Sept. 16, 2012
TULSA, Okla. - The fourth-ranked Arizona State women's golf team opens up the 2012-13 season competing in the Dale McNamara Invitational, hosted by the University of Tulsa, Sept. 17-18 at Golf Club Oklahoma. This is the second-straight appearance in the tournament for the Sun Devils.
The 54-hole tournament will be played over two days at the par-72, 6,282-yard Golf Club Oklahoma in Broken Arrow, Okla. The golfers will play 36 holes Monday and the remaining 18 holes on Tuesday with a shotgun start each day at 8 a.m. CT.
While all tournaments are important, the Dale McNamara Invitational, named for the National Collegiate Golf Coaches Hall of Fame inductee and long-time University of Tulsa golf coach, holds a special significance to head coach Melissa Luellen. McNamara coached Luellen to a team and individual NCAA title in 1988 and also happens to be her mother.
"It is so nice to be able to see my mom and my sister and go home to Tulsa," said Luellen. "My mom has full confidence in my coaching and what Missy [Farr-Kaye] and I do out on the course. She's always jealous she was never able to have an assistant coach. She just thinks its great to see how college golf has grown. She watched it from it's beginning and where it is now. She's just really proud."
Practice round almost done @ Dale McNamara Tulsa invite! Season starts tomorrow. #godevils @asugolf @maggieemmons twitter.com/missymkaye/sta...
-- Missy Kaye (@missymkaye) September 16, 2012
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Last year at the Dale McNamara Invitational, Arizona State held the lead going into the final round of the tournament only to finish in second place. While not the most ideal outcome in competition, Luellen used the experience as an example for the players.
"I think all the girls remember what happened last year," said Luellen. "It turned into a very teachable moment and really helped us through out last season. You choose what you do with that stuff."
The field for the tournament features: Arizona State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Augusta State, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kennesaw State, Marshall, Middle Tennessee State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas San Antonio, and Tulsa.
The line-up for the tournament includes: sophomore Noemi Jimenez, junior Justine Lee, junior Daniela Ordonez, and sophomore Emilie Alonso.
"These girls really want to win," said Luellen. "We had a very solid year last year. We did end up finishing ranked fourth in the country when it was all said and done, but we didn't have a win. This group, they want to win. That was something they put in their list of priorities for the season."
