No. 16 Texas A&M women’s golf ended the Southeastern Conference Championship early in stroke play, missing the cut by 14 strokes. After 56 holes, the Aggies failed to advance into the next round of match play for the first time in three years.
The Fightin’ Farmers traveled to Belleair, Florida, to compete in the 2025 SEC Championship held at Pelican Golf Club from April 14 to 18. Facing 15 teams on this par-70 course, the Aggies were no stranger to SEC glory, having claimed the title in 2023 and advancing to the championship match in 2024.
Representing the Maroon and White in Florida was a single squad of five. Leading the team was No. 26 sophomore Cayetana Fernandez García-Poggio, who took home an individual title win at her last tournament and was named SEC Player of the Week on April 9.
Day 1
Teeing off first for A&M on the first day was No. 353 junior Mia Nixon, consistently shooting 3-over on each nine, putting her at 6-over for the first round.
Following her in the number four spot for the Aggies was No. 486 sophomore Sky Sudberry, who took charge in the first round. She had no problem finding birdies early on and staying away from any bogeys. She found herself breaking par to shoot 69, which gave her an early push for the top of the leaderboard.
No. 250 junior Kynadie Adams, holding the No. 3 spot for the Fightin’ Farmers, found herself with no rhythm on her first nine. After the turn, she bounced back with a birdie out of the gate, but with little time to recover, she finished round one at 8-over par.
No. 36 freshman Vanessa Borovilos, who has made a name for herself this season, held the No. 2 spot for the Aggies. Carding three birdies, she was able to keep her cool and shoot the best round for the Maroon and White during round one at 2-under par.
Fernandez García-Poggio shot a 71 during round one, highlighted by two birdies. At the end of the first round, A&M sat in ninth place with a team total of 284, just one stroke outside the cut line to advance to match play. The Aggies had to get to work in the next 36 holes if they wanted to extend their play into the end of the week.
Day 2
Entering round two, Nixon delivered an excellent round as she shot even-par. This steady round left her at 6-over par through two. Sudberry kept her ability to bounce back during round two as she carded three birdies to keep her two-day total at just 1-over.
Adams ran into trouble on the front nine, going 5-over but recovering quickly with an even par back nine. She finished shooting a solid 75.
Borovilos also struggled to find birdies during her second round. The rookie carded several bogeys with just one birdie, stranding her at 3-over for the round and 1-over for the two days.
Shooting the best round for A&M during the second day was Fernandez García-Poggio, as she got back into her groove, breaking par to shoot a 68 and move to 1-under for the tournament. She also led her team to shoot a team total of 3-over, 283 for the second round.
As the Aggies made their way back to the clubhouse at the end of Day 2, they sat at 7-over and right inside the top eight, tied for seventh place. The middle of the leaderboard was tightly packed, with just a few strokes separating almost half the field. The Fightin’ Farmers had to make a final push towards the top of the leaderboard on Day 3 if they wanted to secure a spot and advance into match play.
Day 3
Headed into moving day and sitting near the cut line for match play, the Maroon and White faced a tough round. Four out of five Aggies shot well above par and pushed themselves down the leaderboard.
Fernandez García-Poggio held her consistency as she was the sole Aggie breaking par at a 69 while carding five birdies. Earning herself a three-day total of 2-under par and an individual tie for seventh.
Nixon and Adams both struggled throughout the front nine on the third day as they both shot 5-over on the front and were unable to bounce back. Nixon ended her run at 13-over and Adams at 19-over.
Sudberry, after her two previous stellar rounds, ran into setbacks of her own. Going 4-over on the front and 1-over on the back, she finished with a 75 for round three and a three-day total of 6-over with five of the six shots being on the third day.
Borovilos also encountered bogeys of her own as she shot 4-over par, totaling 5-over for the three days.
As Day 3 came to a close, the leaderboard started to split. The Aggies found themselves at a team total of 21-over 861 and well outside the cut line in 10th. The placing put them eight strokes behind ninth place No. 15 Auburn, and 14 strokes behind No. 34 Tennessee, which held eighth place.
With their run for the conference title coming to an early end in stroke play, A&M now shifts its focus to the NCAA Regional Tournament May 5-7.
