GREENSBORO, Ga. – The University of South Alabama women's golf team opens the spring portion of its 2018-19 season Saturday and Sunday at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational. The tournament is a 27/27 format; play begins at 8 a.m. each day.

The Jaguars currently lead the Sun Belt Conference standings with a 297.82 scoring average. Sophomores Julie Hovland and Siti Shaari rank third and fourth, respectively, in individual scoring. 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (Host): Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational (Mercer)
Dates: Feb. 16-17 (Saturday-Sunday)
Format: 54 holes (27/27)
Start Time: 8 a.m.  
Course: Reynolds Lake Oconee – National Course Ridge (par 36, 3,051 yds); Bluff (par 36, 3,060 yds); Cove (par 36, 3,058 yds)
Live Scoring
 
THE FIELD (19)
Albany, (No. 11) Auburn**, Bradley, Chattanooga, (No. 23) Clemson**, Delaware, Eastern Kentucky, East Tennessee State, Kentucky, Mercer, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Rutgers, South Alabama, South Dakota State, Texas Tech, UNC Wilmington, (No. 6) Vanderbilt, Yale

**Individuals only
 
THE JAGUAR LINEUP
-Caroline Berge (So., Hundvag, Stavanger, Norway; 11 rds, 75.55 avg.; 2 T10; 1 rd =/- par in 2018-19)
-Julie Hovland (So., Bergen, Norway; 11 rds, 73.36 avg.; 4 T10; 4 rds =/- par in 2018-19)
-Nele Mattner** (Fr., Braunschweig, Germany; 11 rds, 79.09 avg.; 1 rd =/- par in 2018-19)
-MacKenzie Peyton (Sr., New Castle, Ky.; 11 rds, 75.73 avg.; 2 T20; 1 rd =/- par in 2018-19)
-Siti Shaari (So., Subangjaya, Malaysia; 11 rds, 73.64 avg.; 2 T10, 1 T20; 2 rds =/- par in 2018-19)
-Lexi Worrell (Sr., Milton, Fla.; 11 rds, 77.64 avg.; 1 T10; 1 rd =/- par in 2018-19)
 
**Competing as an individual

TEE SHOTS
-The tournament will be played in a 27/27 format. Golfers will play three nine-hole courses each day (Ridge, Bluff, and Cove). 
-USA earned its first team victory of the season at the UT Arlington Invitational in October after shooting a three-round score of 890 (+38). Shaari finished second overall with her lowest tournament total of the fall, 217 (+4). Sophomore Caroline Berge earned a fifth-place finish with a 221 (+8) score. 
-The Jaguars took second place at the ULM Fred Marx Invitational in October with a two-round score of 597 (+21). The final day of the tournament was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.
-Hovland is the only Jaguar to finish in the top 10 in all four fall events. She holds a 73.36 scoring average and leads the team with four rounds played at or below par. The sophomore from Bergen, Norway opened the season with a three-under-par 213 at the USA Intercollegiate.  
-The lowest round of the season belongs to Shaari, who shot a three-under-par 68 on the final day of the UT Arlington Invitational. The Subangjaya, Malaysia native carries a 73.64 scoring average and has two top-10 finishes this season.   
 
THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Matt Luther
On the fall season: "It was good. There's a lot of room to get better, but we're definitely growing up and starting to see improvement, which is good."

On adjustments made during the break: "We changed some things this spring. We're in a place where they're not freshmen anymore and everybody knows what's going on, so we can start digging into some deeper development stuff. We're definitely starting to do some things better. The short-game facility is helping. We're trending forward."

On the competition level at this tournament: "It's a good field. We're going to have to play well to be near the top. We're not going to be able to just show up and be fourth or fifth. It's a great opportunity. There are some top-25 teams in there. It's a good week for us to show what we've got."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. 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—