The Time is Now
May 11, 2026 | Women's Golf, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
For the 2025-26 Kansas State women's golf team, the time is now.
On Monday, K-State head coach Stew Burke, who took a veteran K-State team to its first-ever National Championship a year ago, brings the youngest team at K-State to the 2026 NCAA Louisville Regional — a defiant bunch of Wildcats out to prove that they're better than a No. 7 seed in the regional — to compete against the likes of No. 1 seed Arkansas, No. 2 seed Auburn, and No. 3 seed and Big 12 Champion Iowa State.
Burke warns not to count out K-State.
"To be truly honest," Burke says, "this group can catch fire."
One advantage for K-State in the 12-team regional field, as Burke points out, is that the Wildcats have beaten nearly every team in the field that it has already played this year outside of Arkansas and Mississippi.
K-State holds a 289.50 team scoring average, which ranks second in school history behind the 288.13 mark by the squad that advanced to the national championship last year. K-State also has four top-three finishes and seven top-five finishes this season to tie for fourth place in school history in each category.
Burke, who a couple weeks ago said that "we've not played good all spring" despite the Wildcats' notable finishes, believes that this group could now be peaking at just the right time.
"I'm pretty excited," he says. "It's honestly the first time in a few events that I feel that we're exactly where we need to be and our lineup is exactly what it needs to be. Internally, you can hear them holding each other accountable, too."
Sophomores Kelsey Chen and Nanami Nakashima hold the Wildcats' top two scoring averages this season at 72.00 and 72.72, respectively. Chen, a transfer from Georgia Southern, competed in the regionals last year, giving the Wildcats a dose of been-there, done-that postseason experience this week.
Meanwhile, this regional means plenty to lone senior Noa van Beek, who ranks third on the team with a 73.00 scoring average and second with a pair of top-five finishes while shooting the lowest 54-hole score in K-State history at 14-under par 202 at the Westbrook Invitational.
van Beek will finish the event with 116 career rounds while her 41 career tournaments played will tie for 10th in school history.
"She's a senior, and it's very easy to smell the roses but if you're enjoying a regional championship you're doing something wrong," Burke says. "It's high pressure, stressful and laser-focused, and the time you get to enjoy it is when that last putt goes in and you get to hold up that "TICKET PUNCHED" sign. Noa understands that. Sheer grit and determination are going to get her through it."
The top five team finishers and low individual not on an advancing team at each of the six regional sites will advance to the national championships on May 22-27 at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.
Burke is ready to roll.
"At K-State, we go to regionals and we go to nationals. That's what we do," Burke says. "They're not going to face anything out there that they haven't faced all season. They're ready to play. They're ready to make that next step."
Stew Burke spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about his team and the Louisville Regional that begins on Monday.
D. Scott Fritchen: Every year is different. A year ago, K-State was a largely veteran team with stars. This year, K-State is going to a NCAA Regional with perhaps the youngest team in your three years at K-State. It truly seems like a masterful job. What's led to this K-State team making a NCAA Regional?
Stew Burke: I think when you look at it, ignorance is a little bit of bliss. The young ladies came in, and they saw a team that competed in the national championship last year and had players who finished with all-tournament team honors in the national championship, and that was the expectation. That was what they saw. If you don't know any different, a team that's struggling to be in the top 100, or your goal is to be in the top 75, or even to just make it to regionals, the outlook looks different when you start the year. But coming in, our program has been to nationals, and there's a lot of excitement within the department and community with the women's golf program. They've taken that mantra and have run with it.
Fritchen: Let's breakdown the 2026 NCAA Louisville Regional for a moment. First of all, what were your thoughts on K-State being a No. 7 seed in the regional?
Burke: We're outside the line before the regional even kicks off. The only way is up. I know we have a young team, but I know we have a really talented team, and they have the ability to shock a lot of people at this regional. Last year, people didn't really respect us or think that we were a good program, and this year we weirdly have a lot of respect from a lot of teams, and we have a lot of people's attention. To be truly honest, this group can catch fire. We're starting to see a lot more good golf, and that's something we haven't seen for a week or so.
Fritchen: The 2026 Louisville Regional features No. 1 Arkansas, No. 2 Auburn, Big 12 Champion Iowa State, No. 4 Mississippi and Big 12 competitor Houston. It also features CAA Champion College of Charleston, Big East Champion Xavier, Conference USA Champion Western Kentucky, and Missouri Valley Champion Murray State. Looking at those team names and the accomplishments, how solid is this regional field?
