Sept. 11, 2007
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NASHVILLE – The Vanderbilt women’s golf team starts its 2007-08 season with the toughest field it will see this regular season, hosting the Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn. The host Commodores, number ten in the Golfworld/NGCA preseason poll and number eight in the preseason Golfweek poll, will play host to the top nine teams in the nation, according to GolfWeek, and 14 out of the top 27 teams in women’s collegiate golf September 14-16 in Franklin.
Included in this year’s field include the number one ranked, three-time defending NCAA champion Duke Blue Devils, #2-ranked Arizona State, #3-ranked USC, #4 UCLA, #5 Auburn, #6 Oklahoma State, #7 Purdue, #8 Vanderbilt, #9 Arizona, #11 Wake Forest, #13 Florida, #14 Georgia, #20 Stanford, and #27 LSU. Rounding out the field is Kentucky, Ohio State, and South Carolina.
“Traditionally, the Mason Rudolph has been one of the strongest tournaments on anyone’s schedule, and this year’s event might be the best ever,” said Vanderbilt head coach Greg Allen. “I’m not sure a tournament will have the top nine ranked teams again until Nationals. Fans have a chance this weekend to see the future stars of the LPGA.”
The 54-hole tournament takes place this Friday through Sunday on the par-72, 6,217-yard Legends Course, with 18 holes being played every day of the event. Duke captured the 2006 rendition with a three-day total of 863 (283-284-296), three stokes better than second-place Georgia (280-294-292=866), and nine strokes better than third-place UCLA, who posted a team total of 872 (287-289-296). Arizona’s Alison Walshe won medalist honors with a six-under par, 210 (71-72-67), two strokes better than Georgia’s Garrett Phillips, who finished with a four-under par, 212 (70-71-71).
The host Commodores, who finished sixth at last year’s NCAA Championship, are led by junior All-American Jacqui Concolino, the number four “Player to Watch in 2007” according to GolfWorld, and the fifth “Player to Watch” this season according to GolfWeek. Concolino capped off a very productive summer after she was named as Team USA’s MVP at the 32nd Annual Fuji Xerox U.S.A. vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship at Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. The Orlando, Fla., native finished ninth at the 2007 NCAA Championship and became the first player in school history to win medalist honors at an NCAA regional when she carded a career-best five-under 208 to win the NCAA Central Regional. She also had ten Top 10 finishes in 12 events in the 2006-07 season. Returning letterwinners Liebelei Lawrence, Amber Lundskog, and Brooke Goodwin will join Concolino in the starting lineup, along with promising freshman Megan Grehan. Senior Julie Bartholomew will compete for Vanderbilt in the tournament as an individual.
“I’m really excited about our season debut,” said Allen. “This team is loaded with talent and they have worked extremely hard on and off the golf course the last two weeks preparing to go out and play like champions.”
Teams will tee off from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, with the Commodores set to tee off Friday morning at 8:45 a.m.