TEMPE, Ariz. – After a second place finish in their first tournament of the year, at UNM's Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, ASU women's golf returns to the ANNIKA Intercollegiate Presented by 3M in Orlando amidst a strong 12-team field.
"It's a fantastic tournament and Annika does a great job with it," says head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. "We're excited and it's quite an honor to be invited back. We're really looking forward to it."
ANNIKA Intercollegiate Facts: The ANNIKA Invitational is one of five major tournaments throughout the year sponsored by the ANNIKA Foundation. The foundation, created by Annika Sorenstam, hopes to give opportunities to young female golfers.
Sorenstam, a now-retired Swedish professional golfer, was the winningest professional female golfer, with 90 international tournament wins under her belt. She also became the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event at the 2003 Bank of America Colonial tournament.
Tournament Details: The 54-hole stroke play tournament starts Sunday, Sept. 25 and continues through Tuesday, Sept. 27, with 18 holes each day. Participants will tee off between 8-9:30am each morning at the Reunion Resort's Watson Course. The 7,154-yard, par-72 course designed by five-time British Open champion Tom Watson, was No. 19 on Golfweek's "Best Courses You Can Play in Florida" list in 2013.
Sun Devil Lineup: After missing the first tournament of the season while at Women's World Amateur Team Championships, Olivia Mehaffey and Linnea Strom return to the lineup to make their collegiate and season debuts, respectively. The lineup is rounded out by a trio who posted top-25 finishes two weeks ago, including Sophia Zeeb and Roberta Liti and led by senior Monica Vaughn, who finished tied for third with two near-career low rounds.
The Field: The prestigious tournament, hosted by the University of Central Florida, features 11 of the top 20 teams, including the entirety of the top five, according to Golfweek's Preseason Women's Team Collegiate Rankings.
Alongside the host Knights, UCLA (1), Arizona State (2), Georgia (3), USC (4), Duke (5), Florida (7), Oklahoma State (9), Arkansas (10), Arizona (12), South Carolina (15), and Virginia (19) will compete in this weekend's tournament.
Last time at ANNIKA: The Sun Devils competed in the inaugural tournament two years ago and return for the third annual event. Then-senior Noemi Jimenez recorded her first top-five finish of the 2014-15 season for ASU, tying for fifth at four-under par. ASU brings experience as three of the five Sun Devils competing at this year's version competed two seasons ago – Monica Vaughn, Roberta Liti, and Sophia Zeeb.
Rankings: In Women's Amateur Golf Rankings, the Sun Devils have three in the top 14, two of which moved up since last week. Olivia Mehaffey (4), Linnea Strom (8), and Monica Vaughn (14) currently top the Sun Devils' world rankings.
Strom (6) and Vaughn (14) are also listed on Golfweek's Collegiate Individual rankings, while Mehaffey will be expected to join the list after her first collegiate action this week.
"It's a fantastic tournament and Annika does a great job with it," says head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. "We're excited and it's quite an honor to be invited back. We're really looking forward to it."
ANNIKA Intercollegiate Facts: The ANNIKA Invitational is one of five major tournaments throughout the year sponsored by the ANNIKA Foundation. The foundation, created by Annika Sorenstam, hopes to give opportunities to young female golfers.
Sorenstam, a now-retired Swedish professional golfer, was the winningest professional female golfer, with 90 international tournament wins under her belt. She also became the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event at the 2003 Bank of America Colonial tournament.
Tournament Details: The 54-hole stroke play tournament starts Sunday, Sept. 25 and continues through Tuesday, Sept. 27, with 18 holes each day. Participants will tee off between 8-9:30am each morning at the Reunion Resort's Watson Course. The 7,154-yard, par-72 course designed by five-time British Open champion Tom Watson, was No. 19 on Golfweek's "Best Courses You Can Play in Florida" list in 2013.
Sun Devil Lineup: After missing the first tournament of the season while at Women's World Amateur Team Championships, Olivia Mehaffey and Linnea Strom return to the lineup to make their collegiate and season debuts, respectively. The lineup is rounded out by a trio who posted top-25 finishes two weeks ago, including Sophia Zeeb and Roberta Liti and led by senior Monica Vaughn, who finished tied for third with two near-career low rounds.
The Field: The prestigious tournament, hosted by the University of Central Florida, features 11 of the top 20 teams, including the entirety of the top five, according to Golfweek's Preseason Women's Team Collegiate Rankings.
Alongside the host Knights, UCLA (1), Arizona State (2), Georgia (3), USC (4), Duke (5), Florida (7), Oklahoma State (9), Arkansas (10), Arizona (12), South Carolina (15), and Virginia (19) will compete in this weekend's tournament.
Last time at ANNIKA: The Sun Devils competed in the inaugural tournament two years ago and return for the third annual event. Then-senior Noemi Jimenez recorded her first top-five finish of the 2014-15 season for ASU, tying for fifth at four-under par. ASU brings experience as three of the five Sun Devils competing at this year's version competed two seasons ago – Monica Vaughn, Roberta Liti, and Sophia Zeeb.
Rankings: In Women's Amateur Golf Rankings, the Sun Devils have three in the top 14, two of which moved up since last week. Olivia Mehaffey (4), Linnea Strom (8), and Monica Vaughn (14) currently top the Sun Devils' world rankings.
Strom (6) and Vaughn (14) are also listed on Golfweek's Collegiate Individual rankings, while Mehaffey will be expected to join the list after her first collegiate action this week.