July 23, 2008
Orlando, Fla. (www.UCFAthletics.com) - UCF women's golf coach Emilee Klein announced her team's schedule for the upcoming 2008-09 campaign on Wednesday. The Knights made their first NCAA Regional appearance under Klein a year ago and the fourth-year coach credits a tough schedule for making that run possible.
This year's schedule is just as tough as UCF will participate in events hosted by four teams that finished last year in the top 25, and from conferences including the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC. The Knights will also play host to some of the nation's most elite teams for the third-consecutive season at their home event in March - the UCF Challenge.
"This is the toughest schedule we have had during my time here at UCF," Klein said. "We are going to be playing the best teams in the country week-in and week-out and our home event will feature an even stronger field than in years past.
"A schedule like this continually pushes our team to improve like it did a year ago and I believe my team will thrive on the competition. The schedule will also help show future recruits how serious this program is about getting to the top of women's collegiate golf."
The Knights will open their fall season, which features four events, at the Mason Rudolph Championship in Brentwood, Tenn., on Sept. 26-28. This will be the first time UCF has played in this 54-hole event hosted by Vanderbilt University.
UCF will then play on back-to-back weekends in early October, starting with another new event for the Knights - the Lady TarHeel Invitational. The Knights will be in Chapel Hill, N.C. for the three-day event from Oct. 3-5 before traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., for the Mercedes Benz Championship. This will be the second-straight year UCF has competed in the 54-hole event hosted by the University of Tennessee.
Following a week off, the Knights will wrap up their fall schedule at the Auburn Derby, Oct. 24-26 in Auburn, Ala.
UCF opens its spring season for the third-consecutive season at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan. The event is hosted by Purdue University from Feb. 8-10. The Boilermakers are coming off a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships a year ago.
After a month break, the Knights will welcome a top field once again for the third-annual UCF Challenge, set for March 8-10 at the RedTail Golf Club in Sorrento, Fla.
Klein will then take the team west for back-to-back tournaments to conclude the regular season. The Knights will participate in the Betsy Rawls Invitational in Austin, Texas, on March 20-22 before traveling to Klein's alma mater Arizona State for the Ping ASU Women's Golf Invitational in Tempe.
The events in Texas and Arizona are both new to the Knights' schedule this season.
The 2009 Conference USA Championship, an event the Knights have finished in the top four in each of the last three seasons, will be held in Tulsa, Okla. Dates for the 54-hole event have not been set.
NCAA Regionals are slated for the weekend of May 7-9, while the 2009 NCAA Championship will be held in Owings Mills, Md., at the Caves Valley Golf Club.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures. For more information on UCF Knights football tickets call (407) 823-1000.
--UCF Athletics--