HANAHAN, S.C. – The Penn State women's golf team will begin its 2019 fall schedule with a trip to South Carolina to participate in the 16th edition of the Cougar Classic hosted by the College of Charleston at historic Yeamans Hall Club.
Due to Hurricane Dorian, which made landfall during the middle of the week, the event has been shortened from three days to just a two-day event beginning on Monday, September 9 with 36 holes and concluding with a final 18 hole round the following day. Monday will feature an 8:45 a.m. shotgun start with 36 holes of continuous play and the final round on Tuesday will be a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start.
TOURNAMENT NOTES
- This year's edition of the Cougar Classic features seven teams currently in the WGCA Coaches Poll Preseason Rankings including No. 5 Florida State along with Vanderbilt (No. 7), Florida (No. 8), Wake Forest (No. 9), Auburn (No. 13), Arkansas (No. 18) and Oklahoma (No. 23).
- Boston College, Campbell, Charleston Southern (individual only), College of Charleston, Furman, Georgetown, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Tennessee and UCF round out the 18-team tournament at the Par-72, 6,261-yard Yeamans Hall Club.
- The University of Florida is the defending tournament champion. Last year, the Gators carded a 36-hole score of 546 to beat runner-up Vanderbilt by three strokes (549), while Arkansas finished third (560) as tournament play was shortened to 36 holes due to Hurricane Florence.
- Sierra Brooks is one of the top returning golfers in the nation and begins her senior campaign for Florida. She earned individual medalist honors last year shooting 17-under par including a tournament-record 62 (10-under) during the final round.
- Live scoring for the event is available through golfstat and can be accessed HERE.
THE TEAM
- After graduating three four-year starters back in May, head coach Denise St. Pierre will be bringing an inexperienced but eager group with her down south to begin the fall season with only sophomore Sarah Willis (Eaton, Ohio) and senior Maddy Herr (New Hope, Pa.) having competed at the Cougar Classic in the past.
- Willis made the trip last season for her first collegiate event firing rounds of 1-over and 3-over finishing in a tie for 48th with a 148 (4-over). Herr, also competed in the event during her freshman season in 2016 finishing tied for 70th with rounds of 2-over, 1-over and 5-over.
- Willis and Herr will be joined in the starting five by senior Megan McLean (Lebanon, N.J.), junior Olivia Zambruno (Mt. Pleasant, Pa.) and freshman Mathilde Delavallade (Royan, France) while redshirt-freshman Taylor Waller (Canonsburg, Pa.) will compete as an individual.
- Willis is the lone returner to compete in all 11 events last season while McLean and Herr participated in 10 and nine, respectively. Willis finished the 2018-19 season second on the team with a 73.50 stroke average and a pair of top-10 finishes while McLean ranked fourth on the team with a 74.27 average and a trio of top-10 finishes.
- Herr has the most experience on the roster this season with 28 collegiate events under her belt while McLean has participated in 18 events during the past three seasons. Zambruno will be making her first appearance in the starting five once she tees it up on Monday having only played as an individual in a trio of tournaments over past two seasons.
BIRDIES FOR THE HEART
- For the third-straight year, the Nittany Lions continue their Birdies for the Heart Campaign to help raise money for the Barbara Streisand Women's Heart Center. Last season, Penn State totaled 456 birdies in 11 events.
- If interested in pledging please fill our THIS FORM or email head coach Denise St. Pierre at dxs10@psu.edu.
NEXT UP
Penn State takes next weekend off before returning to the links at their home tournament the Nittany Lion Invitational on September 21-22.