TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The LSU women’s golf team, ranked 26th in the latest Golfstat rankings, closes out its fall schedule beginning Friday with the UA-Ann Rhodes Intercollegiate at the Northriver Golf Course.
The tournament, hosted by the University of Alabama, returns women’s collegiate tournament golf to Tuscaloosa after a two-year absence. A total of 18 teams will take place in this event last played in 2005.
Joining host Alabama and LSU in the field are Arkansas, Auburn, Central Florida, Florida, Florida State, Furman, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Samford, South Carolina and Texas.
This will be the second straight event LSU has played over a par 71 course as the Northriver course will play to 5,963 yards. The 54-hole event runs through Sunday with play beginning at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 8:40 a.m. with a shotgun start on Sunday.
LSU will have senior Alexis Rather in the lineup for the second straight event, joined by junior Caroline Martens. The Lady Tigers will have three of its freshman going into action with Megan McChrystal, Amalie Valle and Lindy LaBauve.
McChrystal posted her first top 10 of her LSU career in the Tigers last tournament in Knoxville, shooting an even par 71 in the final round to finish in a tie for 10th at three-over par 216. Rather was near the top of the tournament stats in birdies at Knoxville with 10, while LaBauve, who finished in a tie for 27th, was fourth at the same tournament in pars made on 40 of the 54 holes.
“I know the girls are looking forward to this tournament based on how we did in Knoxville,” said LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen. “We were so close to being much higher than ninth in that tournament but our rounds were good and we have moved up two spots in the Golfstat rankings after that tournament. This has the potential to be a good lineup for us, we just need for all the girls to play together and grind away throughout the round so we make sure we have that fourth score we can post.”
After this event, the Lady Tigers are off until February when the spring season begins, highlighted by the annual LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic in mid-March at the University Club in Baton Rouge.