DETROIT (2/26/2021) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's golf team will be the next sport to start its season as the Titans head to South Carolina to compete in the Kiawah Island Classic.

The event, hosted by the College Of Charleston, at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort's Cougar Point and Oak Point courses. It is one of the largest collegiate golf tournaments in the country with 42 teams in the field.

"What we set up for our schedule I believe is really good and will help us get ready for the conference championship as it mirrors the same format with three rounds in three days," said head coach Larry Hamilton. "We have another tournament in March that does the same thing so those two will hopefully help us get in the right frame of mind to play three 18-hole rounds in a row. I want to see how the players manage themselves, how mentally tough they can stay throughout each round and in between rounds. I want to see who is ready to play and who has the right mindset."

The event will have live scoring through Golfstat. 

Season Preview
The Titans will feature one of the most veteran and experienced squads in the Horizon League, maybe even in the history of the program, as five seniors lead the way with two sophomores and a freshman.

The seniors, Elle Greenlee, Alexa Hatz, Shana Murphy, Kendall Payne and Julia Shaw, are all out to prove that the preseason coaches poll from last year and this season are wrong. 

"I think last year, we were really ready to turn that thing upside down, but obviously with COVID, that was taken away from us, from everyone," said Hamilton. "This year, I think it means more to them, just getting the opportunity to play and show all the coaches who voted in that poll that they were mistaken and this team is definitely prepared and ready to go."

Hatz has led the team in scoring average since she arrived on campus, tallying a career-best 78.22 in the 2019 fall season, posting three top-20 efforts. Payne was right behind her as she was second on the team with a career-low 78.67, leading the team in tournament 2019 fall events. 

Murphy was third on the team with a career-best 82.00 average. Shaw has a career 81.98 average with four top-20 finishes and Greenlee registered an 84.11 average, a career-low for her. 

"The seniors, this is their team and all five of them, it means a lot to them. They are all bidding for that team that is going to play in that conference championship. They are a year older, a year more mature and I am excited to see them play. They have worked hard, really everyone has worked hard, but I am excited to see what those five can do."

Two sophomores in Shae Zydeck and Sydney Bradford, who each competed in almost every fall event in 2019, will both battle for spots as will true freshman Sophia Ubaydi. 

"I am excited because it has been a long time since we have been able to compete," said head coach Larry Hamilton. "We did a lot of work indoors, but they have also taken it upon themselves to go outdoors, going down south, visiting family and spending time with them while getting out on real grass and real golf courses. They have put the time and work in so the spring season is meaningful and they are ready and I feel very good about our team."