MOBILE, Ala. – The South Alabama women's golf team will face some of the top teams in the nation at the 2018 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship in New Orleans hosted by Tulane University. 

The Jaguars are led by returning senior Madison Connell and freshman Siti Shaari, both of whom tied for second place at last weekend's Reynolds Lake Oconee Individual Collegiate Championship. 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (Host): 2018 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship (Tulane) 
Dates: Feb. 18-20 (Sunday-Tuesday)
Format: 54 holes (18/18/18). The low four scores of the five counts as the team total. 
Start Time: 9:00 a.m. (CST) Feb. 18-19; 8:00 a.m. (CST) shotgun start Feb. 20. 
Course: English Turn Golf & Country Club (par 72, 6,239 yds)
Live Scoring

THE FIELD (17)
UCF, Clemson, Denver, Florida, Houston, Kansas, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, South Alabama, Southern California, SMU, Tulane

THE JAGUAR LINEUP
-Caroline Berge (Fr., Hundvag, Stavanger, Norway; 13 rds, 76.31 avg.; 1 T10, 3 T20; 3 rds =/- par in 2017-18)
-Madison Connell (Sr., Murray, Ky.; 1 rd, 69.00 avg.; 1 T10; 1 rd =/- par in 2017-18)
-Julie Hovland (Fr., Bergen, Norway; 13 rds, 77.00 avg.; 3 T20; 1 rd =/- par in 2017-18)
-MacKenzie Peyton (Jr., New Castle, Ky.; 13 rds, 77.77 avg.; 1 T20 in 2017-18)
-Siti Shaari (Fr., Subangjaya, Malaysia; 13 rds, 74.00 avg.; 4 T10, 1 T20; 6 rds =/- par in 2017-18)

TEE SHOTS
-Connell's 3-under-par performance at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Individual Collegiate Championship was a career best and came in her first tournament of the 2017-18 season. 
-Shaari continued her string of top-10 finishes and matched a season-low last weekend by scoring a 69 (-3). 
-An even-par 72 effort earned Berge her first career top-10 finish (T9). 
-The 2018 Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Golf Championship features six top-25 teams: Oklahoma State (8th), Southern California (11th), Michigan State (13th), Florida (18th), Denver (20th), and Houston (21st). 

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Matt Luther 

On the impact of Connell's return as a senior and her second-place finish last weekend... "We didn't know what to expect. She played great, and if this is a sign of what her senior year is going to be like, then that's fantastic. It's one round and we'll see what happens from here." 

On USA's first time competing in this tournament and facing six teams ranked in the top 25… "We can control us and that's it. We don't have to play offense or defense, we just play the golf course and it's just another tournament for us." 

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Chip In Club, the women's golf specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Chip In Club go directly to support the South Alabama women's golf program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/chipinclub.

—USA—