Sept. 5, 2010
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By Leigh Torbin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF women's golf team will open its 2010-11 campaign on one of the sport's most famous grounds when the Knights play in the Labor Day Shootout on Monday at the famous PLAYERS Stadium Course at the TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Known for its iconic island green on the par-three 17th hole, the Stadium Course is the annual home of The PLAYERS Championship, widely considered to be the PGA TOUR's unofficial fifth major. The event features a pair of rounds on Monday with UCF joining No. 19 Florida, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, USC Upstate and the host Jacksonville Dolphins on the hallowed course.
"They are really excited to play," head coach Courtney Trimble said. "It will be fun for them to be on a championship golf course that you see on TV all the time. It's a great way for us to start the season with 36 holes. We're playing against some good competition. It will be a fun day."
The tournament is amongst the first on the schedule nationwide. The Knights have only been in school for two weeks now. Many universities across the country haven't even begun their fall semesters. Trimble thinks that playing so soon has several benefits.
"It's a good opportunity for us to see what we need to work on for the rest of the fall," she said. "It's just like any other sport. You can only practice for so long. I'm looking forward to playing this early so that we know what we will need to do for the rest of these tournaments."
Unlike standard collegiate events where teams send five players, four of which count towards the team total, the Labor Day Shootout features a format with six players. Including an individual participant, UCF will have its entire lineup in action on Monday.
UCF will be led on Monday by senior Katie Detlefsen (Eagan, Minn.) followed by sophomore Carolin Pinegger (Marquartstein, Germany), freshman Kaitlyn Price (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.), sophomore Jordyn Hage (Winter Park, Fla.), sophomore Sunny Harris (Pensacola, Fla.) and freshman Isabelle Bachtiar (Karlestad, Sweden). Sophomore Valentina Fontaine (Santiago, Chile) will compete as an individual.
"I think that we have a little more depth this year," Trimble said of her 2010-11 team. "We have seven that can play. We'll see more diverse lineups as the year goes on with more people playing which is a good thing. They've looked good. They're motivated and eager to play."