@HurricanesGolf Opens Play at UCF Challenge
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s golf team will go for back-to-back tournament crowns, beginning on Sunday as it opens play in the 2015 UCF Challenge in Orlando, Fla.
THE BASICS
-The three-day tournament will consist of 54 holes with 18 holes of golf per day.
-The UCF Challenge will be held at the Eagle Creek Golf Course.
-Play will begin on 10 a.m. on Sunday.
THE TEAMS (Rankings according to Golfstat.com)
-No. 57 Campbell; No. 61 East Carolina; No. 32 Iowa State; No. 63 Kentucky; No. 29 Louisville; No. 45 Miami; No. 51 Minnesota; NR Rollins College; No. 40 SMU; No. 58 Texas; No. 96 Texas State; No. 41 Tulane; No. 21 UCF; No. 65 USF; No. 14 Vanderbilt; No. 17 Virginia; No. 148 Western Carolina; No. 47 Wisconsin
THE STARTERS
Daniela Darquea
-Tied for fifth at the Florida Challenge to open the spring portion of the 2014-15 slate.
-Placed 10th at the Windy City Collegiate Classic this past fall.
-Earned All-America honors following the 2013-14 season as a true freshman.
Kailey Walsh
-Tied for sixth at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational.
-Tied for 16th at the East & West Match Play Challenge.
-Named to the 2014 All-ACC Academic Team.
Leti Ras-Anderica
-Tied for fifth at the Florida Challenge to open the spring portion of the 2014-15 slate.
-Finished tied for 16th after stroke play at East & West Match Play Challenge.
-Named to the 2014 All-ACC Academic Team.
Delfina Acosta
-Tied for 13th at the 2015 Florida Challenge.
-Saw action in every tournament during the fall campaign.
-Named to the 2014 All-ACC Academic Team.
Rika Park
-Tied for 19th in the 2015 Florida Challenge.
-Made her first appearance of the 2014-15 season at the Florida Challenge.
-Missed the 2014 fall campaign due to injury.
LAST TIME OUT
Miami opened the spring portion of its 2014-15 campaign on a high note as it won the Florida Challenge back on Jan. 26. The one-day 36-hole event was held at the Black Diamond Golf and Country Club.
The Hurricanes posted a two-round team score of 593, which tied USF after 36 holes and forced a one-hole playoff. In the one-hole playoff, Miami outlasted the Bulls to take the team title.
RECAPPING LAST YEAR’S UCF CHALLENGE
The then 33rd-ranked Miami Hurricanes women’s golf placed third at the 2014 UCF Challenge.
Miami, who at one point led during Monday’s second round, entered the final day two strokes behind host UCF. The Hurricanes shot a final-round 295 to finish the tournament at even-par 864. No. 24 UCF claimed the tournament title, holding off No. 22 Iowa State by one stroke.
Leticia Ras-Anderica and Daniela Darquea tied for seventh as both shot a two-under 214.
COACH PATTI RIZZO ON THE TOURNAMENT
On the first tournament of the year
“We really enjoyed watching the girls play with more confidence. They looked fearless while they were out there, which was great to see in our first tournament of the spring season. Our motto for the entire spring is to play fearless and I feel like they did just that.”
On the players
“Leticia seems to really have things together this year. She played great last year, but we always felt like we could get more out of her. Daniela has always been a very solid player for us and Kailey and Rika have been very consistent for us, but we still think there is some room for improvement.”
On coming back after winning their first tournament of the spring
“I think anyone that plays golf knows that it is totally unpredictable – it can be here one day and gone the next day – so you have to stay in the moment. All I’m trying to tell our players to do is to play the same type of golf they played in the first event. The fact that there are more teams and more elite level players means nothing. I just want them to stay who they are and go out there and play relaxed, confident golf and in the end, if we end up as the winners, we end up as the winners.”
On the tournament field
“We try to get into the strongest fields that we can because it is the best way to move your rankings up. I feel like we are able to compete with some of the best fields in the country. I don’t feel it makes us nervous, I just think it challenges us.”
On the course
“You have to have some long hitters on your team in order to have success on this course just because it plays so long.”
