High Point Wins 2026 Big South Women's Golf Championship
FRIPP ISLAND, S.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – One day after winning the stroke play portion of the Big South Women's Golf Championship for the first time,
High Point won the conference’s match play title Wednesday with a 3-2 victory over
UNC Asheville to earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals. The Panthers claimed their first-ever Big South Women’s Golf crown and will compete in the NCAA Regionals for the first time in program history.
UNC Asheville claimed the first point when Caroline Patterson defeated Ella Perna, 4&3, in the opening match, but Makayla Grubb answered with an 8&7 victory over Lauren Madson in match five to even the score. Pennie Osterberg then put the Bulldogs back in front with a 2&1 win over Anna Howerton in match two, before High Point’s Eva Lye responded with a 1UP victory against Jordyn Arts to level the match once again at 2-2.
With only the fourth match remaining to decide the champion, High Point’s Anaïs Arafi rallied from three down through four holes to take a 1UP lead on hole 12. UNC Asheville’s Breanna Hoese countered by squaring the match on hole 15, ultimately forcing a sudden-death playoff.
Arafi and Hoese each parred the first three playoff holes with the Big South title on the line. On the par-3 fourth, both players missed the green off the tee, but Arafi’s second shot settled within five feet of the pin. Hoese went on to bogey, while Arafi converted her par putt to clinch the victory for High Point four holes into the tiebreaker.
High Point advanced to the final with a 3-0 win over No. 4 Charleston Southern in the morning semifinals. Lye secured the opening point with a 4&3 victory over Summer Griffiths, followed by Arafi’s 3&2 win against Chayse Cool and Howerton’s 3&2 clinching victory over IY Ibnu.
UNC Asheville earned its spot in the championship match with a 3-2 victory over No. 3 Longwood, as the teams split the first four matches. The Bulldogs took matches one and three, while the Lancers claimed matches two and four. With match five deciding the outcome, Asheville’s Patterson delivered the difference, defeating Longwood’s Chiara Wippert 2&1 to send the Bulldogs to their first championship match in program history.
Match Play Results - Finals
#1 High Point defeats #2 UNC Asheville, 3-2
Order of finish:
Match 1 – Caroline Patterson (AVL) defeats Ella Perna (HPU), 4&3 (AVL leads 1-0)
Match 5 – Makayla Grubb (HPU) defeats Lauren Madson (AVL), 8&7 (tied 1-1)
Match 2 – Pennie Osterberg (AVL) defeats Anna Howerton (HPU), 2&1 (AVL leads 2-1)
Match 3 – Eva Lye (HPU) defeats Jordyn Arts (AVL), 1UP (tied 2-2)
Match 4 – Anaïs Arafi (HPU) defeats Breanna Hoese (AVL), 22 holes (HPU wins 3-2)
Match Play Results - Semifinals
#1 High Point defeats #4 Charleston Southern, 3-0
Order of finish:
Match 1 – Eva Lye (HPU) defeats Summer Griffiths (CSU), 4&3 (HPU leads 1-0)
Match 2 – Anaïs Arafi (HPU) defeats Chayse Cool (CSU), 3&2 (HPU leads 2-0)
Match 4 – Anna Howerton (HPU) vs. IY Ibnu (CSU), 3&2 (HPU wins 3-0)
Match 3 – Katie Stephens (CSU) vs. Ella Perna (HPU), 1UP thru 17, unfinished
Match 5 – Makayla Grubb (HPU) vs. Eugenie Varet (CSU), 1UP thru 15, unfinished
#2 UNC Asheville defeats #3 Longwood, 3-2
Order of finish:
Match 3 – Breanna Hoese (AVL) defeats Caroline Tragesser (LWU), 5&4 (AVL leads 1-0)
Match 4 – Madison Lehr (LWU) defeats Lauren Madson (AVL), 4&3 (tied 1-1)
Match 1 – Pennie Osterberg (AVL) defeats Avery Nordman (LWU), 2&1 (AVL leads, 2-1)
Match 2 – Abigail Sheldon (LWU) defeats Jordyn Arts (AVL), 4&2 (tied 2-2)
Match 5 – Caroline Patterson (AVL) defeats Chiara Wippert (LWU), 2&1 (AVL wins, 3-1)