Monday, May 11
Simpsonville, Ky.
Kansas State University
vs
NCAA Louisville Regional
K-State’s Season Comes to a Close in NCAA Louisville Regional
May 13, 2026 | Women's Golf
SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. – The Kansas State women's golf team recorded a final-round total of 1-over par 289 on Wednesday to close out the 2026 NCAA Louisville Regional and its 2025-26 season in seventh place. The Wildcats finished with a 54-hole score of even-par 864 on the par-72, 6,384-yard University of Louisville Golf Club.
K-State, which entered the event ranked 40th in the nation, was in contention for the fifth and final qualifying spot for next week's NCAA Championship for most of the morning. The Wildcats played the front 9 at 3-under par with seven birdies, but trouble awaited them on the back half of the course as they accumulated nine holes of bogeys or worse.
"Today was all I could have asked for through the front 9," said head coach Stew Burke of his squad that consisted of one senior, two sophomores and two freshmen. "We got ourselves above the cut line and were battling hard. Unfortunately, the back 9 played tougher than the front, and we were not able to continue the momentum.
"We are an exciting young team, and we reload this fall," Burke continued. "I am sure the pain of failing to advance will be the driving force for all of next season."
K-State was led on Wednesday by sophomore Kelsey Chen, who tallied a final-round score of 3-under par 69 – her team-leading 15th under-par round of the season – which included a 4-under par front 9. She rose 17 spots on Wednesday to finish in a tie for 13th place at 2-under par 214 thanks to six birdies on the day.
Fellow sophomore Nanami Nakashima paced the Wildcats with a 54-hole score of 7-under par 209 to tie for fourth place following a round of even-par 72 on Wednesday. The Kani, Japan, native finished her season with a team-leading 71.80 scoring average, which ranked third in school history.
Freshman Stalee Fields joined Chen in red figures in the final round by carding a 1-under par 71, closing out her rookie season with two-straight rounds of under-par golf. The Fort Worth, Texas, native went bogey-free with one birdie on the front 9 before recording two birdies in an even-par inward 9. She rose 16 spots on the leaderboard over the final two rounds to finish in a tie for 26th place at even-par 216.
"I'm proud of Kelsey, Stalee and Nanami giving us the rounds we needed today," Burke said. "To have a player in the top 15 and Nanami in the top five was excellent playing."
Wednesday represented the final round in the collegiate career of senior Noa van Beek, who tied for 47th place at 9-over par 225 following a round of 5-over par 77. A native of Oene, Netherlands, van Beek finished her K-State career with a 74.08 scoring average to rank second in program history, while her 41 career tournaments tied for 10th.
Freshman Keen Visavapattamawan finished the event in 61st place at 19-over par 235, which included a final-round total of 7-over par 79.
Seventh-ranked Auburn won the 2026 NCAA Louisville Regional at 17-under par 847, six shots ahead of No. 30 Houston. The other teams to advance to the 2026 NCAA Championship included No. 6 Arkansas, No. 18 Iowa State and No. 19 Ole Miss.
Auburn's Anna Davis – the 34th-ranked player in the country – claimed the individual title at 10-under par 206, besting Indiana's Sheridan Clancy by one shot. Clancy advanced to the NCAA Championship by virtue of being the top individual on a non-advancing team.
K-State, which entered the event ranked 40th in the nation, was in contention for the fifth and final qualifying spot for next week's NCAA Championship for most of the morning. The Wildcats played the front 9 at 3-under par with seven birdies, but trouble awaited them on the back half of the course as they accumulated nine holes of bogeys or worse.
"Today was all I could have asked for through the front 9," said head coach Stew Burke of his squad that consisted of one senior, two sophomores and two freshmen. "We got ourselves above the cut line and were battling hard. Unfortunately, the back 9 played tougher than the front, and we were not able to continue the momentum.
"We are an exciting young team, and we reload this fall," Burke continued. "I am sure the pain of failing to advance will be the driving force for all of next season."
K-State was led on Wednesday by sophomore Kelsey Chen, who tallied a final-round score of 3-under par 69 – her team-leading 15th under-par round of the season – which included a 4-under par front 9. She rose 17 spots on Wednesday to finish in a tie for 13th place at 2-under par 214 thanks to six birdies on the day.
Fellow sophomore Nanami Nakashima paced the Wildcats with a 54-hole score of 7-under par 209 to tie for fourth place following a round of even-par 72 on Wednesday. The Kani, Japan, native finished her season with a team-leading 71.80 scoring average, which ranked third in school history.
Freshman Stalee Fields joined Chen in red figures in the final round by carding a 1-under par 71, closing out her rookie season with two-straight rounds of under-par golf. The Fort Worth, Texas, native went bogey-free with one birdie on the front 9 before recording two birdies in an even-par inward 9. She rose 16 spots on the leaderboard over the final two rounds to finish in a tie for 26th place at even-par 216.
"I'm proud of Kelsey, Stalee and Nanami giving us the rounds we needed today," Burke said. "To have a player in the top 15 and Nanami in the top five was excellent playing."
Wednesday represented the final round in the collegiate career of senior Noa van Beek, who tied for 47th place at 9-over par 225 following a round of 5-over par 77. A native of Oene, Netherlands, van Beek finished her K-State career with a 74.08 scoring average to rank second in program history, while her 41 career tournaments tied for 10th.
Freshman Keen Visavapattamawan finished the event in 61st place at 19-over par 235, which included a final-round total of 7-over par 79.
Seventh-ranked Auburn won the 2026 NCAA Louisville Regional at 17-under par 847, six shots ahead of No. 30 Houston. The other teams to advance to the 2026 NCAA Championship included No. 6 Arkansas, No. 18 Iowa State and No. 19 Ole Miss.
Auburn's Anna Davis – the 34th-ranked player in the country – claimed the individual title at 10-under par 206, besting Indiana's Sheridan Clancy by one shot. Clancy advanced to the NCAA Championship by virtue of being the top individual on a non-advancing team.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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