Rizzo Announces 2019-20 Golf Schedule
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head golf coach Patti Rizzo announced Wednesday the team’s 2019-20 schedule, featuring nine tournaments prior to the ACC Championship in Pawleys Island, S.C.
“I am very excited with our three new freshmen coming in along with our four returning players,” Rizzo said. “They are all amazing golfers and I could have the best team I’ve ever had. For the first time, they will have to battle it out among one another for a top-five spot in the lineup.”
“I am heading into my 10th year as a head coach and I’m happy to say the women’s golf team stands proud and strong,” Rizzo continued. “We are now considered one of the best teams in the country and we have a competitive schedule next season, playing a majority of the events against several top teams from across the nation.”
Miami starts the year at the Minnesota Invitational (Sept. 9-10) in Woodbury, Minn., its second tournament in three years hosted by the Golden Gophers.
Closing out September, the Hurricanes will return to Norman, Okla., to compete in the Schooner Fall Classic for the third consecutive season. Last season, Miami had a historic three days in the Sooner State, setting a quartet of program records to place fourth. Overall, the Canes notched the lowest three-day total (833), two-day total (542) and one-day totals (267 and 275) in school history. As a sophomore, Kristyna Frydlova paced UM with a fourth-place individual finish, while carding 17 birdies and shooting nine-under-par.
Miami will then head to the Lone Star State for a pair of October tournaments to close out the fall portion of the 2019-20 season.
For the fifth time in six years, Miami will head west to Austin, Texas, to compete in the Betsy Rawls Invitational (Oct. 12-13), before wrapping up the fall season at the Jim West Challenge (Oct. 20-21) in San Marcos, Texas.
As a junior last season, Renate Grimstad fired a career-low nine-under, 207 at the par 72, 6,185-yard Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos. Overall, the Bergen, Norway, native placed second as an individual and carded 16 birdies and an eagle.
Away from competition for three months, Miami will return to the fairway Feb. 2-4 in Orlando, Fla., when they begin the spring season at the UCF Challenge. As a team, the Hurricanes will look to secure a top-two finish in Orlando for the fourth consecutive season and an overall title for the third time since the spring of 2017.
Individually, rising sophomore Anna Backman paced the Canes in Orlando last season, capturing medalist honors in her first complete collegiate tournament. With 13 birdies, Backman finished with the program’s second-lowest individual score, four strokes behind Dewi Weber’s program record of 201 carded during the fall of 2016 at the Betsy Rawls Invitational. In addition, the Vääksy, Finland, native etched her name in the NCAA record book, as the 11-under-par performance is tied for 70th all-time.
Two weeks later the Hurricanes will tee off at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate in New Orleans, hosted by Tulane (Feb. 16-18).
After taking a year hiatus away from its home course, Miami is set to host the Hurricane Invitational for the eighth time in nine years March 2-3. The Hurricanes will welcome stiff competition to the newly renovated Biltmore Golf Course.
“We will be hosting again at the Biltmore next March. We are super excited and have a lot of top-ranked teams across the country set to play in our event,” Rizzo said. “The course has been renovated and is awesome. The opposing teams will love it.”
Miami will then head north to Kiawah Islands, S.C. to compete in the Briar’s Creek Invitational (March 16-17), before closing out the 2019-20 regular season at the Bruzzy Invitational in Argyle, Texas (March 30-31).
The ACC Championship is slated for April 22-26 at The Reserve in Pawleys Island. NCAA Regional play falls on May 11-13, with the four host sites being Georgia, NC State, Notre Dame and Washington State. The NCAA Championship will then be held May 22-27 in Scottsdale, Ariz., hosted by Arizona State and Grayhawk Golf Club.
The Hurricanes competed in the NCAA Regionals last year and bring back a quartet of starters: seniors Macarena Aguilera and Grimstad, junior Frydlova and sophomore Backman. In addition, the Hurricanes will welcome a trio of newcomers in Daniella Barrett (Finland), Morgan Pankow (New Albany, Ohio) and Franziska Sliper (Norway).
To keep up with the University of Miami golf team on social media, follow @HurricanesGolf on Twitter, @CanesGolf on Instagram and @CanesWGolf on Facebook.
2019-20 Golf Schedule
Fall
Sep 9-10: Minnesota Invitational (Woodbury, Minn.)
Sep 27-29: Schooner Fall Classic (Norman, Okla.)
Oct 12-13: Betsy Rawls Invitational (Austin, Texas)
Oct 20-21: Jim West Challenge (San Marcos, Texas)
Spring
Feb. 2-4: UCF Challenge (Orlando, Fla.)
Feb. 16-18: Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate (New Orleans, La.)
March 2-3: Hurricane Invitational (Coral Gables, Fla./Biltmore Golf Course)
March 16-17: Briar’s Creek Invitational (Kiawah Island, S.C.)
March 30-31: The Bruzzy Invitational (Argyle, Texas)
April 22-26: ACC Championships (Pawleys Island, S.C.)
Postseason
May 11-13: NCAA Regionals (TBD)
May 22-27: NCAA Championship (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
