MOBILE, Ala. – MacKenzie Peyton signed a National Letter of Intent with the University of South Alabama women's golf program for the 2015-16 season head coach TJ Jackson announced Tuesday.

Peyton is a native of New Castle, Ky., and will have four years of eligibility remaining when she joins the program next fall.

She earned first-team all-state honors from the Kentucky Golf Coaches Association as a junior last season at Henry County High School where she finished runner-up in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Girls Golf Championship. Peyton earned a top-five finish at this season's state tournament with a two-round total of 146, where she shot 1-over par 73 in each round, to finish tied for fifth place en route to being named the region player-of-the-year.

Prior to this year's state tournament, Peyton won the Region 5 tournament with a 2-under par 70 after securing the title in a playoff. She is a four-time North Central Kentucky Conference medalist, and earned all-state honors as a junior and senior. Peyton recorded a 72.30 scoring average in high school.

Over the summer, she won the Golfweek Junior Tour – Wetherington Tournament at Wetherington Golf and Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a two-round score of 147 including an even-par 72 in the final round.

"MacKenzie has a good solid foundation for a golf swing," Jackson said. "She has good distance and flights the ball really well. She played really well in the tournament I saw her play in last summer; she won that tournament shooting 72-72.

"She has played very well in the Kentucky state high school tournament. Their high school state tournament has a little more weight than say the Alabama state high school tournament, because they are playing from a longer distance and tougher conditions. It's a legitimate course they are playing on. She's a hard worker, and is itching to get down here and get started; she has the right mindset for what we're looking for. Peyton is a good student, and she already has decided on her major. That could change, but she has things in a certain order already so I think she has a little more focus because of that. She's ready to get started, and we're excited to have her."

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