Burke: It's absolutely stacked, but at the same time, we've beaten all the teams in the Big 12 that are in the regional, and we've beaten pretty much the majority of the teams apart from Arkansas and Mississippi. There's not going to be a fear factor. They're hopefully not going to get cold feet in the spotlight. It's a good regional for us because we know going in we have to play our best golf to make it. We're not just trying to flip one team to get into the five spot. We have to compete with the six teams ahead of us and play better golf than they do, and we know eight, nine and 10 are all very capable.
Fritchen: Of course, the top five finishers in the Louisville Regional will move onto the national championship. Which opposing teams in particular in this regional field really open your eyes as K-State looks to be one of the five teams to advance?
Burke: Obviously, Arkansas and Auburn are two top SEC schools. Auburn didn't make it through the regional last year. They'll definitely have a point to prove. Iowa State had a really, really good spring. They started poorly and we beat them by 20 shots to start the year in Puerto Rico, and they've hammered through the spring and have played really good golf. Those are the teams we want to catch and be competitive with day to day.
Fritchen: The golf course. What do you know about the University of Louisville Golf Club and its dimensions and bumps, and traps, and fairways and how it plays?
Burke: We've got some good strategy and got some good information. I have an acquaintance who was an assistant coach at Louisville early in his career, so he got me information about the golf course. A Big 12 coach has had her team play in Louisville each of the last two years and she gave me some things to look out for. We were on Google Maps and Strategy Book finding the areas and where we have to drive it. You've got to drive it well. Good iron play will be required as well. Those are things we worked on. It'll be about consistency throughout the week and not getting behind the eight ball early and just focusing on putting a good round together. If we get off to a good start in that first round, it'll really help.
Fritchen: Following the announcement of K-State earning its second straight postseason bid, you said, "We've not played good all spring." Did you witness that eye-of-the-tiger sense of determination among your group in the last 11 days leading up to the regional?
Burke: We're only going to take five players and no sub this time. That was a little bit to our detriment in the Big 12 Championship because we had players thinking about playing well enough not to be subbed rather than playing well enough to win the tournament. That's something that's going to help us. The lineup is set. The ladies got the message last Wednesday night who was going to be traveling, and then we met with the sports psychologist after practice. The ladies know the regional lineup doesn't mean the national lineup. Last Thursday morning, we had a good practice, and our workouts were really tailored so we were fresh while maintaining our strength game throughout the year. I'm pretty excited. It's honestly the first time in a few events that I feel that we're exactly where we need to be and our lineup is exactly what it needs to be. Internally, you can hear them holding each other accountable, too.
Fritchen: Your lone senior, Noa van Beek, ties for 10th place in K-State history with 41 career tournaments played starting today, ranks top 10 in K-State history in career scoring average, and this year shot the lowest 54-hole score in K-State history. She says, "Regionals is not going to be my last tournament." What have you noticed specifically about Noa these past couple weeks?
Burke: Noa has put in the work. We gave Noa a hard time that she's like Fred Flintstone where when practice is over, she's done for the day, but what people don't see is the hard work she puts in outside of that. She's on the golf course on our non-practice days and gets here early and puts in work, too. For Noa, this is a big event. She's not making it about her. She's a senior and it's very easy to smell the roses, but if you're enjoying a regional championship you're doing something wrong. It's high pressure, stressful and laser-focused, and the time you get to enjoy it is when that last putt goes in and you get to hold up that "TICKET PUNCHED" sign. Noa understands that. Sheer grit and determination are going to get her through it.
Fritchen: This will be the second regional for sophomore Kelsey Chen, who came to K-State this offseason after competing in the 2025 NCAA Championship with Georgia Southern. What kind of advantage is it having Chen's regional experience coupled by her talents and growth this year?
Burke: That's huge. At K-State, we go to regionals and we go to nationals. That's what we do. Kelsey was at Georgia Southern last year and we played with them for three of the rounds, and she almost felt like a part of our team. This regional will be no different for her. She's going to be surrounded by the K-State girls, but this time as teammates. Having somebody like Kelsey, who her teammates know she can score low, and all the sudden be the catalyst in a round, pretty much like Carla was last year. Kelsey has got that extra gear.
Fritchen: In the end, it all comes down to this 54-hole regional in Louisville. Across the country, there are 72 teams competing for a chance to advance to nationals. What's your final message to your young group before it goes out there and competes in the postseason?
Burke: Ultimately, do your job and take care of your own ball. That's all you can do out there. We have a really clean plan out there, so they know how to play holes. If there's a weather change or if something tricky comes up, we have a plan for that, too. You rise to your level of training, and they've done a really, really good job encompassing all the elements that they face. They're not going to face anything out there that they haven't faced all season. They're ready to play. They're ready to make that next step.
