Bulls Eager to Take on Top-Level Competition During Highly Anticipated Season
USF women’s golf begins its four-tournament run through the regular season Feb. 8-9 at the FAU Paradise Invitational in Boca Raton, Fla.
The Bulls’ schedule will prepare them well for The American Championship April 18-20 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.
SEASON SCHEDULE
TAMPA, JAN. 15, 2021 – USF women’s golf is getting ready to test its talented roster often this spring during a highly anticipated four-tournament regular season that will prepare the Bulls well for The American Championship.
“More than anything, we are looking forward to being back in competition,” head coach Erika Brennan said. “Our schedule features a lot of Power Five competition, and we’ll need to be ready to take on that challenge.”
The new season begins with the FAU Paradise Invitational, a new event for the Bulls, set for Feb. 8-9 at Boca Lago Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. Idle from team events since March 8, 2020, USF is incredibly eager to take on a impressive field that features No. 13 Vanderbilt, Michigan State and Ohio State.
USF will join forces with Memphis to represent the American Athletic Conference for the second consecutive spring at the Florida State Matchup Feb. 26-28 in Tallahassee. The Bulls performed well last year, placing fifth behind only then-No. 12 Alabama, Clemson, No. 24 Florida State and event winner LSU (No. 13).
This year’s Florida State Matchup field includes No. 23 Kansas State, No. 40 Missouri, Clemson, Ohio State, Coastal Carolina and Kent State.
“Getting started with our first two events in the state of Florida is something we take pride in,” Brennan said.
USF also is proud to once again take part in the Valspar Augusta Invitational March 13-14 at Forest Hills Golf Club in Georgia. This marks the third straight season the event has appeared on the Bulls’ schedule and the competition will be tremendous with No. 2 South Carolina, No. 4 Ole Miss, Florida State, Duke, Furman, Kent State, Louisville, Purdue, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Coastal Carolina and Wake Forest in the field.
The Bulls will tune up for the postseason April 5-6 at the Brickyard Collegiate, hosted by No. 18 Mercer. Brickyard Golf Club in Macon, Ga., has served as a USGA Mid-Amateur Championship qualifying site.
The American Championship is scheduled for April 18-20 at prestigious Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in North Carolina. Pinehurst has previously hosted major events like the U.S. Women’s Open Championship in 2014 and the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship.
“To have the opportunity to play in an area with such a storied history is special,” Brennan said.
USF is anxious to get started with a roster that returns record-breaking Erika Smith (Orlando), 2019 All-AAC selection Ramya Meenakshisundaram (Jacksonville, Fla.), redshirt junior Jessica Whitting (Perth, Australia) and senior Ashley Zagers (Oldsmar, Fla.).
“The team is doing all of the first things to set themselves up for success,” Brennan said. “The sense of urgency and focus has been fun to see this spring.”
There’s no shortage of incoming talent with 2019 Rolex Junior All-American Melanie Green (Medina, N.Y,) joining the program alongside fellow freshman Thin Wai Khaing, a member of the Myanmar national team. USF also welcomes Auburndale, Fla., native Shelby Brauckmuller, a senior transfer from Marshall who won the FSGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship in August.
“We’re obviously very hungry to get out and compete. I think our schedule sets us up to really showcase the talent and ability of our current team,” assistant coach Dalton Stevens said. “It’s going to be a fun stretch of navigating all the processes in place. I think we’re forever grateful for everybody who has played a key role in helping us to get the opportunity to compete this spring. We’re going to get out there and get after it.”
About USF Women’s Golf
Veteran head coach Erika Brennan completed her first full season with USF in 2018-19 and helped the Bulls become the second-fastest rising program in the country, as they climbed 75 spots in the national Golfstat rankings. The 2019-20 Bulls posted a wire-to-wire win at the Old Friends Invitational on Feb. 18, which marked the program’s third tournament title since spring 2019.
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