Stout competition await Eagles at Armstrong Pirate Women’s Invitational
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – To say the Carson-Newman women’s golf team will be tested at this week’s Armstrong Pirate Women’s Invitational is an understatement.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – To say the Carson-Newman women's golf team will be tested at this week's Armstrong Pirate Women's Invitational is an understatement.
Four teams ranked in the top-10 in the nation, including the top-ranked Flagler Lady Saints, will play in what will serve as a preview for the NCAA Regional site for the Southeast, thus explaining the influx of top teams from across the region.
Other notable teams participating in the tournament include: Florida Southern, Nova Southeastern, Florida Tech, West Florida. The only other South Atlantic Conference program playing is Newberry.
"This week, we return to Savannah Quarters Golf Club for the Lady Pirates Invitational. I'm excited for my team after a little break to hit the 'reset button' mentally and get back to competition," golf coach Suzanne Strudwick said. "Our goal is to stay relaxed with a clear game plan. We tend to get too tight and compound mistakes because of too much intensity. Our team can play at a very high level if they relax and enjoy competition. This event kicks off a month long trek towards conference. We are ready to get going."
The Eagles' team this week consists of a senior, two juniors, a sophomore and a freshman. Danielle Baiunco (Melbourne, Fla.), Meridith Hawkins (Powell, Tenn.), Elizabeth England (Oakland, Tenn.), Jessica Hart (Roanoke, Va.) and Kelli Pemberton (Knoxville, Tenn.) make up the squad for the Pirate Women's Invitational. Last season, Baiunco, Hart and Pemberton all played in the tournament in 2014. Pemberton led the team by finishing 21st overall; no Eagle last season shot a round in the 70s.
Hawkins and England are the only two Eagles to play in every tournament this season; Baiunco missed the Etowah Intercollegiate in the fall due to an injury. Hart only played in two tournaments during the 2014 portion of the schedule, but she now has played in every event thus far in 2015. Pemberton is making her return to the team after missing the last the last two events.
"I am thankful to Mr. Jim Forney for dedicating our new new Bettye Forney Indoor Golf Studio just one month ago. This could not have happened for our golf teams at a better time. The last two weeks we were able to continue our preparation for the upcoming events," Strudwick said after the wintery weather hit that Mossy Creek. "Eight to 10 inches of snow would have left our players very limited preparation time, but now they can hit balls, putt and use the simulator to either check club face positions or play a round of golf."
Armstrong Pirate Women's Tournament will be played at Savannah Quarters Country Club, a par-72, 6,550-yard course. The tournament will be played over the course of two days and the participants will play 36 holes. Results and a daily recap will be available on cneagles.com.
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