FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern women's golf team and head coach Amanda Brown have announced the fall portion of their 2014-15 schedule, with the opener taking place this weekend in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
The Sharks tee off at the Ross Resorts Invitational this upcoming Monday, Sept. 15. The two-day tournament, hosted by Sunshine State Conference rival Rollins, will take place at the Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club, a course owned by legendary Tars alumna Peggy Kirk Bell.
"I really like that this tournament is early," said Brown. "In previous years, we've had a couple more weeks of practice, and I've never seen the girls work so hard right from the beginning, from the first day of practice. They knew they had to get ready quick and I think it's been a really good thing."
The tournament will feature eight teams, five of which hail from the SSC: the Sharks and Tars, Barry, Florida Southern and Saint Leo.
"It's going to be a perfect preview of the season and basically show us where we're at and what we need to work on for the next tournament," said Brown. "This year as a whole, I think Florida Tech and Lynn (neither of which are competing in this particular tournament), along with Rollins, Florida Southern and Barry are going to be our main competition, and I'm excited to see how we do this week."
Carson Newman, UNC-Pembroke and Wingate round out the field at the historic Mid Pines Course.
"The course is beautiful with a lot of history," said Brown. "If you walk down the halls in the Pro Shop in the hotel off the No. 18 green, you see pictures of Hall-of-Fame golfers that have been there, hitting on the same green you just walked off of. You feel the spirit of old golf, it makes you appreciate how old the sport is and how long it's been such a valuable piece of our country."
Following this weekend, the team will next travel to Allendale, Michigan, to complete in the NCAA DII National Preview, Sept. 28-29. Grand Valley State will host a 26-team field made up of some of the best schools across the nation.
"(The Meadows Golf Club) is actually where Nationals will be hosted this year," said Brown. "I look at it as an extra practice round for our National Championship and see how we do on that course. We'll play against the defending champions Lynn, and I'm really excited about the overall competition there."
Next for the Sharks will be their annual event to host, the Guy Harvey Invitational at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Oct. 6-7. The fall season wraps up Oct. 20-21 at Campbell University's Fighting Camel Classic, Oct. 20-21 in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
"It's one of the best tournaments, if not the best, tournament of the year in Division II," said Brown of the Guy Harvey. "We'll have a really strong field with all of the top South Region schools there. Campbell's event is for a little variety in our schedule, to play some competitive Division I schools to see how we match up."
Brown is pleased with her group, in the short amount of time she's had with them so far this fall. The roster includes three returnees from a year ago – Seniors
Liliana Cammisa (Alta Gracia, Argentina) and
Daniela Ortiz (Morelia, Mexico) and sophomore
Katrina Wang (Shenzhen, China) along with four freshmen newcomers:
Mailen Domecq Chantry (Mar del Plata, Argentina),
Jamie Freedman (Plantation, Fla.),
Emily-Mae Hall (Nottinghamshire, England) and
Michelle Ruiz (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada).
"They have a really positive, optimistic outlook and a lot of talent," said Brown. "We have a lot of hard workers with a couple of strong leaders that I think will tie everything together. I'm really excited about the fall season, and I think it will show us where we're at and what we need to do to get better for the spring."
The seven-person roster provides Brown with more depth than a season ago, allowing for more in-team competition and, she hopes, even greater successes.
"A big difference for this year is that the girls are really having to work, and work early, to get on the travel team and to prove themselves on the course," she said. "That's going to help everybody stay honest and keep working hard throughout the whole year."
Final results from the Ross Resorts Invitational will be published on Tuesday. To keep up with the tournament as it's taking place, follow @nsusharksgolf on Twitter.
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