University of Tennessee Athletics
Monday, October 5
Fayetteville, AR | Blessings Golf Club
University of Tennessee
at
The Blessings Collegiate
Golf Central: The Blessings Collegiate
October 04, 2020 | Women's Golf
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After a six-month layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tennessee women's golf team hits the links once again at the inaugural Blessings Collegiate at The Blessings Golf Club to begin its 2020 Fall slate.
The tournament will consist of all 14 SEC women's golf programs and will be broadcast on the Golf Channel during each of the event's three days. Coverage each day will run from 3:30-7:30 p.m. ET.
Due to COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, each program will play solely within their own blocks of players. Rather than competing in foursomes with a player from four different schools, each team will play fivesomes featuring all five of their participating student athletes.
This will be the Lady Vols first trip to The Blessings Golf Club since they earned an appearance at the 2019 NCAA Women's Golf Championship.
Lady Vols' Lineup
Micheala Williams
Williams is back for her fifth season on Rocky Top, looking to bounce back from an up-and-down 2019-20 campaign. Entering her final year in Knoxville, Williams is set to make a run at her third consecutive NCAA Championship appearance.
Mikayla Bardwell
Bardwell is coming off an incredibly successful summer that saw her claim the 2020 Tennessee Women's Amateur Championship.
Last season, Bardwell was one of the Lady Vols most consistent players. She finished the year with a 73.21 stroke average, a mark that was more than 1.3 strokes better than her freshman year average in 2018-19.
She also carded seven rounds of par or better and finished in the top-25 in five of eight tournaments during the shortened year.
Waverly Whiston
The first Whiston sister continued her steady play at UT, dropping her scoring average just under half a stroke from her sophomore to her junior campaigns.
She was a regular presence in the lineup for the Orange & White, carding three consecutive rounds of par or better at the Westbrook Invitational (72-71-72) to finish in a tie for 26th.
Nicole Whiston
After carding the lowest scoring average on the team (72.21) in her first year on Rocky Top, Whiston will be looking to continue the momentum she built from last season.
The second team All-SEC and All-SEC Freshman Team honoree put together 13-of-24 rounds at par or better and finished inside the top-10, a team leading three times.
Vanessa Gilly
Gilly is the lone newcomer in the lineup this week for the Lady Vols, making her collegiate debut. The Caracas, Venezuela native won the nations junior championship in 2017 and 2018, while earning her country's national amateur championship in 2019.
Course Information
The Blessings Golf Club – Par 72 – 6,171
The Blessings Golf Club was the home of the 2019 NCAA Women's Golf Championship. The course is a Robert Trent Jones design that opened in 2004 and features bent grass greens and cavalier zoysia that fills the tee boxes and fairways.
Live Stats and TV
Live stats will be provided by golfstats.com and coverage can be seen through the Golf Channel and online through golfchannel.com/watch.
Tee Times
Monday, Oct. 5 – First Round 10:54 a.m. ET
Tuesday, Oct. 6 – Second Round 11:59 a.m. ET
Wednesday, Oct. 7 – Third Round TBD – based on first and second round results
Up Next
Following a two-week break, the Lady Vols will travel south to Starkville, Mississippi to take part in The Ally at Old Waverly Golf Course, hosted by Mississippi State.
The tournament will consist of all 14 SEC women's golf programs and will be broadcast on the Golf Channel during each of the event's three days. Coverage each day will run from 3:30-7:30 p.m. ET.
Due to COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, each program will play solely within their own blocks of players. Rather than competing in foursomes with a player from four different schools, each team will play fivesomes featuring all five of their participating student athletes.
This will be the Lady Vols first trip to The Blessings Golf Club since they earned an appearance at the 2019 NCAA Women's Golf Championship.
Lady Vols' Lineup
Micheala Williams
Williams is back for her fifth season on Rocky Top, looking to bounce back from an up-and-down 2019-20 campaign. Entering her final year in Knoxville, Williams is set to make a run at her third consecutive NCAA Championship appearance.
Mikayla Bardwell
Bardwell is coming off an incredibly successful summer that saw her claim the 2020 Tennessee Women's Amateur Championship.
Last season, Bardwell was one of the Lady Vols most consistent players. She finished the year with a 73.21 stroke average, a mark that was more than 1.3 strokes better than her freshman year average in 2018-19.
She also carded seven rounds of par or better and finished in the top-25 in five of eight tournaments during the shortened year.
Waverly Whiston
The first Whiston sister continued her steady play at UT, dropping her scoring average just under half a stroke from her sophomore to her junior campaigns.
She was a regular presence in the lineup for the Orange & White, carding three consecutive rounds of par or better at the Westbrook Invitational (72-71-72) to finish in a tie for 26th.
Nicole Whiston
After carding the lowest scoring average on the team (72.21) in her first year on Rocky Top, Whiston will be looking to continue the momentum she built from last season.
The second team All-SEC and All-SEC Freshman Team honoree put together 13-of-24 rounds at par or better and finished inside the top-10, a team leading three times.
Vanessa Gilly
Gilly is the lone newcomer in the lineup this week for the Lady Vols, making her collegiate debut. The Caracas, Venezuela native won the nations junior championship in 2017 and 2018, while earning her country's national amateur championship in 2019.
Course Information
The Blessings Golf Club – Par 72 – 6,171
The Blessings Golf Club was the home of the 2019 NCAA Women's Golf Championship. The course is a Robert Trent Jones design that opened in 2004 and features bent grass greens and cavalier zoysia that fills the tee boxes and fairways.
Live Stats and TV
Live stats will be provided by golfstats.com and coverage can be seen through the Golf Channel and online through golfchannel.com/watch.
Tee Times
Monday, Oct. 5 – First Round 10:54 a.m. ET
Tuesday, Oct. 6 – Second Round 11:59 a.m. ET
Wednesday, Oct. 7 – Third Round TBD – based on first and second round results
Up Next
Following a two-week break, the Lady Vols will travel south to Starkville, Mississippi to take part in The Ally at Old Waverly Golf Course, hosted by Mississippi State.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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