Championship

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The stage is set for the championship match at the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Women's Golf Championship after an eventful semifinal round on Tuesday at The Preserve at Verdae.

Top-seeded Wingate advanced in dominant fashion, sweeping fourth-seeded Catawba, 5-0, to secure its spot in the finals. The Bulldogs controlled play throughout the morning, highlighted by convincing wins from Lauren Sutcliffe (11UP), Olivia Meinecke (5UP) and medalist Amely Bochaton (5UP).

The other semifinal proved to be a thriller, as second-seeded Lincoln Memorial edged third-seeded Anderson in dramatic fashion, advancing on a dramatic shot on the final hole. 

With the match hanging in the balance, Lincoln Memorial's Joy Aspetaki delivered the decisive moment, sinking a clutch putt on the final hole to secure a 1UP victory over Anderson's Kennedy Gooding. The win ultimately proved to be the difference, sending the Railsplitters to the championship match.

The tightly contested showdown featured two matches that ended all square, as LMU's Dilyara Bulambayeva and Ruby McLellan each halved their matches, setting the stage for Aspetaki's heroics on the 18th green.

Lincoln Memorial will now face Wingate in the SAC Championship finals, with the conference title on the line.