GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 18th-ranked LSU women’s golf team begins its spring season with a familiar starting tournament, but on a golf course which looks nothing like the course its played in years past.
The Tigers take part in the 30th Annual SunTrust Lady Gator Invitational at the University of Florida Golf Course. This has been a traditional spring opener for the Tigers, but the course they will play resembles nothing like the course they have played in past years including as recently as last year ‘s Southeastern Conference Women’s Championships.
Since that tournament in April, the UF Course was totally made over as documented all summer by Sports Illustrated in its Golf Plus section of the magazine. The par 72 course has not only been lengthened, but hole routings have changed along with new tee boxes and greens.
Joining LSU and host Florida in the event are Alabama, Arkansas, Central Florida, Florida International, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Florida and Vanderbilt.
LSU took fifth in last year’s tournament behind Auburn’s winning score at 4-over 868.
LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen is hoping that the Tigers spring season will continue where the fall season left off with a strong third-place finish at the Lady Paladin event at Furman. LSU senior All-American Meredith Duncan, the United States Women’s Amateur Champion, posted a three-day total of even-par 216 to win the individual title, her first collegiate crown.
Duncan will lead the Tigers into the fray for the first of four regular season spring events and she will be joined in the lineup by freshman Brooke Bennett, senior Lindy Hitdlebaugh, sophomore Isabel Dornellas and sophomore Devon Day.
Duncan enters the spring with a 74.18 stroke average from the fall semester, followed by Dornellas at 76.82, Hitdlebaugh 77.54 and Shelton 77.64.
“We are anxious to get going again” said coach Bahnsen. “The final tournament was a great way to finish the gall and now we need to come out aggressive and focused and make good decisions on a golf course that will play much differently than the course these girls have played in the past.”
The LSU spring includes two major events at the school’s home course, the University Club. The Tigers will host the annual LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic April 5-7 in looking to win the event for a third straight year. More importantly, in May, the Tigers will host the NCAA East Regional, bringing 21 women’s golf teams together looking for the eight qualifying spots to the NCAA Division I Championships.