No. 2 USC Women’s Golf Reaches National Championship Match

Tuesday, May 26

Carlsbad, CA

6:50 a.m. PT

USC

Duke

Kylie Chong hugs Elise Lee after USC wins the 2026 NCAA semifinals matchup against Arkansas

Photo by: John McGillen

No. 2 USC Women’s Golf Reaches National Championship Match

May 26, 2026 | Women's Golf

The Trojans beat Duke 3-2 in the quarterfinals before winning 3-2 over Arkansas in the semifinals.

CARLSBAD, Calif. — The No. 2 USC Women's Golf team is one win away from clinching the national title.

Kicking off match play at the NCAA Championships, the Trojans knocked off 7-seed Duke 3-2 in the quarterfinals, then beat 3-seed Arkansas 3-2 in the semifinals on Tuesday to reach the national championship match, scheduled for 2:25 p.m. PT at The Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. on Wednesday, May 27.

Tomorrow's national championship will be broadcasted on the Golf Channel starting at 3 p.m. PT. A link to the live stream and live results can be found on the women's golf team's schedule page on usctrojans.com.

The Trojans are returning to the match play national championships for the second time under Head Coach Justin Silverstein, who last led the Trojans to their only other match play finals appearance in 2023. All three of USC's national titles predate the current match play format, which began in 2015.

"This was an incredibly long and very difficult day, and we're thrilled to come out with two wins," Silverstein said. "What got us through the day was what has led to our success this season: our depth. We have been led by Catherine Park and Jasmine Koo for most of the season, but the rest of the team has stepped up and put up huge rounds when we needed them to."

Showing off the team's depth, all five players won matches throughout the day to help USC's cause. Kylie Chong clinched the win in the anchor match over Duke with a 4&3 result, then Elise Lee came through with a 5&3 win to punch USC's ticket to the finals.

QUARTERFINALS VS. DUKE

In a back-and-forth battle between two of the most successful women's golf programs of all time, the Trojans bested the Blue Devils for their second NCAA match-play win over Duke.

After the Trojans fell behind with Jasmine Koo's 5&4 defeat, Bailey Shoemaker got USC on the board with a 6&4 rout over Avery McCrery. The junior from Dade City, Fla. earned her second-career NCAA match play win in emphatic fashion by pulling away with three straight wins on Nos. 9-11. Shoemaker birdied No. 9, then went up by three holes when McCrery bogeyed No. 10.

Yet Shoemaker's highlight of the match came on No. 11. After teeing off to the left of the pin, Shoemaker holed out on an approach shot from the fairway to record an eagle on the par-4, 320-yard hole. Shoemaker went on to win 6&4 when McCrery bogeyed Nos. 13 and 14.

Shortly after Shoemaker got on the board, Catherine Park picked up her third career NCAA match play win with a 5&3 win over Andie Smith. Park took the lead on No. 3, then Smith birdied No. 4 to tie the score. But Park won the following hole and didn't look back. A birdie on No. 9 as she made the turn gave her a three-hole advantage. From that point forward, Smith only got within two holes of Park, who birdied Nos. 14 and 15 to put USC up 2-1.

After Duke tied the match with Katie Li's 5&3 win over Elise Lee, all eyes turned to the anchor match between Kylie Chong and Anna Cañado Espinal. The match had no birdies until Chong sank a four-foot birdie putt on No. 13 to go up by two.

That birdie seemed to turn the tide for Chong. Cañado Espinal double-bogeyed the next hole.
After a successful approach shot on No. 15, Chong missed a 15-foot birdie putt to win the match, putting pressure on Cañado Espinal to make a five-foot putt to stay alive. Cañado Espinal missed, giving Chong the 4&3 win.

SEMIFINALS VS. ARKANSAS

The Trojans wasted no time taking the lead in the semifinal match against Arkansas. Jasmine Koo, Catherine Park and Elise Lee never trailed in their matches, helping USC win 3-2 to punch its ticket to the national championship match for the second time in program history under the current format.

Playing at the top of the lineup, Jasmine Koo led by three holes at No. 4 over Reagan Zibilski and didn't look back. But although USC looked like it was in control in Koo and Park's matches, Arkansas hung around. Reagan Zibilski birdied No. 14 to cut Jasmine Koo's lead to just two holes, yet both players hit into bunkers on a pivotal No. 16. Zibilski ended up bogeying the hole, setting Koo up with an eight-foot birdie putt to win 3&2.

Over the span of 10 minutes, the Trojans got two 3&2 wins on the par-3 No. 16. Park put USC up 2-0 with a win over Abbey Schutte in which Park never trailed and birdied two holes while playing consistent golf. Park went up by two after a birdie on the par-5 No. 6, but Schutte responded with a birdie on the next hole. The USC senior remained one up on Schutte for the next six holes before Schutte bogeyed the par-4 No. 13 and then the par-4 No. 15 to give Park a sizeable advantage. Schutte missed a putt to extend the match on No. 16, giving Park the win.

Arkansas got on the board with senior Maria Jose Marin's 4&3 win over Kylie Chong in the fourth match. While Bailey Shoemaker and Sara Brentcheneff's match looked like it was going down to the wire, Elise Lee quickly increased her lead over Natalie Blonien in the anchor match.

Going into the week with the most NCAA match play experience of any of her teammates aside from Park, Lee put together a dominant match against Blonien to seal the win for the Trojans. Lee and Blonien traded bogeys early, giving Lee the upper hand before she birdied the par-4 No. 4 to go up by two. Lee's lead increased to four when Blonien bogeyed three times in a five-hole span from Nos. 9-13. On No. 15, Blonien bogeyed the hole, leaving Lee with a chance at winning with a six-foot putt, but Lee sank the putt to cap off her 5&3 win.

When Lee clinched the match, Brentcheneff was up by one over Shoemaker on No. 17, giving Arkansas another point in the loss.

QUARTERFINALS VS. DUKE
1. Catherine Park (USC) def. Andie Smith (DUKE) 5&3
2. Rianne Malixi (DUKE) def. Jasmine Koo (USC) 5&4
3. Bailey Shoemaker (USC) def. Avery McCrery (DUKE) 6&4
4. Katie Li (DUKE) def. Elise Lee (USC) 5&3
5. Kylie Chong (USC) def. Anna Cañado Espinal (DUKE) 4&3
Order of finish: 2,3,1,4,5*

SEMIFINALS VS. ARKANSAS
1. Jasmine Koo (USC) def. Reagan Zibilski (ARK) 3&2
2. Catherine Park (USC) def. Abbey Schutte (ARK) 3&2
3. Sara Brentcheneff (ARK) def. Bailey Shoemaker (USC) 1UP
4. Maria Jose Marin (ARK) def. Kylie Chong (USC) 4&3
5. Elise Lee (USC) def. Natalie Blonien (ARK) 5&3
Order of finish: 1,2,4,5*

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRINGS VS. STANFORD
2:25 p.m.— Catherine Park vs. Paula Martín Sampedro
2:35 p.m. — Kylie Chong vs. Andrea Revuelta
2:45 p.m. — Jasmine Koo vs. Meja Örtengren
2:55 p.m. — Elise Lee vs. Kelly Xu
3:05 p.m. — Bailey Shoemaker vs. Megha Ganne

FOLLOW THE TROJANS
For more information on the USC women's golf team, a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Trojans can follow the team on Instagram and on X @USCWomensGolf.