Lowcountry Intercollegiate has added local touch this weekend
The Lowcountry Intercollegiate women’s championship will get underway Saturday at Moss Creek Golf Club with the largest field in its eight-year history — including, in a bit of a twist, the home school.
USC Beaufort will be one of 18 teams set to tee off on Moss Creek’s South course, though the Sand Sharks officially have the role of visiting participant. Wofford has served as host since the tournament made its debut on the schedule in 2009.
Past editions have seen 15 or 16 teams come to the Lowcountry, but officials opted to expand the possibilities this year.
“We’ve got 18 quality teams,” said Wofford coach Angie Ridgeway, a former LPGA veteran.
The field typically draws heavily from Wofford’s Southern Conference rivals and local schools, plus a few from farther north. Princeton won last year’s team title; this year’s lineup includes Brown, Bucknell and Seton Hall.
USCB is one of just two participants that don’t compete at the NCAA Division I level, along with fellow NAIA member Dalton State. The Sand Sharks are No. 7 in the NAIA women’s rankings, with sophomore Franzi Knoetsch on a strong run.
The German golfer has been named the Sun Conference’s top golfer in each of the past two weeks, which includes an individual title at the Callaway Garden’s Women’s Collegiate in Georgia.
“The biggest challenge for these teams will be placing the golf ball on this course,” Ridgeway said. “This isn’t a bomber’s course. It’s more important to keep the ball in play and stay out of trouble.”
Jeff Shain: 843-706-8123, @jeffshain
Lowcountry Intercollegiate participants
USCB, Appalachian State, Bethune-Cookman, Brown, Bucknell, Chattanooga, The Citadel, Dalton State, Gardner-Webb, High Point, Longwood (Va.), Navy, Presbyterian, SCAD Savannah, Seton Hall, USC Upstate, William & Mary, Wofford (host).
This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Lowcountry Intercollegiate has added local touch this weekend."