ORLANDO Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The No. 20 Knights are set to host a talented field at Eagle Creek Golf Club Sunday, marking the team's only home event of the 2016-17 campaign. 17 teams will tee it up on the 6,349-yard par-72 track, including No. 10 Kent State, No. 14 Miami, and No. 17 Texas.
Three seniors, Ashley Holder, Johanna Larsson, and Ayaka Nakayama will anchor the Black and Gold's lineup along with freshman Maria Balcazar and sophomore transfer Nicolette Donovan. Holder has been the team's top finisher in three of its five events this season and Larsson is fresh off her best finish ever as a Knight tying sixth at the Florida Challenge last week.
Sophomore transfer Anna Hack and junior Kaeli Jones will also be competing as individuals. Head coach Emily Marron said that she feels good about the teams play from top to bottom.
"What I really like about our team is for the first time [this season] we have depth," Marron said. "One through seven, I feel comfortable with any of the girls in the lineup. We're just trying to figure out who our strongest give are so that by the end of the year we know what our lineup is going to be."
UCF has finished in the top five in its home event four of the last five years (2012-13 at Redtail Golf Club) and won the tournament in 2014 when then junior Fanny Cnops took medalist honors and Holder, a freshman at the time, finished fourth overall among individuals.
The UCF Challenge is set for a 9 a.m. shotgun start Sunday and fans are welcome to attend all three days at no charge.