Commodores to host 18th Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship

The Vanderbilt Commodore women’s golf team will host the 18th annual Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship this Friday through Sunday on the Vanderbilt Legend Club’s North Course in an event that will feature some of the nation’s top collegiate teams.  Eighteen holes will be played each day in Franklin, Tenn., with competition beginning at 8:30 a.m. off of the number one and 10 tees.  Admission is free.

Last Time Out
Sparked by a sensational performance by senior Courtney Zeng, the Commodore women’s golf team used a record-breaking final round to claim second-place honors at the storm-shortened Powerade Cougar Classic in their first tournament of the season.

The Vanderbilt foursome of Zeng, freshman Auston Kim, junior Abbey Carlson and sophomore Louise Yu combined to blister the Yeamans Hall Golf Club with a 19-under 269 total in the second round, helping the Commodores to a two-day total of 27-under par 549. The total earned Vanderbilt a strong second-place finish in the tournament, which was shortened to 36 holes due to the approach of Hurricane Florence on the Carolina coastline.

The 269 team score smashes the program’s single-round scoring record. Vanderbilt’s former best 18-hole team score was a 274 produced in final-round play of the 2014 NCAA Regional.

2018 Mason Rudolph Championship Field
This week’s field will feature 15 teams, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, Auburn, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Clemson, Houston, Louisville, LSU, Mercer, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee, Missouri, North Carolina, and Wake Forest.

Arizona State is the highest ranked team in the field, according to the Women’s College Golf Association (WGCA) preseason poll, and enters the tournament ranked 10th.  Wake Forest is 17th in the preseason poll and features the 2018 NCAA Women’s Individual Champion, Jennifer Kupcho.  Michigan State enters the tournament 18th, Auburn 21st, Clemson 22nd, and the Commodores 25th.  Louisville, North Carolina, and Houston are also receiving votes in the poll.

Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course
The Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course, the host of the 2012 NCAA Women’s Championship, will be the host course for the weekend and it will be set up as a par-72, 6,430-yard format. 

Vanderbilt Coach Greg Allen
Commodore women’s golf coach Greg Allen will be leading his Vanderbilt team into his 12th Mason Rudolph Championship as the leader of the Commodore program.

“Hosting the Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship is one of the many great things about coaching golf at Vanderbilt,” said Allen. “I love getting to show off our golf course, the great cities of Nashville and Franklin and all that southern hospitality. The Vanderbilt Legends Club is in great shape, as always, and their staff and the many volunteers are excited about the weekend. We have another great field and some of the best players in the country playing this weekend. 

“I’m anxious to see what my team can do after getting off to a great start to the season in Charleston. I believe we are very prepared and ready to compete. I hope the putters are still hot!”

2017 Mason Rudolph Championship
The Commodores earned a solid fourth place team finish in the 17th Annual Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship at Vanderbilt Legends Club. 

Greg Allen’s Commodores, the second youngest squad in the impressive 15-team Mason Rudolph field, finished 22-under par with a team score of 842. 

Additionally, Abbey Carlson put together her best collegiate effort to pace the Commodores, finishing in the fourth-place tie with a 10-under par total of 206. She was supported by Louise Yu (4-under 212), Courtney Zeng (3-under 213), Morgan Baxendale (even par 216) and Virginia Green (three-over 219). 

Arkansas, playing in the Mason Rudolph for the first time in recent years, was an impressive wire-to-wire winner in the team competition. The Razorbacks established a new tournament record by accumulating a remarkable 41-under par 823 total. They broke the previous record of 39-under par set by Alabama in 2016. 

The Razorbacks’ top performer, Maria Fassi, and Alabama’s Lauren Stephenson shared the individual tournament title. Both broke the former Mason Rudolph record by shooting 16-under par 200. 

This Weekend’s Weather
Weather in Franklin this weekend looks hot on Friday with a cool down set for Saturday and Sunday.  Highs will be in the upper 80’s on Friday, with highs forecasted to barely get to 80 for the weekend.  There is a slight chance of rain in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday.