Cougars look to tee off at first event

PROVO, Utah – The BYU women's golf team will play in its first event of the fall Oct. 12-13 at the Lady Red Wolves Classic in Jonesboro, Arkansas. 

The two-day event will be hosted by Arkansas State at the Sage Meadows Country Club and feature the Red Wolves along with Central Arkansas, Chattanooga, Houston Baptist, Little Rock, Missouri State, Middle Tennessee, Stephen F. Austin, Southern Illinois, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Troy, UAB and Western Kentucky. Teams will play 36 holes Monday on the par 72 course, followed by 18 on Tuesday. Live scoring is available on Golfstat.com. 

"We are super excited to finally get to play," BYU head coach Carrie Roberts said. "It has been a long time and we are ready to go compete."

Last season, despite a shortened campaign due to Covid-19, the Cougars placed in the top-5 in six of the eight tournaments they did participate in. BYU also boasted an 884.9 54-hole stroke average on the season, the third lowest in school history. Six golfers return for the 2020-21 season. 

Allysha Mae Mateo, who won the Utah Women's Stroke Play Championship over the summer, secured the first tournament win of her college career at Coeur d’Alene during the 2019-20 season, carding a career-best 212 (-1). Mateo tallied five top-15 finishes on the year and boasted a 72.8 stroke average, the second lowest in program history.

Annick Haczkiewicz tallied four top-15 results last season, her best coming at the Wahine Invitational where she tied for sixth place with a career-low 214 (-2). The Las Vegas native recorded a 73.7 stroke average on the year, the eighth lowest in school history.

Naomi Soifua also had four top-15 finishes during the 2019-20 campaign. Her best result came at the Wahine Invitational, where, like Haczkiewicz, she tied for sixth place with a career-low 214 (-2). Soifua also shot a school-record tying 64 (-8) in the third round of the Cougars’ first event last season, the WSU Cougar Cup.

Kerstin Fotu’s best result of the year came at Coeur d’Alene where she tied for 15th with a 221 (+8). Cynthia Tu competed in five tournaments as an individual and one as a starter. Her lone start came at the Entrada Classic where she tied for 25th place. Alina Vannarath competed in one event as an individual, the Hobble Creek Fall Classic, where she tied for 71st.

Follow live scoring for the Lady Red Wolves Classic Monday and Tuesday at Golfstat.com.