Nov. 2, 2017
Battle of the Beach results l Hole-by-hole look at Cabo’s Club Campestre
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico – The Vanderbilt women’s golf team looks to cap off a strong fall campaign this weekend at the inaugural Battle of the Beach, staged on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.
The Commodores should move up national charts with an excellent showing on the Mexican coast. They currently are ranked No. 20 by Golfweek and No. 25 by Golfstat.com.
Vanderbilt faces a talented field at the Battle of the Beach. They will compete with UCLA, Texas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Virginia, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Houston, Tulane, Ohio State and tourney host Baylor.
The 54-hole tourney will be held at Club Camprestre San Jose just east of Cabo San Lucas. The 6,209-yard Jack Nicklaus design, nestled in the foothills of the Sierras, offers dramatic elevation changes, incredible panoramic views and difficult undulating greens.
Greg Allen’s Commodore lineup features Courtney Zeng, Morgan Baxendale, Alexandra Farnsworth, Abbey Carlson and Louise Yu. Virginia Green will participate in the individual competition.
Allen wants to see his young team finish its fall campaign on a high note, building on three solid results in earlier competitions at the Ocean Course Invitational in Kiawah Island, S.C., its own Mason Rudolph Championship and the Ruth’s Chris Steak House Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to play in this new event in a really scenic part of the world,” Allen said. “While it’s a beautiful location, I’ve reminded the girls that this is a business trip first and foremost.
“Just like the three previous events we’ve played this fall, the Battle of the Beach has a very strong field. My expectations are to go out and hit committed, confident and courageous golf shots,” Allen added.
This marks Vanderbilt’s first competition off American soil this season, and the first since the Commodores participated in the Lady Puerto Rico Classic last February.
Eighteen holes will be played each day, featuring a shotgun format start at 10:30 a.m. CT. The Commodore contingent are expected to start their first round on the back hole. Live scoring can be found on BirdieFire.com throughout the week.
Commodores on the LPGA
Former Vanderbilt standouts Marina Alex and Jacqui Concolino are paired together in the first round of the 44th edition of Toto Japan Classic, a 54-hole LPGA event that starts Friday. They will kick off at 7:40 a.m. local time.
Alex and Concolino are two of the hottest players on the LPGA Tour. Alex is one the best stretch of her professional career, running off six consecutive finishes in the Top 30. She is currently 25th in the LPGA’s season-ending Race to CME Globe competition. Concolino is coming off her best LPGA finish, a second-place tie last week at the Sime Darby Malaysia event. With back-to-back Top Ten finishes in recent weeks, she is currently 31st in the CME ranking. The Toto Japan Classic will be aired on Golf Channel daily through Saturday. Coverage starts at 10 p.m. CT.
