March 14, 2018
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Four former Vanderbilt standouts tee off this week at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup, the LPGA’s first event of the year on American soil.
Marina Alex, Jacqui Concolino, Simin Feng and Jennifer Hahn are entered in the tournament, which begins Thursday morning at the Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa.
This marks the first time since the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open that a LPGA field has included four Commodores. That event, staged in the province of Ontario, included Alex, Concolino, Feng and Megan Grehan.
Bank of Hope Founders Cup pairings here
Bank of Hope Founders Cup live results here
The Bank of Hope Founders Cup also marks the LPGA season debut for Hahn, who earned tour status last fall and was granted a sponsor’s exemption last week.
Vanderbilt women’s golf head coach Greg Allen couldn’t be happier for his former pupils and the impact they are having on the Commodore program.
“I’m really thrilled for our program and the four girls playing this week,” Allen said. “We tell recruits that you can get the best of both worlds playing at Vanderbilt. They show that you can get a world-class education and get a chance to compete against the very best players.”
Alex, a two-time SEC Player of the Year recipient and member of the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame, is in her sixth year on tour. She currently sits at No. 20 on the tour’s Race to CME Globe rankings after posting a top-five result last month in Australia and contending for the HSBC World Championship two weeks ago in China.
Concolino, a 2007 All-American for the Commodores, is coming off her best LPGA season in her sixth year on tour. Currently ranked No. 46 in the Race to CME Globe standings, she returns to Phoenix after posting a top-25 finish at the tournament last year.
Feng, an individual medalist at the 2014 Southeastern Conference Championships for the league-champion Commodores, is in her fourth year on the LPGA Tour. A native of China, Feng is seeking her third career top-10 result on tour.
Hahn, who earned multiple All-SEC honors for the Commodores, will make her second career LPGA appearance. A resident of Las Vegas, Hahn earned conditional status for the first time by finishing 32nd at the final stage of LPGA Qualifying last November.
LPGA Feature: Hahn is ‘Vegas Strong’ this week
The Golf Channel will offer coverage of the tournament Thursday-Sunday from 5-8 p.m. CT.
