Jayhawks to Face Tulsa on Sunday to Start the Spring Season Early
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s golf team will begin its spring season earlier than expected as KU added a one-round event with the University of Tulsa on Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Patriot Golf Course in Owasso, Oklahoma.
Kansas was able to schedule an extra day of competition due to the fact SMU changed the format of the DAC/SMU Invitational, April 10-11, 2015, in Dallas, shortening it by one day.
“I started to contact schools that were south of us to see if they had a play day and if they would want to have a competition and it worked out well that Tulsa had one.” Kansas 11th-year head coach Erin O’Neil said about how the event came about.
The Jayhawks, who qualified for the NCAA Regional and advanced to the NCAA Championship last season, are looking to give the entire 10-student-athlete roster some competition experience as two KU teams will compete this weekend in Owasso. Tulsa will field one team.
Kansas’ Team A will consist of junior Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, sophomore Pornvipa Sakdee,seniors Gabriella Dimarco and Minami Levonowich and freshman Pitsinee Winyarat. KU’s Team B will have of senior Michelle Woods, juniors Carly Humes and Makenzie Thayer and freshmen Kallie Gonzales and MacKenzie Sexe.
This will be the second time this season the Jayhawks will have every player competing in a tournament. KU also fielded two teams at the 2014 Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational last September at Alvamar Golf Club in Lawrence, Kansas.
“It’s a great opportunity for everybody,” O’Neil said. “It’s also an opportunity to get some competitive experience for everyone on the team and also give us a look of where everybody is. It will help us make the decision on who to take to Tulane later this month. Overall, I have been pleased on how everyone is doing so far.”
Coming off a historic season in 2013-14, the Jayhawks continued their success into 2014-15, finishing in the top five in each of their five fall events, including two runner-up finishes. The Jayhawks are coming off a 2013-14 season where the qualified for NCAA Regionals for the first time in school history and made nationals for the second time in school history and the first since 1990.
The Kansas-Tulsa event will be just one round of 18 holes. The Jayhawks will then head to New Orleans to compete at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate, Feb. 22-24.
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