Women's Golf | 4/12/2015 8:54:00 PM
SAN MARCOS, Texas - The Texas State women's golf team has made the NCAA Tournament three straight years as an at-large team and looks to make it four in a row this year. The Bobcats are hoping to not have to rely on being an at-large selection, and will control their destiny if they win the 2015 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Monday-Wednesday this week in Loxley, Ala.
"We are very excited to get to Steelwood Country Club to compete for the Sun Belt Championship," head coach Mike Akers said. "The ladies are very hungry after last year. We have advanced to the NCAA postseason the past 3 years with an "at large" bid. This is not an easy feat. This is the year we need to take care of business at conference and bring home a championship."
Last year the Bobcats finished runner up at the event to Troy. Then-senior Mara Puisite was co-medalist at the event as she tied for the title with a 54-hole score of 902 before falling in a playoff. Puisite was then injured before the NCAA Tournament which means that the five players who competed in the NCAA Tournament last year, will be the same five that compete in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament this year.
"Confidence the most important facet in the game of golf," Akers said. "Our team has gained confidence this spring. We know we can go low and all 5 of our players have shown signs of greatness this spring. The school record breaking performance in Arizona was a huge moment."
The tournament Akers referenced was the Mountain View Intercollegiate where the Bobcats dominated the first round. The team led by six shots after the first round, shooting a school record 9-under-par 279. It continued to be a welcome event for the team, after setting school records the last team they were in Tuscon. In 2013, Krista Puisite set the school record with a three round total of 209, and winning the event. As a team, the Bobcats fired an even-par 288 in the second round, the best in relation to par in program history at the time.
Coming into the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, Texas State, Troy and UALR are grouped together as the top three teams in the league. They each rank No. 83, 85, and 86 in the Golfstat.com rankings nationally, and represent the best of the league. The three will tee off together in the first round on Monday morning.
Live scoring of the event is available on Golfstat.com. 18 holes will be played each of the three days and the Bobcats tee off beginning at 9:40 a.m., Monday.
