ATHENS, Ga. — The ninth-ranked LSU women’s golf team returns to action for its fourth tournament of the spring season, participating in the always tough Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic that begins play Friday at the University of Georgia Golf Course.
The UGA Course, a par 72 layout that will play to 6,335 years, will play host to 18 teams with eight of those ranked in the top 19 in the country. Joining LSU and host Georgia (ranked 9th) are: Alabama (6), Arkansas (19), Auburn (7), Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Kansas, Kent State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, North Carolina (13), Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Virginia (3) and Wake Forest (12).
Virginia is coming off a win in the LSU Golf Classic on the rain-soaked University Club Course, shooting a 54-hole total of eight-under par with all three rounds under par. But LSU was right in the game with a 54-hole total of three-over par 867, shooting two under par rounds. In fact, LSU shot three under par rounds in a week, adding another under par round earlier in the when the Tigers played in the UCF Challenge.
“I feel really good about what we did in the Classic with how Jacqueline Hedwall (-4, tie for seventh) and Amalie Valle (E, tie 14th) all stepped up when we played without Megan McChrystal,” said LSU Coach Karen Bahnsen. “But frankly, our whole team stepped up that weekend and that was great to see. We are going to need all of them as we head to the post-season and to get to our ultimate goal of a strong showing in the national championship tournament.”
McChrystal, the sophomore from Stuart, Fla., returns to the LSU lineup after being out for the LSU Golf Classic because of illness. She averages 72.1 strokes per round with two top-five finishes and three top 10s in five events. She will be joined by Hedwall, Valle, senior Caroline Martens and freshman Tessa Teachman.
McChrystal enters the event 15th in the country in the Golfstat rankings, 16th in the Golfweek/Sagarin performance rankings. As a team LSU is 11th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and this week cracked the top 10, getting a vote of No. 10 in the NGCA Coaches poll.
LSU has one regular season tournament left next week, the Bryan Park National event outside Greensboro, N. C., before the Southeastern Conference Championships, April 17-19, outside Columbia, S.C.
The Liz Murphey event runs through Sunday and live scoring will be available at LSUsports.net through Golfstat.com.