AUBURN, Ala. – The 2019 spring season tees off Sunday for the No. 11 Auburn women's golf team as the Tigers are set to host the Shootout at Shoal Creek, a one-day quad match featuring fellow SEC opponents Alabama, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
The 18-hole event will take place at the Par-72 Shoal Creek Golf Course just outside Birmingham. The course, which was designed by legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus, played host to the 2018 U.S. Women's Open.
"We have been practicing and qualifying a lot over the past three weeks, and I know they are ready to compete," Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen said. "Shoal Creek will be our biggest competition as it is a top quality championship course. Good shots will be rewarded and with bad ones, weaknesses will be revealed. It's a perfect way to start our championship season."
Auburn is coming off a fall campaign that finished with a tournament win in the Battle at the Beach. The Tigers shot an 854 (-7) at the event, which was the lowest 54-hole score in program history.
Sophomore Kaleigh Telfer, who won the individual title at the Battle at the Beach, will not compete in Sunday's event as she recovers from a back injury. However, Telfer is expected to return to the lineup next week when Auburn travels to New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate.
With Telfer out, junior Elena Hualde Zúñiga will assume the No. 1 spot in the lineup for the Tigers. Zúñiga was third on the team in the fall with an average of 73.30 per round, and she shot a low round of 68 (-3) in the final round of the Battle at the Beach to finish in tie for fifth.
Next up are sophomores Mychael O'Berry (No. 2) and Julie McCarthy (No. 3), who combined for three top 5 finishes and six top 20 finishes in the fall. Rounding out the lineup in the 4 and 5 spots are freshmen Brooke Sansom and Chandler Rosholt. This will be Rosholt's second tournament at Auburn.
The Tigers will also bring freshman Anika Bolcíková and junior Kayley Marschke to compete as individuals on Sunday. Bolcíková won the Magnolia Invitational in the fall playing as an individual.
The individuals will tee off beginning at 9 a.m. CT, and then the teams will follow at 9:30 a.m. CT. Live scoring is available on Golfstat.com.