Schooner Classic next for women’s golf
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Sophomore Victoria Chandra is making her season debut as the Kansas women’s golf team travels to Norman, Oklahoma this weekend to compete in the Schooner Fall Classic for the second-straight year.
“We switched her (Chandra) up because she brings some more experience to the lineup,” head coach Erin O’Neil said. “She’s a very talented player and I think this golf course will fit her game very well.”
The Jayhawks had a lot of success as a team and individually in their first appearance at the Schooner Classic last year finishing in fourth-place overall. Then-senior Yupaporn “Mook” Kawinpakorn set school and event records for her first-round score of 63 (-8) while taking home her first win of the 2015-16 season. Current sophomore Jayhawk Ariadna Fonseca Diaz finished tied for fourth after shooting a 137 (-5) and notching her first career top-five finish.
“I think it’s a very scoreable course,” O’Neil said. It will be important to club ourselves well into the green and give ourselves a good look at a birdie. It’s not a tough course off the tee, so if we can get it on the green we have a chance for another solid finish. We have to be patient and stay in the moment and just keep grinding.”
The Jayhawks competing in this weekend’s tournament will be Chandra, juniors Pitsinee Winyarat and Kallie Gonzales, Diaz and freshman Annika Cedo competing in her second-career event. Along with Diaz, Winyarat competed in the Schooner Classic last year, and she finished tied for 48th place after a three-round total of 153 (+11).
The Jayhawks will be facing stiff competition with four top-25 schools among the field this weekend including Alabama (6), Florida State (17), Texas A&M (20) and Big 12 opponent Iowa State (22). The field is rounded out by host and Big 12 opponent Oklahoma, Clemson, Kent State, LSU, Mississippi State, Notre Dame and Texas State.
“It’s probably one of the toughest fields we will see this fall, and maybe even this year,” O’Neil said. “A lot of top teams and it will be good to see where we are and it will be good for our team to see that there isn’t a big difference between where we are and where we want to be.”
The Schooner Classic will be held at the Belmar Golf Club in Norman, a 71-par, 5,939 yard course. The Toby Keith Foundation and the University of Oklahoma are teaming up to host the event.
The tournament will be played September 24-26, with all three rounds beginning at 9 a.m.
Follow @SchoonerFC on Twitter for tournament updates and photos, and get live stats at BirdieFire.com.
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