Greenville, S.C. -- The Furman women's golf team will entertain 12 teams as it defends its title at the 50th Lady Paladin Invitational Golf Tournament this weekend, September 20-22, at the par-72, 6,262-yard Furman University Golf Course in Greenville, S.C.
The Lady Paladin Invitational began in 1972 with Furman claiming the inaugural title and Lady Paladin Beth Solomon taking individual medalist honors. The tournament has been played every year since with only three interruptions: the tournament was snowed out in 1983, course renovations prevented the playing of the tournament in 2008, and the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the years, many of the most recognizable names in women's golf have won the tournament including Betsy King, Nancy Lopez, Sherri Turner, Donna Andrews, and Dottie Pepper.
"I am so excited for this year's Lady Paladin," said Jeff Hull, who is in his ninth year as the head coach of the Furman program. "This is such a special week in so many ways, from playing at home, to our family dinner, to celebrating our players. It should be a great tournament, and I look forward to seeing Furman fans out here to support us!"
The 54-hole tournament begins Friday with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. The Paladins will tee off on holes No. 1 through No. 4 and will play in a group with Old Dominion, UNC Wilmington, and St. Thomas. Saturday's shotgun start is set for 10 a.m. and Sunday's final round will begin with 9 a.m. shotgun start. Â
Furman will be joined in the field this year by Augusta, Ball State, Columbia, Daytona State, Georgia State, High Point, UNC Wilmington, North Florida, Old Dominion, St. Thomas, Western Kentucky, and Xavier.
The Paladin lineup for the tournament includes sophomore Audrey Ryu, senior Alise Knudson, sophomore Kelsi Mauzy, freshman Eva Ringwald, and junior Liza Lapeyre. Freshmen Jenna Madden and Andrea Marin Raga will play as individuals.
Furman claimed the its third-straight team title at the 2023 Lady Paladin Invitational, where the Paladins overcame a 1-stroke deficit on the final hole to tie Augusta for the team title. Furman's Anna Morgan birdied No. 18 to clinch the team title and seal a five-stroke individual victory. Â
Admission to the tournament is free and fans are welcome. Live tournament scoring will also be available via http://www.FurmanPaladins.com and https://scoreboard.clippd.com/tournament-leaderboard/233952/scoring/participants.
