University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, March 9
Gainesville, FL
All Day
University of Tennessee
at
SunTrust Gator Invitational
GOLF CENTRAL: Gator Invitational
March 08, 2019 | Women's Golf
Lady Vols head to Gainesville, Fla. where they had three top-25 finishers last season including Micheala Williams and Waverly Whiston
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee women's golf team heads to Gainesville, Fla. for the Florida Gator Invitational this weekend.
The field features 13 teams with the Lady Vols entering as one of 10 teams ranked in the top-50 in the latest GolfStat rankings. The field includes three top-25 teams in No. 8 Florida, No. 20 Clemson and No. 24 Miami.
Tennessee enters this weekend ranked as the No. 31 team in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.
Last season, the Lady Vols finished fourth at the Gator Invitational with junior Micheala Williams and sophomore Waverly Whiston placing inside of the top 25 on the individual leaderboard. Williams tied for 13th at 4-over-par while Whiston tied for 24th at 7-over-par.
Williams is one of two Tennessee players to post a pair of top-25 finishes through two events this spring. The junior is coming off of a 24th place finish at the Westbrook Invitational in late February where she fired a three-round total of 217 (+1).
Senior Ariana Macioce was the highest Lady Vol at the Westbrook Invitational, tying for 16th after carding a collegiate-low 54-hole score of 214 (-2). Macioce turned in her two lowest scores in her time at Tennessee in the final two rounds of play. She was 3-under-par (69) in both rounds to help her to her fifth consecutive top-20 finish.
Whiston tied Macioce for the UT's low final round with a 69 (-3), helping Tennessee move up the leaderboard with their lowest team score of the week.
Tomorrow's first round shotgun start is scheduled to start at 8:15 a.m. (ET) at Mark Bostick Golf Course with play continuing through the second round on Saturday. Tennessee will be paired with host Florida and Ohio State.
The Lady Vols' Lineup
Ariana Macioce
The senior has had five consecutive top-20 finishes dating back to the Starmount Classic in early October. Macioce was the top finisher for Tennessee at the Westbrook Invitational, placing 16th after back-to-back rounds of 3-under-par golf.
Micheala Williams
The Athens, Ala. native has turned in a pair of top-25 finishes so far this spring including a career-best finish at the FAU Winter Warm Up where she tied for second at 6-under-par. She leads the team with three rounds in the 60s this year.
Waverly Whiston
The sophomore ranks second on the team in stroke average, rounds at or below par and rounds in the 60s this season. She tied Williams for second at the FAU Winter Warm Up earlier this spring, her highest finish as a collegiate.
Mariah Smith
Smith, who is third on the team in stroke average, has recorded a team-high seven rounds of par or better this season. Three of those rounds have come this spring including a collegiate-low 67 in Boca Raton, Fla.
Mikayla Bardwell
Bardwell, who has played in the Tennessee lineup in every tournament during her freshman campaign, enters the Gator Invitational as the team leader in stroke average at 73.22 while also having a team-best five top-10 finishes this season.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS (13)
Tennessee, Campbell, Clemson, College of Charleston, Daytona State, East Carolina, FIU, Florida, Miami, NC State, Ohio State, Penn State and UCF
COURSE INFORMATION
Mark Bostick Golf Course – Gainesville, Fla. – Par 70 – 6,701 yards
LIVE SCORING
GolfStat.com
TEE TIMES
Saturday, March 9 – First & Second Round – Starting with a shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. (ET) with continuous play through the second round
Sunday, March 10 – Final Round – Starting at 9:00 a.m. (ET) with a shotgun start
The field features 13 teams with the Lady Vols entering as one of 10 teams ranked in the top-50 in the latest GolfStat rankings. The field includes three top-25 teams in No. 8 Florida, No. 20 Clemson and No. 24 Miami.
Tennessee enters this weekend ranked as the No. 31 team in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.
Last season, the Lady Vols finished fourth at the Gator Invitational with junior Micheala Williams and sophomore Waverly Whiston placing inside of the top 25 on the individual leaderboard. Williams tied for 13th at 4-over-par while Whiston tied for 24th at 7-over-par.
Williams is one of two Tennessee players to post a pair of top-25 finishes through two events this spring. The junior is coming off of a 24th place finish at the Westbrook Invitational in late February where she fired a three-round total of 217 (+1).
Senior Ariana Macioce was the highest Lady Vol at the Westbrook Invitational, tying for 16th after carding a collegiate-low 54-hole score of 214 (-2). Macioce turned in her two lowest scores in her time at Tennessee in the final two rounds of play. She was 3-under-par (69) in both rounds to help her to her fifth consecutive top-20 finish.
Whiston tied Macioce for the UT's low final round with a 69 (-3), helping Tennessee move up the leaderboard with their lowest team score of the week.
Tomorrow's first round shotgun start is scheduled to start at 8:15 a.m. (ET) at Mark Bostick Golf Course with play continuing through the second round on Saturday. Tennessee will be paired with host Florida and Ohio State.
The Lady Vols' Lineup
Ariana Macioce
The senior has had five consecutive top-20 finishes dating back to the Starmount Classic in early October. Macioce was the top finisher for Tennessee at the Westbrook Invitational, placing 16th after back-to-back rounds of 3-under-par golf.
Micheala Williams
The Athens, Ala. native has turned in a pair of top-25 finishes so far this spring including a career-best finish at the FAU Winter Warm Up where she tied for second at 6-under-par. She leads the team with three rounds in the 60s this year.
Waverly Whiston
The sophomore ranks second on the team in stroke average, rounds at or below par and rounds in the 60s this season. She tied Williams for second at the FAU Winter Warm Up earlier this spring, her highest finish as a collegiate.
Mariah Smith
Smith, who is third on the team in stroke average, has recorded a team-high seven rounds of par or better this season. Three of those rounds have come this spring including a collegiate-low 67 in Boca Raton, Fla.
Mikayla Bardwell
Bardwell, who has played in the Tennessee lineup in every tournament during her freshman campaign, enters the Gator Invitational as the team leader in stroke average at 73.22 while also having a team-best five top-10 finishes this season.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS (13)
Tennessee, Campbell, Clemson, College of Charleston, Daytona State, East Carolina, FIU, Florida, Miami, NC State, Ohio State, Penn State and UCF
COURSE INFORMATION
Mark Bostick Golf Course – Gainesville, Fla. – Par 70 – 6,701 yards
LIVE SCORING
GolfStat.com
TEE TIMES
Saturday, March 9 – First & Second Round – Starting with a shotgun start at 8:15 a.m. (ET) with continuous play through the second round
Sunday, March 10 – Final Round – Starting at 9:00 a.m. (ET) with a shotgun start
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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