Season Opens At Mason Rudolph Championship

September 13, 2017

Live Stats
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – There is no such thing as easing into the season for Shauna Taylor and the No. 15/13 University of Arkansas women’s golf team when they open the season at the Mason Rudolph Championship in Franklin, Tennessee, this weekend.

The field features the 2017 NCAA national champion Arizona State, national runner-up Northwestern and five top-15 teams including the Razorbacks. Ten of the 15 teams scheduled to participate took part in NCAA postseason a year ago. In addition to Arizona State and Northwestern, five other teams advanced to the 2017 NCAA Women’s National Championship: Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Clemson and Arkansas. Three more – Auburn, Houston and UCF – advanced to NCAA Regionals.

Arkansas is making its fifth appearance as the Mason Rudolph Championship and its first since 2012. The Razorbacks’ best finish was a third-place showing in 2005, the program’s first trip to the event. Arkansas has opened the season with a team victory four times including back-to-back wins in 2014 and 2015 to start the year.

The 54-hole event takes place at the Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course. The par-72, 6,335-yard course is 12 miles south of Nashville and the Commodores’ campus.

After five rounds of qualifying play, Taylor’s lineup is set. Junior transfer Dylan Kim tops the scorecard after posting four below par rounds at The Blessings. Junior Kaylee Benton finished second in the qualifying followed by senior Alana Uriell and juniors Maria Fassi and Cara Gorlei.

Weather forecast for the week
The Nashville area is expected to be impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Irma. Forecasters are calling for up to 2.0 inches of rain in the region. At this time, only light showers are anticipated Thursday, which is currently slated for practice rounds. Rain chances greatly diminish during weekend play.

The Competition (final 2017 Golfstat rankings)
No. 3 Alabama
No. 15 Arkansas
No. 2 Arizona State
No. 47 Auburn
Charlotte
No. 83 Chattanooga
No. 37 Clemson
No. 48 Houston
No. 94 Middle Tennessee State
No. 27 North Carolina
No. 8 Northwestern
No. 12 South Carolina
No. 31 UCF
No. 60 Vanderbilt
No. 62 Virginia

Up Next
The Razorbacks continue the fall at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate presented by 3M. This year’s invitation-only event moves from Florida to Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and Olympic Hills Golf Club. The ANNIKA is the second of four fall events for the Razorbacks and Maria Fassi is the defending champion. Fassi paced the Razorbacks to a runner-up finish a year ago.

More Information
Live results from the Mason Rudolph will be available at Golfstat.com.

Keep up with all of the latest news and information and get behind the scenes looks into our program on our social media accounts. Follow us on Twitter at @RazorbackWGolf and check out our Facebook page “Razorback Women’s Golf.” Stats, news and player information can be found at RazorbackWGolf.com.