WHO: UC Davis at 41st annual Branch Law Firm Dick McGuire Invitational
WHEN: Sept. 9-10, 2019
WHERE: UNM Championship Course; Albuquerque, N.M.
LIVE SCORING: GolfStat.com
THIS WEEK: The UC Davis women's golf team heads to the "Land of Enchantment" this week, officially opening the fall portion of its 2019-20 campaign at the 41st annual Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational hosted by the University of New Mexico from Sept. 9-10 in Albuquerque.
THE COURSE: This week's event will be held at the UNM Championship Course, which plays at par 72 and 6,317 yards. Opened in 1967, the course has been the site of four NCAA Division I men's golf championships (1950, 1976, 1992, 1998), as well as the 1987 NCAA women's championships, and the William H. Tucker Invitational — the second-longest running collegiate tournament.
THE FIELD: Along with the Aggies and host Lobos, this week's field also features Kent State, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Colorado State, Iowa, San Diego State, Ole Miss, Pepperdine, Nebraska, UNLV, Nevada, and Idaho.
IN THE RANKINGS: According to the Women's Golf Coaches Association preseason poll, this week's field features the No. 11 team in the nation in Kent State as well as five teams receiving votes: Iowa State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Pepperdine, and Ole Miss.
WATCH IT LIVE: Well, sort of… Live scoring will be available for this weekend's event via GolfStat.com at the link above as well as the women's golf schedule page at UCDavisAggies.com.
"TIERRA DEL ENCANTO" INDEED FOR UC DAVIS: The week marks the eighth straight year that UC Davis will compete at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational — and the seventh time in that span that the Aggies will open their season at the event… UC Davis has posted a top-five team finish in the tournament three times during that stretch — including a tie for second back in 2012-13 behind a trio of top-25 individual finishes by Amy Simaton (T-4th), Demi Runas (T-13th), and Andrea Wong (T-21st)… The Aggies finished in a tie for sixth as a team in last year's event with a 10-over-par 874, led by
Yoonhee Kim's 2-under 214, which tied her for sixth… Graduated senior
Samantha Hutchison shot a second-round 69, while
Madison Wood carded the team's lowest round of the tournament with a final-round 68… In all, the Aggies have posted top-25 individual finishes at this event 12 times in the last seven seasons.
TEMPLE TALKS…
• "We're really excited to get the season started. There is a lot of experience on this roster from top to bottom, so it will be very competitive to get into the lineup."
• "The team's summer play was really good and a lot of good lessons were learned. Our culture with this group is already at a high level and I'm excited to see what is in store for this team."
ABOUT THE AGGIES: UC Davis returns four of its starting five from last year's Big West Conference Championships, paced by NCAA Cle Elum Regional participant senior
Christine Danielsson, who finished 13th with a 2-under-par 214 at the season-ending event. The reigning Big West Player of the Year and all-conference first-teamer was joined on the Big West honor roll by junior
Hannah Sun, and junior
Madison Wood, who earned All-Big West second team laurels. Overall, the Aggies return seven letter winners who saw action in at least one tournament last season, while welcoming a group of three talented newcomers to the fold for the 2019-20 campaign.
ROUNDS AT PAR OR BETTER IN 2019-20
TBD
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 women's athletics programs. Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year. All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs. Visit https://give.ucdavis.edu/ATHG/324041 for more information.
