ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The No. 14 Knights are off to Reunion Resort in Kissimmee this weekend, where the team will face its most difficult challenge of the season in the Annika Intercollegiate Presented by 3M, an event co-founded by the ANNIKA Foundation and Golfweek.
Now in its third season, the tournamentwill feature arguably the strongest field in Division I women's golf, with UCF is serving as the host school. The Knights will match up against 11 of the top teams in the nation including No. 2 Florida and No. 3 Oklahoma State, something head coach Emily Marron considers a unique opportunity.
"We are incredibly honored to participate in an event as prestigious as the Annika Intercollegiate," Marron said. "This is probably the most elite field in women's golf and we are excited to test our game against these top teams."
Coach Marron believes her squad has the potential to play with anyone, and with good reason.
At the Mason Rudolph Championship last week, freshman Maria Balcazar finished fourth in her first-ever collegiate event, shooting three-straight rounds under par, including a final round 68 (-4). The Knights finished fourth, just behind No. 8 Northwestern.
Balcazar is currently tied for No. 11 in the nation among individuals according to Golfweek.com individual rankings.
Marron's confidence might also be high due to the presence of three-time all-conference senior Ashley Holder, who finished tied for 22nd in the 2016 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Holder was also ranked No. 30 on Golfweek writer Lance Ringler's 2016-17 Preseason Top-30 players in the nation.
Over the summer, senior Ayaka Nakayama advanced to stage II of LPGA Tour Qualifying School, while junior transfer Kaeli Jones won the 2016 Florida State Amateur Stroke Play Championship. Add senior Johanna Larsson to the mix, and the Knights starting five should be a formiddable squad this weekend.
UCF's most important opponent is not any of the other 11 teams but rather the signature design Tom Watson course at reunion that is as much about strategy as it is about length. Demanding a well thought out approach from every player, the 6,245-yard Par 72 track puts a premium on a solid short game and tests every club in the bag.
"The Watson course is a fair test and yielded a lot of birdies last year," Marron said. "We just need to be aggressive and go as low as we can."
The Knights have the talent, the challenge now is to pull together as a team and show they are among the nation's best.
The tournament is slated to begin Sept. 25 at 8 a.m. Click here to follow the action via live scoring.