VIDEO: Suzanne Strudwick Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The three-time and reigning South Atlantic Conference champion Carson-Newman women's golf team will look to defend its title at the 2016 SAC Women's Golf Championship at Monroe Country Club in Monroe, N.C. beginning on Sunday morning.
The Eagles enter the event off a third-place showing at the 19th-annual Agnes McAmis Memorial at Link Hills Country Club in Greeneville, Tenn., which C-N finished two strokes behind the leaders. Sophomore Elizabeth England (Oakland, Tenn.) won her second career individual medalist accolade at the Agnes McAmis by five strokes over the second-place finisher.
Competing for Carson-Newman in the event will be freshman Taylor Hayes (Lake Ozark, Mo.), England, junior Jessica Hart (Roanoke, Va.) and seniors Meridith Hawkins (Powell, Tenn.) and Kelli Pemberton (Knoxville, Tenn.).
"We've played the strongest schedules of any of the conference teams. The players are trending in the right direction. We improved every round we played last week and the week before at Tennessee Tech's event," coach Suzanne Strudwick said of the team's momentum. "That's been our focus in the spring was to gradually build that momentum, get them competitive, get those juices flowing and have enough rest, so they don't feel too overwhelmed with either schoolwork or too much golf; just enough to keep them hungry and keep them ready, mentality and physically."
England enters the tournament with the third-lowest adjusted stroke average in the league at 77.91 and tied her career-low round at even-par 72 during the final round of the Agnes McAmis. In her lone appearance in the SAC Championships, the sophomore tied for sixth last year at the Sevierville Golf Club with a three-round total of 234.
In her previous three appearances at the conference tournament, Hawkins a three-round stroke average of 242.3 with her best finish coming during her freshman campaign with a tie for fifth; the senior has finished in the top-10 twice.
Pemberton is participating in her third SAC Women's Golf Championships and owns an average score of 251 in her previous two appearances. Last season, she finished tied for 16th at the event hosted by C-N. During the fall portion of the 2015-16 season, the Knoxville, Tenn. native tied for third at the SAC Preview that was played at Monroe Country Club.
Hart played as an individual in the 2015 Women's Golf Championship and carded her career-low round during the second round of the event with a two-over 74. This season, the junior is averaging 83.9 strokes per round.
The lone Eagle to make her conference tournament debut is Hayes, who has the third-lowest stroke average on the team with an average of 80.1 strokes. The freshman has two two-10 finishes on the season and placed third at the Smokey Mountain Intercollegiate.
"(England) is really coming into form and she is really happy to get her number one spot back, which she got at the beginning of the year, lost it and got it back," Strudwick said. "We had two rounds in the 70s that should've been better from Meridith Hawkins. There are some good things happening. Taylor Hayes bounced back from 85 to a 78. Kelli Pemberton is coming into form and had another good round. And Jessica Hart is just steady with two 84s."
Last season, C-N notched the third-lowest three-round total in SAC Women's Golf Championship history with a 306 at the Sevierville Golf Club's River Course to win by seven strokes over runners-up Newberry. Then-senior Danielle Baiunco finished a stroke behind the individual medalist, Lindsey Davis of Lincoln Memorial, to place second.
The 2016 edition of the tournament marks the third time that Carson-Newman enters as the reigning champions and in the previous two championships, the Newberry Wolves won both conference titles. C-N finished second to the Wolves in 2009 with a combined team score of 941, while the Eagles placed fourth. Each of those events also took place in the Tar Heel State.
Heading into the tournament, C-N is the top-ranked team according to Golfstat.com with a ranking of 45th in the nation; Queens (N.C.) is the second-highest ranked SAC program in 51st. Catawba does not have enough players to form a team and thus, does not register in the rankings; the Indians will compete as individuals.
Monroe Country Club's front nine was designed by Donald Ross in 1936 and features subtle elevation changes and Ross-style greens. The back nine features a 1970's design by Tom Jackson and provides tree-lined fairways, large greens, tricky doglegs that can reward or punish any golfer.
The first 18 holes of the SAC Women's Golf Championships tees off on Sunday morning from Monroe Country Club.
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