Feb. 8, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s golf team finally returns to the golf course in tournament play with the UCF Challenge in Orlando, Fla., beginning Sunday, Feb. 9 and finishing Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Eagle Creek Golf Club. The UCF Challenge marks the first of four spring tournaments before the SEC Championship and NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats will look to pick up where they left off after a successful fall season that saw Kentucky win its season-opening tournament at the “MO”Morial Invitational to go with another top five finish at the Schooner Fall Classic. Senior Liz Breed leads the team with a 72.08 scoring average after four fall tournaments that included a second-place finish at the Schooner Fall Classic. Breed fired a personal-best 64 during the final round of play, for one of her three top 15 finishes in fall competition.
Freshman Haley Mills recorded her first collegiate individual championship in her first collegiate tournament, the “MO”Morial Invitational. She ranks second on the team with a scoring average of 74.25 after the fall slate.
UK will use the lineup of Breed, Mills, sophomore Sarah Harris, sophomore Cylia Damerau and freshmen Alessandra Walker and Megan Kinney.
“I can’t believe the first spring event is here,” said Kentucky head coach Golda Johansson Borst. “This winter break flew by and we are all definitely ready to get down to Florida to compete. We have worked hard over the offseason and now that we have our new golf building we have been able to practice at a different level this early in the spring. We have been to this event for a few years now, but UCF has changed venues this year so we are excited to see a new course and to play some tournament golf.”
This marks the third time Kentucky will participate in the UCF Challenge. The Wildcats finished eighth in 2012 and fourth in 2011. Former Wildcat Ashleigh Albrecht tied for first place in the 2011 event with a final score of eight-under par.
Eighteen holes will be played Sunday through Tuesday, with fixed tee times on hole No. 1 and No. 10 starting at 8:30 a.m. ET on Sunday and Monday. The final round of 18 holes on Tuesday will begin at 8:45 a.m. with a shotgun start. The Eagle Creek Golf Club will feature a par-72 (35-37), 6,349-yard setup.
Joining the 21st-ranked Wildcats are 18 teams that consist of No. 22 Iowa State, Augusta State, Campbell, ECU, ETSU, Florida International, Georgia State, Kennesaw State, Miami, Minnesota, New Mexico, SMU, South Florida, Texas State, Tulane, UCF, Western Carolina and Wisconsin.
Following the UCF Challenge, UK will compete in the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, S.C., from March 7-9. For more information on the University of Kentucky women’s golf team please visit UKathletics.com and follow on Twitter @UKWomensGolf.
Eagle Creek Golf Club
Orlando, Fla. Feb. 9-11
Par: 72 (35-37)
Yardage: 6,349 (3,060-3,289)
Live Scoring: Stats
UK Lineup:
1: Liz Breed
2: Haley Mills
3: Sarah Harris
4: Cylia Damerau
5: Ale Walker
6: Megan Kinney
