No. 10 Arkansas Opens At Invitation-Only Event

September 22, 2016

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 10th-ranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team opens the 2016-17 season at the invitation-only Third Annual ANNIKA Intercollegiate Presented by 3M in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday.

The Razorbacks are coming off a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championship last season and open with one of the toughest fields all season with 11 of 12 institutions in the top 17.

The Razorbacks return four of the five players who made the NCAA Championship a year ago, losing graduated senior Regina Plasencia.

Sophomore All-American Maria Fassi returns for her second semester with the Razorbacks after joining the team in January last year. She played in seven events leading the team with a 72.80 stroke average.

Junior Alana Uriell was a steady force in the postseason last year and finished the season with a 74.10 stroke average. Seniors Samantha Marks and Summar Roachell, along with junior Jordy LaBarbera and sophomore Cara Gorlei round out the returners. Head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor added one newcomer for the season in transfer Kaylee Benton. Benton was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2016.

Arkansas’ Traveling Five:
Qualifying for the first event of the season is Uriell, Fassi, Benton, LaBarbera and Gorlei. Benton is making her first appearance as a Razorback while LaBarbera is playing in her seventh event. Uriell, Fassi and Gorlei were regulars in the Razorback line up last season.

Need to Know:
Dates: Sept. 24-27, 2016
Location: Orlando, Florida
Course: Reunion Resort
Format: 54-hole stroke play
Invited: The top-12 teams from the previous year’s NCAA Championship
Stats: http://www.Golfstat.com

The loaded field includes (Golfweek):
No. 12 Arizona
No. 2 Arizona State
No. 10 ARKANSAS
No. 5 Duke
No. 7 Florida
No. 3 Georgia
No. 9 Oklahoma State
No. 15 South Carolina
No. 4 Southern California
No. NR UCF
No. 1 UCLA
No. 19 Virginia