@HurricanesGolf Opens 2016-17 Season on Saturday
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s golf team opens its 2016-17 season on Saturday as it travels to East Lansing, Mich., to take part in the 33rd annual Mary Fossum Invitational. This year’s event will be held at Forest Akers West Golf Course.
THE BASICS
– The tournament begins with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday with 54 holes and wraps up on Sunday with the final round beginning at 9 a.m.
-The format will be five players in the starting lineup for each team, with the top four scores counting toward the team total.
-Live scoring for the tournament will be available at BirdieFire.com.
COMPETING TEAMS
Akron, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Georgia Southern, Indiana, Miami, Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Princeton, Western Michigan and Xavier.
THE WORD ON THE CANES
-The Hurricanes enter the tournament following a 2015-16 campaign which saw Miami earn a trip to the 2016 NCAA Championship in Eugene, Ore.
-Miami earned a trip to the NCAA Championship for the 24th time in program history.
-The Hurricanes return three starters from last year’s NCAA lineup, including Delfina Acosta, Daniela Darquea and Dewi Weber.
MIAMI AND THE FOSSUM INVITATIONAL
-Miami returns to the Fossum Invitational for the fourth time in the last six years.
-This year’s tournament will mark the first time the Hurricanes have played in the Fossum Invitational since 2013.
-Miami played in the Fossum Invitational in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and finished fifth, fifth and seventh, respectively.
THE LINEUP
Delfina Acosta
-Competed in all 33 rounds last year for Miami.
-Posted a scoring average of 75.4 in 2016.
-One of two seniors on this year’s roster.
Macarena Aguilera
-Will make her Miami debut and will compete as an individual.
-Held the No. 1 women’s amateur ranking during the 2014-15 campaign.
-Captured four straight regional titles, while competing in Argentina.
Daniela Darquea
-Has earned three-straight All-ACC honors.
-Earned WGCA All-American and All-District honors.
-Named the 2016 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Renate Grimstad
-Will make her Miami debut.
-Won the National Junior Championship in Norway.
-Took second at the National Women’s Championship.
Filippa Moork
-Will make her Miami debut.
-Competed at the World Junior Championship.
-Saw action in the Spanish Ladies Amateur Championship.
Dewi Weber
-2016 NCAA National Runner-up.
-Earned WGCA All-American and All-District honors.
-Received All-ACC honors as a freshman.
COACH RIZZ ON THE CANES
On this year’s team…
“I think is the best team I have ever had in college golf. I have six really strong players. I’ve always had kind of a weak link in my four or five or six spots, but I’ve always had two good players. Now I have six really awesome players and I’m so excited.”
On the fall season…
“This is a great time to figure out where everybody’s game is at and who is the strongest player right now. Right now, four or five of them I can’t even tell you who’s my best player right now. Daniela (Darquea) is probably still my strongest player, but from that point on I just don’t know.”
On the expectations this year…
“With a team this good, my expectation is to always finish top-3 this fall in our events. I think if we do worse than top-3, we’re really not living up to our expectations, no matter how strong the field may be.”
