WGolf Announces 2015 Spring Schedule
11/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Head coach Sara Doell announced the 2015 spring schedule for the Seton Hall women's golf team on Friday. The Pirates will participate in five tournaments this spring.
"I am excited about the strength of our spring schedule," Doell said. "We start earlier than usual this year as we'll compete the week before spring break to shorten our off-season. Starting the competitive season earlier will help motivate the team to keep their game strong throughout the winter months."
Seton Hall will open the spring season at the Kiawah Island Classic in Kiawah Island, S.C., March 1-3. It'll be the first time in the five-year history of the program that the Pirates have competed in this event.
"The Kiawah Invitational is a great event, featuring 36 teams on two golf courses, hosted by the College of Charleston," Doell said. "It is a great field on a great golf course and I am excited to have the chance to compete there."
Less than two weeks later, the Pirates will take their Spring Break trip to the Rio Verde Invitational in Arizona. Hosted by Western Michigan University and played at White Wing Golf Club, the event will also be a first for The Hall.
"Our spring break trip looks to be an exciting and strong trip to Arizona," Doell said. "Our senior, Erin McClure, is from Tucson where we will spend the first half of the week practicing and playing. We'll then head up to Rio Verde."
The following week, Seton Hall will take on the "Shoot Out at Shingle Creek," hosted by the University of Cincinnati. The Pirates have competed in Cincinnati's Florida event in each of the last four years, but this will be the first time playing at Shingle Creek. Seton Hall placed third among 14 teams at Plantation Inn in Crystal River last year. Ali Kruse (Overland Park, Kan.) shot even-par.
"This year, University of Cincinnati has moved their spring tournament to Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla.," Doell said. "The field for this event looks to be much stronger than in the past. With a few tournaments under our belt, I believe that we can be very competitive in this field."
Seton Hall will host its second annual Pirate Invitational at prestigious Trump National in Bedminster, N.J., April 2-3. The tournament was a huge success in its first year and will boast a significantly stronger field in 2015. The Hall placed fifth among 17 teams in the inaugural event. Erin McClure (Tucson, Ariz.) tied for ninth overall to lead the Pirates at 13-over-par.
"I'm really excited to host our second event," Doell said. "We have a very strong field this year, including several top-50 teams, which will make for an exciting event. Trump is a world-class facility and we're looking forward to hosting a world-class tournament."
Finally, Seton Hall will attempt to defend its BIG EAST crown at the annual Championship at LPGA International in Daytona, Fla., April 16-18. The Pirates will return all but one starter from last year's title team and will look to become the first Seton Hall program to win back-to-back titles since the softball team won in 2004 and 2005.
"I believe the four events that we will compete in leading up to the BIG EAST Championship will be key in preparing us to compete and defend our title," Doell said. "There's a lot of work to do before then, but we're looking forward to getting back to Daytona."
