Pirates Open Spring Season at Rio Verde Invite

RIO VERDE, ARIZ. - The Seton Hall women' golf team will begin the 2017 spring season this weekend when it plays three rounds at the Rio Verde Invitational, Feb. 24-26.

Tournament Details:
RIO VERDE INVITATIONAL
Host: Western Michigan University
Location: Rio Verde, Ariz.
Course: Rio Verde Country Club (White Wing Course)
Course Vitals: Par-72, 6,215 yards
Dates: February 24-26, 2017, Three Rounds

The Course:
Rio Verde features two traditional-style courses with a soft desert look. They are more Midwestern in style with a lot more grass than one would imagine in a desert setting. When Tom Lehman led the $6 million course renovation project a few years ago, he achieved his vision of creating two uniquely distinct courses, giving members a never-ending variety of golf experiences. Quail Run has all the elements of a traditional golf course, and White Wing plays more like a links course. Common to both courses are meticulously groomed fairways, greens loaded with personality, and outstanding mountain views.

The Field:
In addition to Seton Hall and host Western Michigan, the large field is comprised of 17 other teams including: Akron, Arkansas State, Ball State, Bowling Green, Bradley, Central Arkansas, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Missouri State, Northern Illinois, Northern Arizona, Ohio, Arkansas-Little Rock, UMKC, Wichita State and fellow BIG EAST competitor, Xavier.

The Lineup:
Seton Hall will bring the following golfers to Arizona, in order as listed:

Cassie Pantelas, Junior
Lizzie Win, Freshman
Maddie Sager, Freshman
Sammie Staudt, Freshman
Macky Fouse, Junior

Last Time at Rio Verde:
Last year, Cassie Pantelas (Canton, Ohio) shot a team-best 3-over-par, 75, in the final round and the Pirates finished in 18th place. With the strong finish, Pantelas ended the tournament as the Pirates' top performer, tying for 55th place overall with an 18-over-par, 78-81-75-234.

Collectively, Seton Hall finished with an 80-over-par, 315-315-314-944. Toledo won the team title at 21-over-par. Seton Hall's lone BIG EAST competition, Xavier, tied for eighth place at 46-over-par.

This is the third straight year that the Pirates have played in the Rio Verde Invitational. In 2015, Seton Hall won the team title with a 32-over-par, 296-298-308-896. Former Pirates Erin McClure and Ali Kruse tied for the individual championship, with McClure winning the playoff.

Last Time Out:
Seton Hall is coming off a strong fall season, which saw three top-5 team finishes in five tournaments. The Pirates won the William & Mary Invitational to begin the fall and finished the season with a fourth place finish at the Delaware Lady Blue Hen Invitational and a third place finish at their own Pirate Invitational.

Tee Times:
The field will play one round on each of three days. The tournament will begin on Friday with a 4:00 PM ET shotgun start. The shotgun start for both Saturday and Sunday is at 11:30 PM.

Results:
Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.com. Complete results will also be available following each day's competition at SHUpirates.com.