MARICOPA, AZ—USC Upstate women's golf heads west to compete in its first-ever postseason tournament, the National Golf Invitational. The Spartans will face a stacked field of ten teams. They'll look to continue their momentum from a runner-up finish in the Big South Championships.
The event, held in partnership with Golfweek, will be held on May 9-12 at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Arizona. Two teams—Mercer and Santa Clara—will return as participants from last year's event. This is the first tournament appearance in Arizona for the Spartans since the 2017-2018 season, where they played in the Red Rocks Invitational in Sedona, AZ.
"We have been able to prepare for the tournament every day since finals ended last week," said head coach Todd Lawton. "It has been great to get a few different courses to look at, including a few in Phoenix. The energy and intentional practice has been thorough and exciting; I know our players are looking forward to the NGI."
Live Stats: (GolfStat) Click here
Tournament Information: National Golf Invitational | May 9 - 12 (Practice Round May 9th)
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club | Maricopa, AZ
Quick Hitters:
- Out of the teams in the field, USC Upstate has the most top-five finishes with nine
- Four-Year Impact: Both Yord-In and Nontarux were named all-conference performers every year as Spartan.
- Located on the Club's practice range, #miniDunes is a six-hole short course originally opened for play in 2014 and has holes ranging from 60 to 115 yards. 15 poles with 88 LED light fixtures shine down and illuminate the golf course while up-lighting will allow golfers to track ball flight through the night sky. Teams will have an opportunity to play there during the tournament.
USC Upstate Tournament Lineup:
1. Preaw Nontarux (Sr., Lampang, Thailand)
2. Suwarin Yord-in (Sr., Bangkok, Thailand)
3. Rylie Kosney (So. Sacramento, Calif.)
4. Supatta Puttanavarat (Fr., Chonburi, Thailand)
5. Alexis Rieli (Jr., Apopka, Fla.)
Golfweek Tournament Preview: Click here
10 Teams Competing: ( ) Indicates Ranking, Overall Team W-L
Chattanooga (82), 78-48-1
Austin Peay (121), 91-24-1
Jax State (133), 60-60-1
Florida Atlantic (127), 40-75-1
Arkansas State (104), 86-58-2
Santa Clara (109), 80-48-0
Mercer (88), 55-50-1
UNC Wilmington (90), 41-82-2
Rutgers (85), 74-85-4
USC Upstate (144), 90-31-0
Scouting the Field:
Makenzie Cooper (So) & Violeta Fernandez (Fr), Chattanooga: The dynamic duo of the Mocs spearheads Chattanooga's train with a stellar record of overall wins and top-three finishes. Cooper has claimed individual titles in two events this year: the Chris Banister Golf Classic and the Evie Odom Invitational. Meanwhile, Fernandez has been a model of consistency, securing top-ten finishes in five out of her last six tournaments. Both golfers boast positions in the top 300, each with over 500 wins on the year.
Erica Scutt (Jr.), Austin Peay: The former Ohio Valley Conference freshman golfer of the year has steered the Govs to three team titles this season. Personally, Scutt boasts 592 individual wins and holds a ranking of #363. Additionally, the marketing major has two individual titles at the Saluki Invitational and APSU Intercollegiate.
Mikayla Dubnik (JR), Mercer: Hailing from Georgia, is the driving force behind the Mercer Bears. She leads in all major statistical categories and has clinched two individual titles since February. Her current ranking sits at #292 via Clipp'd, with a scoring average just over 73.
Clemence Cadeac (Jr), FAU: Florida Atlantic's fifth-year senior clinched an individual title this year at the Jupiter Women's Invite, where she posted an impressive -9 under over three rounds. Currently ranked #315 in the country, she has accumulated 444 individual wins thus far.
Leigha Devine (Graduate Sr), Rutgers: Keep an eye on this rising star in the NGI and the future. She boasts a world amateur golf ranking of #547. The former gymnast turned golfer at Rutgers earned a spot on the Big 10 All-Championship Team and qualified for the 2021 US Women's Open.
About The Course:
The Ak-Chin Indian Community is proud to make Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club a true daily fee facility for everyone to enjoy. The championship Australian Sand Belt-style golf course sits on 320 acres of land that was once a part of Ak-Chin's original May 1912 reservation before it was removed by Presidential Executive Order in late 1912. Nearly 100 years later, in 2010, the Community recovered its sacred land when it purchased the Brian Curley and Fred Couples designed facility after it was originally developed as a private club. The course currently boasts several coveted accolades that include Golfweek's list of the "Top 100 Resort Courses," "Best Courses You Can Play," and "Top Casino Courses," as well as Golf Magazine's list of "Top 100 Courses You Can Play."
This world-class, Troon-managed club offers impeccable course conditioning, unmatched playability, and superlative customer service, thus ensuring an unparalleled round of extraordinary golf. A 2014 renovation transformed Ak-Chin Southern Dunes into a more player-friendly venue while maintaining the integrity of the game at this championship-level course. During this renovation, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes set out to create "Golf's version of a bunny slope," a fun, welcoming venue to learn the game or hone your short game skills. The driving range was completely renovated, and within the "floor" of the practice area, six tees were created along with six target greens built to USGA specifications. The club named the course #miniDunes, and in keeping with the theme of appealing to a younger audience while increasing social media awareness, it might just be the first course in the country to incorporate a hashtag in its name.
A true testament to its greatness, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes has proudly played host to numerous major tournaments and events since its celebrated opening in 2002. It serves as an annual U.S. Open qualifying site, The PING Southwest Section PGA Section Championship, several top collegiate Men's and Women's golf tournaments, and the home of early-state Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School. Simply stated, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes doesn't just offer desert golf; it presents golfers of all skill levels and abilities with the very best of golf in the desert.
Weather Information:
Thursday, May 9th: Mainly sunny. High 90F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph, gusts up to 25 MPH. Humidity 10%.
Friday, May 10th: Sunny. High 93F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Humidity 15%
Saturday, May 11th: Mainly sunny. High 94F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Humidity 10%.
