University of Tennessee Athletics
WGOLF CENTRAL - Northrop Grumman
February 08, 2017 | Women's Golf
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee women's golf team will tee off the spring season in the 22nd installment of the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge at Palos Verdes Golf Club (par 71, 6,017 yards) in Palos Verdes, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 12 through Tuesday, Feb. 14.
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Tournament
- Participating Teams: No. 3 Alabama, No. 25 Arizona, No. 14 Arizona State, California, No. 22 Duke, No. 6 Florida, No. 16 Northwestern, No. 24 Ohio State (Host), No. 18 Oklahoma State, San Diego State, Tennessee, No. 7 UCLA, UNLV, No. 2 USC, No. 11 Wake Forest and Washington
- Course: Palos Verdes Golf Club (par 71, 6,017 yards)
- Practice Round: 10:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 11
- College-Am: 3:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 11
- Round 1: 12:00 p.m. ET on Feb. 12
- Round 2: 12:00 p.m. ET on Feb. 13
- Round 3: 11:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 14
- Awards Presentation: Will follow conclusion of the final round
- 2016 Results: Team: Washington (858), Individual: Monica Vaughn, Washington (209)
Tournament Info
Live Stats Team/Player Leaderboard
Tennessee
Round One
Hosted by No. 24 Ohio State, the three-day, 54-hole tournament features a stacked field of 16 teams, including 11 programs that are ranked in the top-25 by Golfstat. Of the players slated to be in the tournament, 30 are ranked in Golfstat's top-100, including three Volunteers. Junior Blakesly Warren, who leads the Big Orange with a 72.00 average, is tied for 55th in the nation and fellow junior Anna Newell is tabbed 65th. Newcomer Micheala Williams holds the 76th spot in the rankings.
Teams By Region:
CENTRAL
- #3 Alabama
- #25 Arizona
- #14 Arizona State
- #18 Oklahoma State
- UNLV
- #22 Duke
- #6 Florida
- #16 Northwestern
- #24 Ohio State
- Tennessee
- California
- San Diego State
- #7 UCLA
- #2 USC
- Washington
- #11 Wake Forest (Only 3 players competing)
The Line-Up
- 1. Anna Newell
- 2. Micheala Williams
- 3. Lucia Polo
- 4. Blakesly Warren
- 5. Hannah Pietila
- Individual: Emmie Pietila
Boasting the second lowest average (72.17) on the 2016-17 squad, junior Anna Newell enters the spring having carded five rounds of par or better, four top-25 finishes and two top-10 finishes. Recording a similar fall stat line, freshman Micheala Williams has made an immediate impact as the No. 3 player on the Vols' roster. She recorded five rounds of par or better and two top-15 finishes, including a fourth place finish, through four tournaments.
The Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge marks Lucia Polo's and Emmie Pietila's first collegiate tournament of the season. Polo, a senior, competed in the Women's World Amateur Team Championship in the fall for Guatemala and shot rounds of 80-73-75-81 to place 96th before suffering an injury. Fellow senior Pietila is also returning from an injury.
Leading the Vols with a 72.00 stroke average, junior Blakesly Warren begins the spring having carded seven rounds of par or better, four top-25 finishes and two top-10 finishes. She posted a career-low 68 in the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship and carded her lowest tournament score (211) at the same event in September. Warren will represent Tennessee in the College-Am following the practice round.
Senior Hannah Pietila, looks to transfer her momentum from the fall to the spring tournaments. The Michigan native closed 2016 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. Additionally, Pietila will carry the Folds of Honor golf bag in honor of Army Staff Sergeant John Michael Schafer during the tournament.
Tournament Format
The Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge will be played on Sunday, Feb. 12 through Tuesday, Feb. 14 in an 18-18-18 format. Prior to the tournament, a College-Am will be hosted on Saturday, Feb. 11. at 3:30 p.m. ET. The event, which serves as a preview of the course, will pair one competing athlete from each team with a member of the public.
The three-day tournament gets underway Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. ET. Monday's second round will also start at 12:00 p.m. ET, with each team beginning on holes 1 and 10.
Round three on Tuesday will be a shotgun start at 11:30 a.m. ET and the awards ceremony will be held upon the conclusion of the round.
Live stats will be available at golfstat.com and results will be posted to the tournament central page and twitter at the conclusion of each round.
Tournament History
- Tennessee is playing in the tournament for the second time (also 2003).
- The Orange and White claimed ninth place out of 18 teams in 2003 with a score of 625. The tournament was shortened to two rounds due to hazardous weather conditions.
- 2017 is the 22nd year of the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge.
- Palos Verdes Golf Club was designed by George Thomas and William Bell and was opened for play in 1924. It features a demanding design, hilly lies, small greens and beautiful ocean views.
Quick Drives
- Tennessee's top scorers, Warren, Newell and Williams, have a combined fall scoring average of 72.17 and boast 52 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 290.00 strokes per round and finished in the top five in all four tournaments of the fall.
- 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
The Orange and White travel to Auburn for a head-to-head matchup against the Tigers on February 26.
Following the one day event, 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.