Aug. 29, 2012

TEMPE, Ariz.--The Arizona State women's golf program opens the 2012-13 season ranked fourth in the nation according the Golf World/NGCA Division I women's preseason coaches' poll, announced Wednesday.

The Sun Devils received a total of 578 points in the inaugural poll of the year, including earning one of the 27 first-place votes up for grab. Alabama starts the season as the top-ranked team after winning it's first-ever NCAA Championship in 2012. Arizona State is one of three Pac-12 teams ranked in the top-five in the country.

The Sun Devils return four out of five golfers from the 2012 team, with junior Justine Lee recording the lowest scoring average of 73.97 in the line-up. In 2012, Lee was named both an NGCA honorable mention All-American and an All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection. The junior also helped Arizona State secure its NCAA-record 21-straight National Championship appearance with her third-place finish at the NCAA East Regional. Lee was named to the NCAA All-East Region team for her top-five finish.

The Sun Devils open the season at the Dale McNamara Invitational, Sept. 17-19, in Tulsa, Okla. The Dale McNamara Invitational is named for the long-time NGCA Hall of Fame coach from the University of Tulsa and the mother of Arizona State head coach Melissa Luellen. Last year in Tulsa, the Sun Devils finished in second place overall with senior Giulia Molinaro earning her second-career medalist honors.