CARLSBAD, Calif. – For the school-record ninth consecutive season, the No. 2 ranked Florida State women’s golf team is exactly where it wants to be in the third week of May – playing at the site of the NCAA Division I Championship Finals. The Seminoles begin play Friday at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa as one of 30 teams competing for the top prize in college golf and the opportunity to call themselves the national champions.

The Seminoles are ranked No 2 by the NCAA, No. 4 by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, have won a school-record seven events, including seven of their last eight since winning the Landfall Tradition in October, defeated 123 of 132 opponents in their 11 events, and finished no lower than fourth in any of their tournaments this year.

“This has already been a special year and this is where we want to be,” said head coach Amy Bond. “But there is still so much work do and this is when we have to be at our best. We have said all year long that we want to be at our best in May and here we are. It’s time to be at our best.”

Bond was named the ACC Coach of the Year for the second time in 2025 and is on the Division I Jackie Steinmann WGCA National Coach of the Year Presented by Golf Pride Watch List.

As Florida State’s all-time winningest coach, Bond has guided the Seminoles to the NCAA Championship Finals for the school-record ninth consecutive year. The Seminoles are one of only four teams in the nation – Florida State, Stanford, Texas, and Southern Cal – who have advanced to the NCAA Championship finals in each of the last nine seasons.

The Seminoles begin play in the six-day NCAA national championship tournament Friday. The field of 30 will be cut to 15 after three rounds of stroke play, then to eight teams following the fourth round of stroke play. The quarterfinals and semifinals of match play will be played on Tuesday, with the match play finals (the tournament championship) played on Wednesday.

Florida State will play with the same lineup that has helped it win the Florida State Match Up, the ACC Championship, and the NCAA Lexington regional championship — senior Kaylah Williams, junior All-Americans Lottie Woad and Mirabel Ting, and freshmen Sophia Fullbrook, Alexandra Gazzoli and Layla Pedrique.

Florida State begins play on Friday at 3:12 (ET) from hole No. 1 in the first of four stroke play rounds. The Seminoles are playing with Oregon and Texas in the first round.

The Seminoles enjoyed the opportunity to play the North Course at the Omni La Costa Resort on Thursday, and raved about the playing conditions after their practice round.

“The green are definitely softer this year compared to last year and played a little easier,” said Ting. “Last year the greens were unbelievably firm. The wind picked up in the afternoon today, and most likely will tomorrow.”

The Seminoles have advanced to match play in two of the last three seasons and look to improve on the best in school history finish of fifth place.

Fullbrook will play in the national championship finals for the first time.  She played in each of the Seminoles’ regular season events and helped Florida State win the ACC and NCAA Lexington regional championships.

“I would say I have jitters going into my first national championship; I would say excitement,” said Fullbrook. “It was interesting seeing the course, I’ve heard a lot about it from everyone, but actually seeing it was different. The course is pure. The thing I like about this course is that you have to be smart. You have to pick your misses.”

For Bond, who has coached in every NCAA championship final since 2016, starting the event as one of the favorites, only means her team has to play like they’ve played all season long.

“To be hunted in golf is exciting,” said Bond. “As a professional golfer you want to be the person at the top of the leaderboard come the end of the weekend. In college golf it’s the same way. I definitely think that we are one of the favorites, but you still have to go out and execute. Everybody starts at zero, and any of the 30 teams have the opportunity to win. We need to focus on what we do best, pay our games, and see what happens at the end.”