For the 2025-26 Kansas State women's golf team, the time is now.
On Monday, K-State head coach Stew Burke, who took a veteran K-State team to its first-ever National Championship a year ago, brings the youngest team at K-State to the 2026 NCAA Louisville Regional — a defiant bunch of Wildcats out to prove that they're better than a No. 7 seed in the regional — to compete against the likes of No. 1 seed Arkansas, No. 2 seed Auburn, and No. 3 seed and Big 12 Champion Iowa State.
Burke warns not to count out K-State.
"To be truly honest," Burke says, "this group can catch fire."
One advantage for K-State in the 12-team regional field, as Burke points out, is that the Wildcats have beaten nearly every team in the field that it has already played this year outside of Arkansas and Mississippi.
K-State holds a 289.50 team scoring average, which ranks second in school history behind the 288.13 mark by the squad that advanced to the national championship last year. K-State also has four top-three finishes and seven top-five finishes this season to tie for fourth place in school history in each category.
Burke, who a couple weeks ago said that "we've not played good all spring" despite the Wildcats' notable finishes, believes that this group could now be peaking at just the right time.
"I'm pretty excited," he says. "It's honestly the first time in a few events that I feel that we're exactly where we need to be and our lineup is exactly what it needs to be. Internally, you can hear them holding each other accountable, too."
Sophomores Kelsey Chen and Nanami Nakashima hold the Wildcats' top two scoring averages this season at 72.00 and 72.72, respectively. Chen, a transfer from Georgia Southern, competed in the regionals last year, giving the Wildcats a dose of been-there, done-that postseason experience this week.
Meanwhile, this regional means plenty to lone senior Noa van Beek, who ranks third on the team with a 73.00 scoring average and second with a pair of top-five finishes while shooting the lowest 54-hole score in K-State history at 14-under par 202 at the Westbrook Invitational.
van Beek will finish the event with 116 career rounds while her 41 career tournaments played will tie for 10th in school history.
"She's a senior, and it's very easy to smell the roses but if you're enjoying a regional championship you're doing something wrong," Burke says. "It's high pressure, stressful and laser-focused, and the time you get to enjoy it is when that last putt goes in and you get to hold up that "TICKET PUNCHED" sign. Noa understands that. Sheer grit and determination are going to get her through it."
The top five team finishers and low individual not on an advancing team at each of the six regional sites will advance to the national championships on May 22-27 at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.
Burke is ready to roll.
"At K-State, we go to regionals and we go to nationals. That's what we do," Burke says. "They're not going to face anything out there that they haven't faced all season. They're ready to play. They're ready to make that next step."
Stew Burke spoke with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen about his team and the Louisville Regional that begins on Monday.
D. Scott Fritchen: Every year is different. A year ago, K-State was a largely veteran team with stars. This year, K-State is going to a NCAA Regional with perhaps the youngest team in your three years at K-State. It truly seems like a masterful job. What's led to this K-State team making a NCAA Regional?
Stew Burke: I think when you look at it, ignorance is a little bit of bliss. The young ladies came in, and they saw a team that competed in the national championship last year and had players who finished with all-tournament team honors in the national championship, and that was the expectation. That was what they saw. If you don't know any different, a team that's struggling to be in the top 100, or your goal is to be in the top 75, or even to just make it to regionals, the outlook looks different when you start the year. But coming in, our program has been to nationals, and there's a lot of excitement within the department and community with the women's golf program. They've taken that mantra and have run with it.
Fritchen: Let's breakdown the 2026 NCAA Louisville Regional for a moment. First of all, what were your thoughts on K-State being a No. 7 seed in the regional?
Burke: We're outside the line before the regional even kicks off. The only way is up. I know we have a young team, but I know we have a really talented team, and they have the ability to shock a lot of people at this regional. Last year, people didn't really respect us or think that we were a good program, and this year we weirdly have a lot of respect from a lot of teams, and we have a lot of people's attention. To be truly honest, this group can catch fire. We're starting to see a lot more good golf, and that's something we haven't seen for a week or so.
Fritchen: The 2026 Louisville Regional features No. 1 Arkansas, No. 2 Auburn, Big 12 Champion Iowa State, No. 4 Mississippi and Big 12 competitor Houston. It also features CAA Champion College of Charleston, Big East Champion Xavier, Conference USA Champion Western Kentucky, and Missouri Valley Champion Murray State. Looking at those team names and the accomplishments, how solid is this regional field?
