This Unplayable Hole Made the NCAA Cancel the Third Round of the D3 Women’s National Championship

The Third Round of the NCAA Division 3 Women’s Golf Championship was going according to plan until a weather delay late Thursday afternoon. The Round was officially canceled during the delay, but the interesting thing is, it wasn’t due to the weather at all.

Instead, 60 percent of the 151-player field had played what a hole that the NCAA would deem “unplayable” during the delay, effectively canceling Third Round and reverting the Championship to a 54-hole event from its 72-hole format.

The NCAA D3 Women’s Golf Committee said to GolfChannel on Thursday:

“Throughout Round 3 on Thursday, and despite efforts to improve conditions, it became apparent that the pin placement on hole No. 6 … was unplayable. After play was suspended due to lightning late Thursday afternoon, the committee analyzed numerous different options on how to complete the tournament in the time allotted.”

The 308-yard par-4 Sixth Hole at Mission Inn and Resort’s El Campeon Course in Florida had been cut on a 5-percent slope on the right side of the green, and after several putts had rolled past the hole, only to return to where the golfer had initially hit the put, groundskeepers tried softening the surface with water.

The attempts to salvage the pin location were unsuccessful.

Round 3 of the NCAA D3 Women’s Golf Championship was canceled (with nearly 60% of the field finished) because of this hole location, which the NCAA deemed “unplayable.”

Story: https://t.co/lJdUMFYQDc pic.twitter.com/rrsZg2ySIS

— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) May 12, 2023

Hole 6 had been playing at more than 1.5 shots over par for the hole, although five birdies had fallen. 29 other players had recorded a triple bogey or worse.

One coach said it was the right decision to cancel the round and revise the event to 54 holes. “It was ridiculous,” they said.

The same coach reportedly added that one of the birdies that fell “would’ve gone 25 yards off the green” if it didn’t fall in the hole. There were also four questionable pin locations during Tuesday’s round, the coach added. The NCAA is responsible for the pin locations, which they apologized for.

George Fox University won the event with a score of +57 to Par, 933 total, beating Washington University of St. Louis by five strokes.

Cover Image Via Twitter