University of Tennessee Athletics
WGOLF CENTRAL - Auburn vs. Tennessee Challenge
February 22, 2017 | Women's Golf
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee women's golf team will compete in a head-to-head matchup with Auburn on Sunday, Feb. 26 in Auburn, Ala., at the Auburn University Club.
MORE INFO
Tournament
- Participating Teams: Auburn and Tennessee
- Course: Auburn University Club
- Round 1: 8:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 26
- Round 2: 12:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 26
Tournament Info
Tennessee
Roster Schedule Stats Record Book
Hosted by Auburn, the one-day, 36-hole tournament features four players in Golfweek's top-100, including three Volunteers. Freshman Micheala Williams, who leads the Big Orange with a 72.73 average, is ranked 91st in the nation and All-American Anna Newell is tabbed 96th. Junior Blakesly Warren holds the 98th spot in the rankings.
THE LINEUP
- 1. Micheala Williams
- 2. Anna Newell
- 3. Hannah Pietila
- 4. Emmie Pietila
- 5. Blakesly Warren
- Individuals: Lucia Polo, Teleri Hughes, Shannon Brooks and Allison Herring
Boasting the lowest average on the 2016-17 squad, Micheala Williams has made an immediate impact. She's tallied five rounds of par or better and two top-15 finishes, including a fourth place finish through five tournaments. Recording a similar stat line, Anna Newell enters the weekend having carded six rounds of par or better, four top-25 finishes and two top-10 finishes.
Senior Hannah Pietila finished the fall season by shooting below-par rounds on all three days of the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational en route to recording the Vols' lowest 54-hole score (209) and best placement (T-3rd) of the fall. Most recently at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Pietila carded 227 to tie for 62nd place.
Michigan native Emmie Pietila carded her lowest round (69) of the season on Day One of the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge (Feb. 12-14). Pietila, who competed in just one tournament in the fall due to injury, holds a 76.67 stroke average through six rounds.
Junior Blakesly Warren posted seven rounds of par or better, four top-25 finishes and two top-10 finishes in the fall. In the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship, she recorded a career-low 68 and carded her lowest tournament score (211) at the same event in September.
The Northrop Grumman marked Lucia Polo's first collegiate tournament of the season. Polo, a senior, played in the Women's World Amateur Team Championship in the fall for Guatemala and shot rounds of 80-73-75-81 to place 96th.
Polo will compete in the head-to-head matchup as an individual with Teleri Hughes, Shannon Brooks and Allison Herring.
Hughes played in three tournaments during the fall to average 76.33 strokes per round. At the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational, she tied for 34th place after shooting 221.
Brooks, a sophomore, also appeared in three tournaments so far in 2016-17. She carded 231 in the Vols' season opening tournament, the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship, on September 12-13. Fellow sophomore Herring tied for 67th place at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship with an overall score of 232.
Tournament Format
The Auburn vs. Tennessee Challenge will be played on Sunday, Feb. 26 in back-to-back rounds of 18 holes (36 total).
The one-day tournament gets underway Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. ET. Immediately following Round One, players will begin the second round.
Live stats will be available at Birdiefire.com and results will be posted to the tournament central page and twitter at the conclusion of each round.
Tournament History
- Tennessee and Auburn are playing in a head-to-head tournament together for the first time in program history.
- The Volunteers are meeting with the Tigers for the second time this season. In the teams' previous meeting in the Maryb S. Kauth Invitational, UT (861, -3) beat Auburn (873, +9).
Quick Drives
- Tennessee's top scorers, Warren, Newell and Williams, have a combined fall scoring average of 72.17 and boast 53 rounds of par or better, 39 top-25 finishes and 18 subpar rounds during their careers.
- Williams low round of 67 on Day Two of the Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invite marked the lowest 18-hole score of the fall and ranks ninth in Tennessee history.
- On the season, the Vols, led by Head Coach Judi Pavon and her staff, are averaging 291.93 strokes per round and finished in the top five in four tournaments so far this season.
- In November, Tennessee signed three of the top-50 players in the 2017 signing class: No. 10 Kristin Engle (early enrollee), No. 19 Waverly Whiston and No. 50 Mariah Smith.
Folds of Honor
Tennessee Women's Golf has partnered with Folds of Honor (FOH) through the WGCA to carry a specially designed golf bag to honor Army Staff Sergeant John Michael Schafer. He served two tours in Vietnam with the 25th Infantry Division from January 1, 1968 to December 1, 1972.
Schafer received the Bronze Star Medal for heroism twice, earning the Bronze Star Medal second Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge for his actions in ground combat. He was also awarded the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal.
Throughout the 2016-17 season, a different Tennessee golfer will carry the bag displaying his name, rank and branch of service.
At the end of the season, the Vols will raise funds for the bag through an auction with the proceeds benefiting Folds of Honor.
Carried By:
Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship: Allison Herring
Golfweek Conference Challenge: Anna Newell
Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational: Blakesly Warren
Maryb S. Kauth Invitational: Teleri Hughes
Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge: Hannah Pietila
VOLScholars
All members of the 2016-17 squad, with the exceptions of early enrollee Engle and freshman Williams, are VOLScholars.
To be eligible to wear the VOLScholar patch, University of Tennessee student-athletes must achieve a 3.0 GPA in either of the two previous semesters, or they must own a cumulative 3.0 GPA (freshmen are not eligible for the patch).
Looking Ahead
Following the one day event versus Auburn, Tennessee heads east to compete in the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate on March 3-5 in Hilton Head, S.C.
The Vols compete in two more tournaments, the 3M Augusta Invitational (March 17-19) and the Clemson Invitational (March 31-April 2), before playing in the SEC Championship in Birmingham, Ala., on April 21-23.
2017 NCAA Regionals, hosted by New Mexico, East Carolina, Texas Tech and Ohio State, take place May 8-10. Teams that advance out of the regionals will compete at the NCAA Championship in Sugar Grove, Ill., on May 19-24.
For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee women's golf team, visit UTSports.com/w-golf, follow @Vol_WGolf on Twitter and like the Vols at Facebook.com/VolWomensGolf.
