Never, ever count Isabella McCauley out of a golf tournament.

Isabella McCauley

Advancing through NCAA Regionals is a tall task, particularly for an individual player on her own. The best five teams out of 12 in the field — and each individual on those teams — at each regional advances through to the NCAA Championships. And, for everyone else, there’s one remaining spot up for grabs.

For the second straight year, McCauley beat them all for that spot.

The Gophers sophomore fired a 7-under-par round of 65 in the third-and-final round on Thursday at Auburn University Club in Alabama to finish in a tie for second for the regional at 2-under overall. The tournament winner — Auburn’s Anna Davis, who finished the 54-hole competition at  5-under — and the two other golfers with whom McCauley tied for second were all on teams that advanced through to the NCAA Finals.

Meaning McCauley is the top remaining individual, and will join them all there. The NCAA Championships are set for May 17-22 in Carlsbad, Calif. This marks McCauley’s second straight appearance at that final stage in her second collegiate season.

For the second straight year, McCauley stumbled out of the gates at Regionals.

Last year, she was six back of the qualifying position after Round 1, and closed with rounds of 67-68 to get to the NCAA Championships.

This time, she shot a 5-over 77 and was, again, six shots back of qualifying after Round 1.

And, yet again, she delivered another final-round masterpiece. She birdied seven holes — including No. 18 — to no bogeys. Her round of 65 was four shots better than anything anyone else shot all week. That kind of score simply wasn’t out there.

And yet she made it happen.

That’s McCauley’s M.O. these days. Just a few weeks ago, the Simley High School grad shot a final-round 64 to rally from six shots back to claim a share of the Big Ten tournament title.

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Gophers golf: Simley grad Isabella McCauley shoots bogey-free 64 to share Big Ten title