MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's golf team will open its spring schedule at the First Coast Classic at Deerwood Country Club Feb. 15-16 in Jacksonville, Florida.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (Host): First Coast Classic (Hosted by Western Kentucky and North Florida) 
Dates: Feb. 15-16 (Monday - Tuesday)
Format: 54 holes (36/18)
Course: Deerwood Country Club
Yardage:  6,002 yards
Par:  72
Live Scoring:  GolfStat.com
 
THE FIELD (12)
Arkansas State, Bradley, Cincinnati, Daytona State College, Florida International, Georgia Southern, Stetson, Troy, UAB, North Florida, South Alabama and Western Kentucky

JAGUAR LINEUP
1. Siti Shaari (12 rounds / 72.25 stroke avg.)
2. Belinda May (12 rounds / 74.00 stroke avg.)
3. Julie Hovland (12 rounds / 71.00 stroke avg.)
4. Caroline Berge (12 rounds / 76.17 stroke avg.)
5. Carlota Garcia (12 rounds / 76.83 stroke avg.)
Ind. – Nele Mattner (12 rounds / 79.00 stroke avg.)
 
TEE SHOTS 
- Hovland ranks 23rd nationally in stroke average in the Golfstat rankings. She has won medalist honors at two tournaments this season – the USA Intercollegiate and the Lady Red Wolves Classic – and also earned one top-20 finish in four events.
- Shaari has finished in the top 15 in 10 of her last 11 tournaments dating back to the 2019 USA Intercollegiate.
- South Alabama enters the spring opener coming off of its lowest round of the fall with a 2-under par team total of 286 in the final round of the Callaway Gardens Invite. It marked the lowest round by a Jaguar team since shooting a 283 in the first round of the Pat Bradley Invitational on Oct. 20, 2019.
- The Jaguars won one tournament, the Lady Red Wolves Classic, and finished second at the USA Intercollegiate this fall.
- May earned her best career finish (T-3rd) at the Lady Red Wolves Classic, where she recorded a career-low three-round total of 215.
- Hovland set a new program record for birdies in a tournament with 19 at the Lady Red Wolves Classic.
- Hovland also set a new program record for the lowest three-round total in Jaguar history with a three-round, 12-under par total of 204 at the USA Intercollegiate to open the season. Her 6-under 66 in the final round tied Shaari (2019) and former Jag Elin Andersson (2005) for the lowest single round in program history.
- Garcia turned in a career-low three-round total of 224 at the Callaway Gardens Invite, which included a career-low 1-over par 72 in the second round. 
- Mattner tied her season-low three-round score (231) at the Callaway Gardens Invite, which first came in the season-opening USA Intercollegiate. 

QUOTES
Head Coach Matt Luther
- On prepping for the spring opener:
"It's good to be back and get back out there together as a team. Two months off was a long time for this offseason, just another thing that is different in the world. But it is good to be back on campus and back into some routine."

- On progress during the offseason:
"Siti (Shaari) was here grinding. Our younger kids went home and found a way to get to work inside. It's obviously different hitting balls into a net or wherever they were in the world, but that's the time to do that."

- On the first tournament of the spring:
"Our plan never really changes – just run the offense; hit the shot you're supposed to hit when you're supposed to hit it. I definitely expect to see some shakiness in some of the touchy shots around the greens, less than full wedges kind of thing. But that is why we're going there when we're going, so we can see that and know what we need to do to get ready to win in April (at Sun Belt Championship)."

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.