Sept. 22, 2017 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's golf team hosts the 41st annual Nittany Lion Invitational this Saturday and Sunday at the Penn State Blue Course.
The tournament will feature 36 holes during two rounds of play on the first day followed by an 18-hole championship round on Sunday. Both days begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start.
The Nittany Lions return as two-time defending champions, capturing their 21st title last year. Four of the returning players finished in the top 10 in 2016, and all but two have previously competed in the tournament.
Penn State will be joined by a total of 13 teams this weekend. Among them includes fellow Big Ten teams, Rutgers and Maryland. Also returning is Colombia, who last won the title in fall 2014, but has fallen short the past two years, and came in second to the Nittany Lions last year. The remaining teams include: Bucknell, Delaware, Harvard, Ohio, Penn, Princeton, Seton Hall, South Florida, Yale and Youngstown State.
Head Coach Denise St. Pierre is sticking with the same starting lineup that brought them great success two weeks ago. The lineup includes, juniors Cara Basso (Downingtown, Pa.), Jackie Rogowicz (Yardley, Pa.), Kamerine Taylor (Dublin, Oh.), Lauren Waller (Canonsburg, Pa.) and sophomore Maddy Herr (New Hope, Pa.). The rest of the team will be competing as individuals.
Rogowicz returns this week fresh off a first place finish in the William & Mary Invitational. She placed third overall in the 2016 Nittany Lion Invitational, while Waller is the top returner for the team. This will be the first collegiate tournament for freshmen Julia Alhemoud (Jabriya, Kuwait) and Olivia Zambruno (Mt. Pleasant, Pa.).
With a dominantly Pennsylvania based team, this will be the only chance for the girls to play close to home in front of family and friends. All fans are encouraged to come out and participate in the weekends festivities.
Sunday afternoon is host to a number of fun events for all beginning at noon. Spectators will be able to play beanbag toss, practice their putting skills around Penn State themed obstacles, hit plastic golf balls at an inflatable dinosaur and guess how many tees are in a jar for the chance to win Penn State golf gear and a free round of golf.
The ladies have also dedicated this season to giving back through their recent campaign, Birdies for the Heart. The year-long fundraising effort begins this weekend and allows fans to pledge money for every birdie to benefit the Streisand Women's Heart Center. There will be a table for spectators to pledge money and buy t-shirts at the tournament.
The team's quest for their 22nd title begins tomorrow at 9 a.m. Come out and support your Nittany Lions!
Live scoring will be available through Golfstat.com.