UVA Golfers Face Loaded Field in New Orleans

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Feb. 20, 2016

Charlottesville, Va. – The No. 26 ranked Virginia women’s golf team returns to action this week when the Cavaliers travel to New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate. The three-day, 54-hole tournament is being held Sunday through Tuesday at the par-72, 6,239-yard English Turn Golf and Country Club. Tulane serves as the host school for the event.

The 17-team field includes 12 teams ranked in the current Golfstat poll: Alabama (7), Arizona (12), Clemson (44), Denver, Florida (11), LSU (49), Miami (46), Michigan State (32), Mississippi State, Oklahoma State (13), Stanford (6), Texas (37), Tulane, UC Davis, UCF and UCLA (4).

LSU captured last year’s title at 10-over 874. UCLA won in 2014 and shared the championship with cross-town rival USC in 2013. Duke took home the 2012 title and USC won the inaugural event in 2011.

Virginia’s lineup includes senior Lauren Coughlin (Chesapeake, Va.), junior Lauren Diaz-Yi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), freshman Morgan Gonzales (Chandler, Ariz.), freshman Anna Redding (Concord, N.C.) and senior Elizabeth Szokol (Winnetka, Ill.).

Coughin, who is ranked No. 35 in the Golfstat standings, leads Virginia with a 72.27 stroke average this season. She has been UVA’s top finisher in three of five tournaments including the team’s last two outings where she posted back-to-back eighth-place finishes.

The field will tee off starting at 9 a.m. from the first and 10th tees on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday’s play will feature an 8 a.m. shotgun start. Live scoring is available on Golfstat.com.