2021 Sun Belt Conference Championship Central

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama women's golf team will compete in the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Championship April 18-20 at LPGA International Hills Course in Daytona Beach, Fla.

USA enters the championship as the defending champion after capturing the 2019 SBC title following the cancellation of the event in 2020. 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Event (Host): Sun Belt Conference Championship
Dates: April 18-20
Format: 54 holes (36/18)
Course: LPGA International Hills Course
Yardage:  6,050
Par:  72
Live Scoring:  GolfStat.com
 
THE FIELD (12)
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Little Rock, Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, ULM and UT Arlington.

JAGUAR LINEUP
1. Julie Hovland (24 rounds / 71.58 stroke avg.)
2. Siti Shaari (24 rounds / 73.08 stroke avg.)
3. Carlota Garcia (24 rounds / 76.92 stroke avg.)
4. Caroline Berge (24 rounds / 76.75 stroke avg.
5. Nele Mattner  (21 rounds / 78.81 stroke avg.)

TEE SHOTS 
- Hovland earned individual medalist honors at two events this season (USA Intercollegiate and Lady Red Wolves Classic), and finished runner-up at one tournament (UNF Collegiate).
- Hovland earned top-five finishes in her final three events of the regular season – UNF Collegiate (2nd place), Bama Beach Bash (T-4th) and GSU Invitational (4th).
- Shaari enters the championship with four top-five finishes this season, including a season-best third-place finish at the Bama Beach Bash (March 19-21). 
- Shaari has recorded nine rounds of par or better this season.
- Hovland has recorded 12 rounds under par this season.
- The tournament will mark Carlota Garcia's first SBC Championship as a Jaguar.
- USA enters the tournament as the defending champion after capturing the 2019 SBC Championship with a three-round team total of 877 (+13).
- Shaari earned a runner-up finish in 2019 with a three-round, 2-under par total of 214. Shaari shot even par in the first and third rounds, and posted a 2-under par 70 in round two.
- Berge finished in fifth place in 2019 with a three-round, 3-over par total of 219, which marked a career low, after carding an even par 72 in the opening round.

QUOTES
Head Coach Matt Luther
- On ending the regular season with 4-over par 292 at the GSU Invitational:
"It's the story of our year – our good is really good, but when we don't play well we can get beat. We have to stay on the little stuff and be diligent, and we're hard to beat."

- On season preparation for the SBC Championship at LPGA International:
"We played a bunch on Bermuda all year in a kind of Florida breeze. It's a style of golf course we're used to and have seen a bunch of times this year. We should be good to go. It's a place we have won at and we know, so a lot of good mojo."

- On defending the SBC title:
"The plans and expectations never change – do your job and handle your business. We've proven this year that we can beat anybody anywhere, and we've also proven that if we don't stay on the details then we're going to get beat. I say all of the time that our biggest competition is us. If we take care of business then we're in good shape."

- On the keys to getting off to a good start:
"We just need to be patient and drive it well. It is a reasonably difficult driving golf course, which we do pretty well. As long as we're patient and avoid big numbers then we'll be fine."

- On how he feels going into this year's championship versus the 2019 championship:
"I feel the same. I wouldn't have called us a favorite in 2019. I think we're one of three or four teams that can win this thing, and that is kind of the position we were in last time. We had a good plan and executed it well, and if we do that this time then we're going to be in good shape."

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.