Burke: It's absolutely stacked, but at the same time, we've beaten all the teams in the Big 12 that are in the regional, and we've beaten pretty much the majority of the teams apart from Arkansas and Mississippi. There's not going to be a fear factor. They're hopefully not going to get cold feet in the spotlight. It's a good regional for us because we know going in we have to play our best golf to make it. We're not just trying to flip one team to get into the five spot. We have to compete with the six teams ahead of us and play better golf than they do, and we know eight, nine and 10 are all very capable.
Fritchen: Of course, the top five finishers in the Louisville Regional will move onto the national championship. Which opposing teams in particular in this regional field really open your eyes as K-State looks to be one of the five teams to advance?
Burke: Obviously, Arkansas and Auburn are two top SEC schools. Auburn didn't make it through the regional last year. They'll definitely have a point to prove. Iowa State had a really, really good spring. They started poorly and we beat them by 20 shots to start the year in Puerto Rico, and they've hammered through the spring and have played really good golf. Those are the teams we want to catch and be competitive with day to day.
Fritchen: The golf course. What do you know about the University of Louisville Golf Club and its dimensions and bumps, and traps, and fairways and how it plays?
Burke: We've got some good strategy and got some good information. I have an acquaintance who was an assistant coach at Louisville early in his career, so he got me information about the golf course. A Big 12 coach has had her team play in Louisville each of the last two years and she gave me some things to look out for. We were on Google Maps and Strategy Book finding the areas and where we have to drive it. You've got to drive it well. Good iron play will be required as well. Those are things we worked on. It'll be about consistency throughout the week and not getting behind the eight ball early and just focusing on putting a good round together. If we get off to a good start in that first round, it'll really help.
Fritchen: Following the announcement of K-State earning its second straight postseason bid, you said, "We've not played good all spring." Did you witness that eye-of-the-tiger sense of determination among your group in the last 11 days leading up to the regional?
Burke: We're only going to take five players and no sub this time. That was a little bit to our detriment in the Big 12 Championship because we had players thinking about playing well enough not to be subbed rather than playing well enough to win the tournament. That's something that's going to help us. The lineup is set. The ladies got the message last Wednesday night who was going to be traveling, and then we met with the sports psychologist after practice. The ladies know the regional lineup doesn't mean the national lineup. Last Thursday morning, we had a good practice, and our workouts were really tailored so we were fresh while maintaining our strength game throughout the year. I'm pretty excited. It's honestly the first time in a few events that I feel that we're exactly where we need to be and our lineup is exactly what it needs to be. Internally, you can hear them holding each other accountable, too.
Fritchen: Your lone senior, Noa van Beek, ties for 10th place in K-State history with 41 career tournaments played starting today, ranks top 10 in K-State history in career scoring average, and this year shot the lowest 54-hole score in K-State history. She says, "Regionals is not going to be my last tournament." What have you noticed specifically about Noa these past couple weeks?
Burke: Noa has put in the work. We gave Noa a hard time that she's like Fred Flintstone where when practice is over, she's done for the day, but what people don't see is the hard work she puts in outside of that. She's on the golf course on our non-practice days and gets here early and puts in work, too. For Noa, this is a big event. She's not making it about her. She's a senior and it's very easy to smell the roses, but if you're enjoying a regional championship you're doing something wrong. It's high pressure, stressful and laser-focused, and the time you get to enjoy it is when that last putt goes in and you get to hold up that "TICKET PUNCHED" sign. Noa understands that. Sheer grit and determination are going to get her through it.
Fritchen: This will be the second regional for sophomore Kelsey Chen, who came to K-State this offseason after competing in the 2025 NCAA Championship with Georgia Southern. What kind of advantage is it having Chen's regional experience coupled by her talents and growth this year?
Burke: That's huge. At K-State, we go to regionals and we go to nationals. That's what we do. Kelsey was at Georgia Southern last year and we played with them for three of the rounds, and she almost felt like a part of our team. This regional will be no different for her. She's going to be surrounded by the K-State girls, but this time as teammates. Having somebody like Kelsey, who her teammates know she can score low, and all the sudden be the catalyst in a round, pretty much like Carla was last year. Kelsey has got that extra gear.
Fritchen: In the end, it all comes down to this 54-hole regional in Louisville. Across the country, there are 72 teams competing for a chance to advance to nationals. What's your final message to your young group before it goes out there and competes in the postseason?
Burke: Ultimately, do your job and take care of your own ball. That's all you can do out there. We have a really clean plan out there, so they know how to play holes. If there's a weather change or if something tricky comes up, we have a plan for that, too. You rise to your level of training, and they've done a really, really good job encompassing all the elements that they face. They're not going to face anything out there that they haven't faced all season. They're ready to play. They're ready to make that next step.
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