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Riverside—The UC Riverside Women's Golf Team prepares to host the 2017 Big West Championship at Oak Quarry Golf Club April 23-25.
The Highlanders enter the tournament as defending champs having claimed the 2016 title on Kapalua's Bay Course last April thanks to a final-round surge, which saw them erase a three-stroke deficit, and win by four shots–the program's first conference championship (
read recap).
UCR finished in the top-5 as a team on five occasions in the 2016-17 season. The last two came in their last two events, the Fresno State Classic in March, when they finished tied for second, and at the Wyoming Desert Classic in Arizona, where the came in fourth. (
2016-17 Stats & Results)
UC Riverside Women's Golf Big West Championship lineup and first round tee time:
#1,
Jakeishya Le, 9:36 am-The 2016 Big West Co-Freshman of the Year has carded seven rounds under par this season, including three rounds in the 60s. Her 73.68 scoring average is the second-best in the field, and would break Savannah Vilaubi's program record 74.56 set in the 2014-15 season. Le shot a final round two-under 70 in last year's championship–the best round of the tournament.
#2,
Paris Griffith, 9:27 am-The 2016 All-Conference Honorable Mention selection had a top-5 result at the 2017 Battle at the Rock. Griffith shot a career-best two-under par 70 in the final round of her last two events at Oak Quarry Golf Club, the 2016 and 2017 Battle at the Rock. She finished fourth in the 2016 Big West Championship.
#3,
Hannah Facchini (C), 9:18 am-A First Team All-Conference honoree that has a top-3 to her credit, and has earned a pair of top-10s in her last three tournaments. She set the program single low-round record with a six-under 66 in the first round of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown. Facchini finished sixth at the 2016 conference event.
#4,
Julia Sander, 9:09 am-Three of her last four rounds have been played at par or better, a stretch that includes a three-under par 69 in the second round of the Bobcat Invitational, where she earned a top-5. Sander shot an even par 72 in the 2017 Battle at the Rock at Oak Quarry Golf Club.
#5,
Haley Wian, 9:00 am-The only three-time Big West Scholar Athlete of the Year. Fired a three-under 69 in her last round played, which resulted in her top finish of the season, 13th at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic. Shot a career-best four-under par 68 in the second round of the 2017 Battle at the Rock at Oak Quarry.
Seven of the conference's eight schools that have women's golf previewed the course in the UC Riverside hosted Battle at the Rock event in February, when Cal Poly hoisted the team trophy. The only team in the field not to get an early look is top-seeded UC Davis, who is ranked 85th in the NCAA by Golfstat.
Cal State Fullerton's Martina Edberg is the highest-ranked player in the field, 17th. UC Irvine's Paige Lee (170) and Le (195) round out to the top three.
18 holes will be played each of the three days, with tee times beginning at 7:30 am off hole no. 1. (
live scoring)
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Visit Big West Women's Golf Championship central)
Oak Quarry Golf Club boasts an 18-hole, 72-par championship course, designed by Dr. Gil Morgan/Schmidt Curley Designs. The CGCOA's 2011 Course of the Year winds through the picturesque jagged terrain of the historical Jensen Quarry. Since opening in 2000, this course has received many awards including "Best Course Inland Southern California," "Hole #14 rated Best Par 3 in Southern California," and "Hole #4 Prettiest Par 4."
Admission is free. Golf attire IS preferred.
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Visit Oak Quarry Golf Club website)
