SOUTHPOINT, N.C. – The Elon University women’s golf team is set to participate in the 2016 Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Golf Championships this weekend, April 15-17, at the Saint James Plantation Reserve Club in Southport, N.C.
LAST TIME
The Phoenix garnered its best conference tournament finish in 10 years last season as Elon finished second at the 2015 CAA Women’s Golf Championships held at St. James Plantation at The Reserve Club. Elon has collected top-five finishes in eight of its past 11 conference tournaments. Heather Munro paced the Phoenix throughout the weekend, taking sole possession of first place into the final round and closing with a 76 to finish in a tie for second individually. Munro was named the 2015 CAA Rookie of the Year.
THE FIELD
The Phoenix enters the tournament as the third-highest ranked team in the eight-team field. Elon is ranked 90th in the nation by GolfStat.com and 96th by GolfWeek. The maroon and gold trails only UNCW (83/84) and College of Charleston (84/88) for the best ranking among CAA teams. The top three squads are the only CAA teams ranked in the top-100. Also participating in the tournament are James Madison, Delaware, Hofstra, William & Mary and Towson.
LOOKING BACK
After a third-place finish at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate, it marked Elon’s seventh finish of third or better in nine events since the start of the fall season. The Phoenix claimed team titles at the MSU Spring Citrus Challenge and the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate.
TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
Elon returns six players from last year’s squad. Four of the five players from last season’s conference tournament lineup will compete again for this year’s CAA Championships. Heather Munro, Kelsey Badmaev, Emily Brooks and Sunna Vidisdottir return from last season’s CAA Championship lineup. Aurellia Hamm is the only addition to Elon’s tournament squad. Seniors Brooks and Vidisdottir have competed in a conference tournament every season in the maroon and gold.
MUNRO AND BADMAEV HONORED
Munro and Badmaev are the two Phoenix players to have earned CAA Women’s Golfer of the Week honors this season. Munro, a native of Dundee, Scotland, earned the honor on March 2, after finishing third and three strokes behind the leader at the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate. Badmaev has earned the honor twice this season. The junior from Blythwood, S.C. earned the honor on March 23 and March 30 after leading the Phoenix to team titles and claiming individual titles at the MSU Spring Citrus Challenge and the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate. Badmaev has now earned a CAA Women’s Golfer of the Week honor four times in her career.
— ELON —