NORMAN, Okla.- SMU women's golf team, fresh off a victory in the Badger Invitational, head to Belmar Golf Club to face a loaded field in the Schooner Fall Classic. Monday's final round is broadcast on SoonerSports.TV, and will run tape-delayed Wednesday on Bally Sports Southwest.
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Five squads in the 15-team field are ranked by the WGCA, led by No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Baylor, No. 8 Texas, No. 12 Florida State and No. 23 TCU. Hosts Oklahoma, Illinois, Iowa State, Houston, Kansas State, North Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Tulsa and UTSA join the Mustangs in the field in addition to the ranked teams. In addition, 11 of the 15 squads reside in the early-season top-50 of the Golfweek rankings, including the Mustangs at No. 42.
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SMU, who erased a 12-shot deficit in the final round to win the Badger Invitational, is looking for back-to-back tournament wins for the first time since 1986, when the Mustangs won the Lady Eagle Invitational and Southwest Conference Championship back-to-back.
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The Mustangs tout the same lineup they used for the Badger Invitational, led by
Kennedy Pedigo and
Katie James who each tied for 3
rd at even par. Pedigo is coming into the event in top form, having finished 12
th-or-better in six of her last eight amateur and collegiate stroke play tournament. James enters having demolished her collegiate bests for best finish (by 25 places), best 54-hole score (by 22 strokes) and best round (by two shots) at University Ridge Golf Club.
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Serena Shah led the team in birdies in the season-opener, and posted her fourth top-20 in her last five events, tying for 14
th.
Ashley Chow had her career-best finish, a tie for 20
th, and returns to the lineup with
Megan Chou, who tied for 44
th in Wisconsin.
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The teams take to the par 70 / 6,109-yard Belmar Golf Club for two rounds on Sunday and a final round on Monday. SMU tees off at 9 a.m. in a shotgun start on holes 14-17, with live scoring available on Golfstat.
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