JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Following a three month interlude, the Carson-Newman women's golf team resumes their 2016-2017 schedule on Saturday, the first of two days at the Kiawah Invitational at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, S.C.
The tournament will consist of 18 holes on each day and the Eagles will be one of 17 teams battling for the top spot.
"We're raring to go," coach Suzanne Strudwick said. "We're really excited. We've had some beautiful weather to practice in. I think the girls have had plenty of practice and it's now time to put it into action."
C-N will be competing in this event for the fourth consecutive season. In 2016, Strudwick's squad posted their best finish when they tied for eighth with Elizabeth England's (Oakland, Tenn.) 157 placing her 11th and topping the team's leaderboard.
England has been Strudwick's most reliable performer to this point. Her stroke average of 77.4 places her 7th in the South Atlantic Conference and she also led the Eagles to a victory at the King Intercollegiate in September. Her score of a +1 143 earned her the individual championship, the third of her career.
Sophomore Taylor Hayes (Lake Ozark, Mo.) posted C-N's best score twice in the fall, including at her team's last tournament, the Newberry College Regional Preview, where she placed 13th. She also picked up a 10th place finish in the King Intercollegiate, her sixth top ten finish as an Eagle.
This event will mark the fifth event in the Blue and Orange for freshman Allie Fletcher (Cumming, Ga.), who was on the links for all four fall competitions. Much like her teammates, Fletcher had her best showing in King's tourney, as she carded a +20 162 and finished 36 holes at 19th. Senior Jessica Hart will also see action for the fifth time in the 2016-17 academic year. She currently owns a stroke average of 84.8.
Freshman Rachel Watts (Newport, Tenn.) will see her score counted towards Carson-Newman's overall mark for the first time this season. The freshman participated in three events from September to November, but each time it was as an individual.
"Last semester [Rachel] played as an individual," Strudwick said. "This year she's moved into the No. 5 spot. She definitely has an opportunity and it's a challenge, too."
The tournament will be played on the Oak Point Golf Course, a par 72 course that spans 6,701 yards. The resort purchased the course in 1997 and renovated it in 2015, when the playing surface was changed. The new layout was designed by Clyde Johnston, an architect who has worked on more than 50 courses in the southern United States.
The Eagles will be going up against a field that includes eight of their South Atlantic Conference rivals, with Coker being the only school left out. C-N currently sits eighth in the SAC with a stroke average of 318.4. Lincoln Memorial leads the conference with an average of 310.1.
"It's going to be tough," Strudwick said. "We're playing at Kiawah Island, which is right off the sea. It's windy, wet and cold, which isn't a great combination for good scoring, but looking at the forecast, the weather might be more ideal. We're playing a brand new course, which levels the playing field. It's a new venue for everybody. There's some strong competition, but we need to go in there feeling like we've got as good a chance as anybody. "
For results and a recap of the goings-on on both days of the tournament, visit cneagles.com.
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