Head Coach Greg Allen, who guided Vanderbilt back to the NCAA Regionals last spring, is looking forward to seeing his Commodores back on the course.
“I absolutely love what the start of a new season brings and I’m excited to get everyone together and get back to work,” Allen said. “The (2018-19) schedule is very challenging, but it gives our girls an opportunity to face top-level competition, participate in several great events, and play several outstanding courses.”
Allen’s returning cast of Commodores features the team’s top five performers from a year ago: sophomore Morgan Baxendale, junior Abbey Carlson, sophomore Louise Yu, senior Courtney Zeng and sophomore Virginia Green. They will be joined by a pair of talented freshmen in Annie Kim and Auston Kim.
The Commodores’ fall schedule also includes return trips to the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitation in Chapel Hill, N.C., and The Battle at the Beach in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.
“I like getting the season kicked off at Yeamans Hall before coming home to host the Mason (Rudolph) on the Legends North course. The Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel is always a first-class event and there’s nothing better than finishing the fall in Cabo,” Allen said.
In 2017, the Mason Rudolph drew one of the strongest fields in collegiate women’s golf. This year should be no different, with national powers such as Arizona State, Auburn, Wake Forest and North Carolina entered in the field.
The Commodores will start the spring campaign competing in the Central Florida Challenge on Feb. 3-5 in Orlando, then travel to Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, S.C. for the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate March 8-10. The team’s last two tournaments before postseason competition will be at the San Diego State March Mayhem in Southern California on March 25-27 and the Clemson (S.C.) Invitational on April 7-9 in Sunset, S.C.
“The Darius at Long Cove Club is really as good as it gets, and the Clemson event on Lake Keowee is becoming one of our (spring) favorites,” Allen said. “The March Mayhem event is new to our schedule. It gives us a chance to get some match-play experience before the SECs and it’s San Diego.”
The SEC Championship, which features one of the deepest fields of the year, returns to Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham April 17-21. Allen’s Commodores captured the 2014 title and advanced to match play a year ago at the same venue.
Auburn, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Washington will host NCAA Regional competitions on May 6-8. The NCAA Championship will be contested May 17-22 at Blessings Golf Course in Fayetteville, Ark.
Last year, the Commodores advanced to the NCAA Regional in Tallahassee, Fla., despite a five-player roster that featured a sophomore and three true freshmen.
Allen thinks the postseason experience will give his squad a big boost this year.
“Considering our youth, we accomplished a great deal last year and did so with a great team attitude. That experience will be invaluable moving forward and should serve as a motivation to this year’s team,” Allen added.
