BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Just 15 days after the official announcement that fall competition for golf was permitted by Conference USA and WKU, Lady Topper Golf will play in the first competitive sporting event for WKU since March 10. The Lady Toppers will travel to Mobile, Ala., to compete in the USA Intercollegiate beginning on Saturday.
"It's a privilege to get to do this and I'm so excited we're going to be able to play golf this fall," said head coach Adam Gary on the upcoming season. "I'm thankful that (Director of Athletics) Todd Stewart and the administration, and our conference, fought for us to have this opportunity to play because there may only be 50 teams or so that are going to have the opportunity to play this fall. It's really going to give us a leg up in the spring because we're going to have those tournament reps, we're going to have more practices and more motivation."
Arkansas State, Lamar, Little Rock, host South Alabama, UAB and ULM make up the seven-team field alongside WKU. The Lady Toppers enter the event as the highest-ranked team at No. 99 in the latest Golfstat rankings from the past spring.
WKU has a storied history at the USA Intercollegiate including a t-3rd and third-place team finish in the last two seasons. In 2019, sophomore Sarah Arnold finished second at the event, tying the lowest 54-hole score in program history at 208. Graduate senior Mary Joiner won the individual title in 2018 with that same 54-hole record.
Senior captain Megan Clarke claimed the top spot for the Lady Toppers after two weeks of qualifying rounds. Graduate transfer Teri Doss exchanged several rounds with Clarke, ultimately scoring well enough for the second spot in the lineup.
"It was a dog fight for that top spot," said Gary of the back and forth between Clarke and Doss. "I'm looking forward to the competition. We have a little bit larger team than normal, a little deeper team than we have in years past. I really feel like that competition is going to be the thing to help us improve this year."
Following Doss in the lineup is fellow newcomer and freshman Rachel Rich. Rich hails from South Carolina and will make her Lady Topper debut at the Intercollegiate. Joiner will take the fourth spot on the five-man squad while freshman and Kentucky native Rylea Marcum rounded out the lineup.
Sophomore Sarah Arnold and senior Olivia Reed will compete at South Alabama as individuals.
The Lady Toppers are set to play 18 holes a day through Saturday, Sunday and Monday for a total of 54 holes. A tee-time format will begin at 8 a.m. CT each day at the 6,002-yard, par-72 Robert Trent Jones Trail - Magnolia Grove (Crossings Course).
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