IRVING, Texas – The American Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championship is headed to Pinehurst, North Carolina for the first time, as the 2021 tournament will be contested on the grounds of Pinehurst No. 6 on April 18-20. All 10 teams in The American will play one 18-hole round each day in stroke play following the five-count-four scoring format.
Tee times will begin on April 18 between 8-8:32 a.m. (ET) off the first tee with No. 1 seed Houston and No. 2 seed UCF pairing off. Players from No. 3 seed Tulsa and No. 4 seed USF will head out from 8:40-9:12 a.m., followed immediately by No. 5 seed East Carolina and No. 6 seed SMU at 9:20-9:52 a.m. No. 7 seed Tulane and No. 8 seed Memphis are set to take the course from 10-10:32 a.m., and No. 9 seed Cincinnati and No. 10 seed Wichita State round out the entries at 10:40-11:12 a.m. The field will be re-paired for both day two and day three based on subsequent scoring.
HOUSTON IN SEARCH OF THIRD STRAIGHT AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Houston looks to win its third consecutive American Women’s Golf Championship and to extend its recent run of form at the conference tournament. The Cougars have previously hoisted the league hardware in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
In its most recent start at the 2019 tournament at Hammock Beach Conservatory Course in Palm Coast, Florida, Houston established a tournament record for lowest aggregate score (851) and lowest score in relation to par (-13) in a dominant 30-shot victory. Now professional player Leonie Harm established individual aggregate (208) and par (-8) tournament scoring records to claim 2019 medalist accolades.
ONLY TWO CURRENT AMERICAN TEAMS HAVE WON THE AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
After former member Louisville won the initial American Women’s Golf Championship in 2014, only Houston and UCF have claimed a conference championship victory in the seasons since. UCF wins in 2015 and 2017 have split up Houston triumphs in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
The Knights have added runner-up results in 2014, 2018 and 2019, and SMU was in second place in 2015 and 2017. East Carolina secured runner-up in 2016.
WHERE TEAMS FROM THE AMERICAN STAND IN THE LATEST GOLFSTAT RANKINGS
Houston enters the American Women’s Golf Championship slotted 20th in the latest GolfStat team rankings on April 14 to pace the conference. UCF (31), Tulsa (56), USF (68), East Carolina (71) and SMU (92) are also ranked in the team top 100.
Houston’s Karen Fredgaard is the top ranked individual player from The American pre-tournament according to GolfStat, checking in sixth in the April 14 rankings. Tulsa’s Lorena Tseng (29) and UCF’s Tunrada Piddon (78) also joined Fredgaard among the top-100 players in the country.
AMERICAN WOMEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS LEAVES FLORIDA FOR THE FIRST TIME
For the first time in tournament history, the American Women’s Golf Championship will be contested outside the state of Florida. From 2014-16 the championship was contested at Hammock Beach Ocean Course in Palm Coast, with the 2017-19 editions taking place at the Conservatory Course at Hammock Beach.
Pinehurst No. 6 was designed by George and Tom Fazio and first opened in 1979, with Tom Fazio redesigning the layout in 2005. The course will play at a par-72, 6,290 yards during the American Women’s Golf Championship.