Jan. 31, 2018
The upcoming UCF Challenge will serve as a homecoming for three Vanderbilt golfers.
Junior Courtney Zeng, sophomore Abbey Carlson and freshman Morgan Baxendale are returning to their central Florida roots as part of the Vanderbilt women’s squad that will compete in the UCF Challenge, a 54-hole tournament starting this weekend in Orlando.
Greg Allen’s Commodores can expect a vocal gallery when they tee off in the first round Sunday morning from the Eagle Creek Golf Club.
“All three of us are really excited about this tournament and looking forward to the opportunity,” Zeng said. “It’s pretty neat to get a chance to go home and play in front of your family and lots of friends.”
The Commodores are making their sixth appearance in the UCF Challenge, and first since 2016.
Zeng, a product of The First Academy in Orlando, Fla., participated in the 2016 UCF Challenge, shooting a 54-hole total of 227 as a true freshman.
“What I remember most was the large network of friends and family there just to support and encourage us,” Zeng said. “It makes for a real positive experience on the course.”
Zeng and Baxendale, also a resident of Windermere and graduate of The First Academy, have enjoyed individual success at the Eagle Creek layout. Each has claimed junior competitions staged on the 6,350-yard tract.
“I’ve played a lot of junior golf at the course and have experienced some success there,” Baxendale said. “I have some positive memories from the course.”
Carlson, the Commodores’ top individual golfer last fall with a 72.75 stroke average, hails from Lake Mary just north of Orlando. As a standout at Circle Christian School in the city, Carlson played Eagle Creek frequently in district and regional tournaments.
“I have a lot of good memories from playing there. Unfortunately, as a young player, I learned one of my most important lessons on one of the par-3. Let’s just say that sometimes taking an unplayable (penalty) is the best option,” she said.
Baxendale echoed Zeng’s anticipation of playing in front of family and friends. “Just to have a chance to play in front of family members and friends is going to be fun and special for all of us,” she said.
Allen anxious, excited about squad enters spring season
The UCF Challenge tourney serves as Vanderbilt’s spring debut, and first start since The Battle of the Beach in November from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Vanderbilt finished the fall campaign as one of the Southeastern Conference’s most improved. Allen’s squad, which includes freshmen Baxendale, Virginia Green and Louise Yu in key roles, ended the fall ranked No. 25 nationally by Golfweek.com.
The Commodores are one of 16 teams entered in the UCF Challenge. Others in the quality field besides UCF are Auburn, College of Charleston, East Carolina, Iowa State, Memphis, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi State, North Carolina-Wilmington, Old Dominion, Penn State, SMU, Texas Tech, Tulane and Wisconsin.
Allen believes his team is ready to play well in Orlando.
“I’m always a little anxious for the first spring tournament. You just never know how it’s going to shake down after a three-month layoff,” he said. “We’ve had a great few weeks of practice and had an unbelievable experience in Scottsdale a few weeks ago. We’re probably as healthy as we’ve been all year. The layoff allowed Abbey and Farney (senior Alexandra Farnsworth) to rest some aching wrists. And I believe we as mentally ready as we’ve been. There’s always room to keep growing in that area but as of today, we’re better than yesterday.”
How the Commodores have fared in the UCF Challenge
While Allen’s squad has yet to claim a team title in five previous UCF Challenge appearances, former Commodore standout Jennifer Hahn earned co-medalist honors in 2015 by shooting a nine-under par total of 220.
The Commodores finished sixth among 18 teams in the 2016 UCF Challenge, concluding with a 54-hole team total of 895. Cindy Ha was the top individual performer, earning a sixth-place result by shooting a four-over total of 220 for 54 holes.
Vanderbilt’s best team finish at the UCF Challenge came in 2007 when the Commodores claimed a tie for third place. That year, Jacqui Concolino earned a runner-up individual finish.
Vanderbilt’s all-time results in the UCF Challenge follows:
Year Team Result Top Individual
2016 T-6th (309-289-297=895) Cindy Ha, T-6th (220)
2015 4th (277-282-300=859) Jenni Hahn, T-1st (207)
2009 16th (298-297-295=890) Megan Grehan, T-23rd (218)
2008 15th (302-297-297=896) Liebelei Lawrence, T-27th (219)
2007 T-3rd (302-298-298=898) Jacqui Concolino, 2nd (217)
