Dores Ready for Big Stage at Darius Rucker Intercollegiate

Vanderbilt will be part of historic GOLF Channel broadcast

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s golf team will be front and center stage when it competes in the 10th edition of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate starting Monday.

The 54-hole, three-day event is scheduled to be played at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

“We’re excited to get back to the Long Cove Club and compete in the Darius Rucker (Intercollegiate) again,” said head coach Greg Allen. “This tournament has become my favorite on the schedule because it’s probably the toughest field we face on maybe the best golf course we get to play. So, it will be a big test for us and one that I believe we’re ready for.”

Hosted by multi-platinum country artist and PXG ambassador Darius Rucker, the event will make its television debut on GOLF Channel, marking the first all-women’s regular season collegiate golf tournament to be presented live on the network. Live coverage will be available every day from 1:30-4:30 p.m. (CT) with encore presentations later in the night.

“We need to make sure we focus on playing our game and not get caught up on outside distractions and things we can’t control,” noted Allen. “Long Cove (Club) requires a lot of patience and the ability to remain calm if things get a little chaotic. We’ve talked about this now it’s time to go execute.”

In 2020, Auston Kim became the seventh Commodore to finish in the top 10 individually at the event while Vandy finished 12th in the team standings.

A Star-Studded Field

Vanderbilt will be tested by a field of 17 teams with every school entered currently ranked inside Golfstat’s top 50. 

10 of those programs are among Golfstat’s top 25 squads: No. 4 South Carolina (host), No. 5 Wake Forest, No. 8 Alabama, No. 10 Arkansas, No. 11 Texas, No. 13 Arizona State, No. 17 LSU, No. 18 Auburn, No. 21 Baylor and No. 22 Duke.

Eleven of Golfstat’s top 25 individuals will chase the medalist crown, including Vanderbilt’s Kim at No. 10.

Four of the top 10 players currently in Division 1 – Kim, Ingrid Lindblad (LSU), Hannah Darling (South Carolina) and Brooke Matthews (Arkansas) – are expected to compete.

Behind the Scenes

The tournament is one of the most respected events in collegiate women’s golf. The Darius Rucker Intercollegiate is renowned for its hospitality and pre-tournament activities, which traditionally include a concert by tournament host.

The Rucker enters its 10th year at Long Cove Club, one of the top venues on Hilton Head Island, known worldwide for its collection of challenging golf courses. Pete Dye and his wife, Alice, designed the course in 1982, immediately after finishing the famed TPC Sawgrass course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which annually hosts THE PLAYERS Championship.

Located on the inland shores of Hilton Head, the course’s par-71 layout measures up to 6,290 yards for the tournament. Traditionally, cool temperatures and windy conditions at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate force difficult playing conditions.

History at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate

The Commodores are seeking their first Darius Rucker Intercollegiate championship trophy after finishing 12th at the 2020 event.

Vandy contended for the team title in the first three editions of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, earning back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014 after a third-place result in 2012’s inaugural tournament. The Dores also tied for fifth with Auburn at the 2019 edition of the event.

Individually, seven Commodores have notched top-10 finishes: Kim (T-10th in 2020), Courtney Zeng (T-10th in 2019), Alexandra Farnsworth, (T-2nd in 2016); Simin Feng (T-3rd in 2014); Kendall Martindale (T-5th in 2013), Irina Gabasa (T-9th in 2013) and Marina Alex (T-10th in 2012).

The Lineup

The Vanderbilt lineup making its television debut features senior standout Kim, sophomore, Virginie Ding, breakout freshman Natasha Kiel, fifth-year veteran Louise Yu and junior Celina Sattelkau.

Kim, an ANNIKA Award candidate and confirmed Augusta National Women’s Amateur participant, earned the top spot in the lineup after posting three top-five finishes out of four tournaments this season. She also leads the team with a 69.92 scoring average for the season.

Ding comes in at No. 2 spot for the Dores after her second top-10 finish at the FAU Paradise Invitational (Feb. 7-8), where she shot a career-low 54-hole total of 211 (-5).

Yu, a 2021 NCAA Championship individual qualifier, sits at No. 3. Kiel moves up to No. 4 in the lineup after a breakout performance in Boca Raton, Florida, where she made her first start on the road with a career-low 208 (-8) which tied her for the 12th lowest 54-hole score in program history. The newcomer’s performance in the spring opener earned her SEC Freshman of the Week on Feb. 10.

2021 NCAA Championship individual qualifier, Sattelkau, will make her 2022 spring debut to round out the last spot in the Dore lineup.

Last Time Out

The Commodores recorded a second-place finish at the FAU Paradise Invitational. Finishing at 26-under par, the mark is the third lowest 54-hole score in program history.

Vanderbilt was led by senior standout Kim and newcomer Kiel, who both finished in a tie for fifth with a 208 (-8). The two tied for the 12th lowest 54-hole score in program history after Kiel posted a career-low round of 67 (-5) in her first road test.

Ding also earned her second career top 10 with career-low 54-hole score of 211 (-5).

Kim Invited to Augusta

Kim has been invited to compete in the third annual Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which will be held March 30-April 2. Individually, Kim is ranked No. 10 in the latest Golfstat poll and Golfweek has her at No. 21 with a 70.03 rating.

This will be Kim’s second appearance in the ANWA after she was invited in January of 2020. Her appearance was delayed a year by the COVID-19 pandemic, but made the cut and finished tied for 25th overall at the event in 2021.

NBC Sports will produce and broadcast three hours of live final-round coverage at Augusta National from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (CT) on April 2. They will also provide pre-event promotion across NBCUniversal’s portfolio, while Golf Channel will deliver highlights, live reports and news coverage throughout the event, including onsite during the first two competitive rounds at Champions Retreat.

Additionally, Golf Channel’s “Live From the Masters” will commence on April 1 from Augusta National and wrap ANWA coverage on April 2 and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals on April 3.

For full press release, click here.

Kiel Shines with SEC Honors

Kiel was named SEC Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office on Feb. 10.

The native of New Hope, Pennsylvania, was honored for her performance in Boca Raton, Florida, where she made her first start on the road and finished with a career-low 208 (-8) which tied her for the 12th lowest 54-hole score in program history. In only her second career start, Kiel earned her first career top-five finish, tying for fifth overall, after closing out the tournament with a career-low round of 67 (-5).

For full press release, click here.