| 2018 Rio Verde Invitational |
| Dates |
Fri., Feb. 23 - Sun., Feb. 25, 2018 |
| Format |
18 holes each day |
| Times |
7:30 a.m. CT tee times (1 and 10) each day |
| Location |
Rio Verde, Ariz. |
| Course |
Rio Verde Country Club (Quail Run Course) |
| Teams (17) |
Little Rock, Akron, Arkansas State, Ball State, Bowling Green, Bradley, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Missouri State, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Seton Hall, UMKC, Western Michigan, Wichita State, Xavier |
| Scoring |
Golfstat.com |
2018 Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational
Friday, Feb. 23 – Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018
Rio Verde Country Club | Rio Verde, Ariz.
Live Scoring: GolfStat.com
Opening Tee
Little Rock returns to action this weekend in the desert southwest, traveling to Arizona for the 2018 Rio Verde Invitational, taking place at the Rio Verde Country Club Friday February 23 through Sunday, February 25.
Tournament Information
The annual Rio Verde Invitational, hosted by Western Michigan, is in his 16th year and follows a similar format to Little Rock's annual Fall Golf Classic at Diamante Country Club in Hot Springs Village as local residents serve as hosts for the golf programs. Playing on the Quail Run course, a par-72 course that measures 6,128 yards, the tournament will play 18 holes each day with live scoring available at
GolfStat.com.
Tournament Field
17 teams will be competing for the tournament title this year, including programs from across the country. Little Rock, ranked number 199 in the lastest GolfStat rankings, is one of two Sun Belt Conference teams competing, joined by rival Arkansas State (No. 143). Seton Hall is the highest ranked team in the field, sitting at number 107, as five other teams are ranked among the top 150, comprised of Xavier (No. 123), Bradley (No. 127), Wichita State (No. 139) and Northern Illinois (No. 142) along with the Red Wolves.
Trojan Lineup
Head coach
Bridgett Norwood will play with her same five players with senior
Sabrina Bonanno and sophomore
Thea Wakeford-Wesmann remaining in the top two spots with junior
Lucy Owen playing in the number three spot for the first time this season.
Â
Rio Verde History
The trip to the northeast side of Phoenix has become a yearly tradition for the Trojans and has been a tournament in which Little Rock has seen its fair share of success. The Trojans have finished among the top-six seven times, including a runner-up finish in both 2007 and 2009, while finishing third in 2006 and 2013 and fourth in 2008 and 2010. The Trojans' Sara Wikstrom has been the top performer, tying for the individual title in 2009 before losing on a playoff hole. Last season, Little Rock placed seventh among the 19-team field, shooting the tournament's low round and vaulting six spots over the final round as
Shania Berger tied for fourth, including a low round of 67.
Last Time Out
Little Rock struggled in its first tournament of the spring season last week, placing 17th at the Texas State Invitational in Kyle, Texas. The Trojans finished with a 101-over 953, carding a low round of 315 in round one, as
Sabrina Bonanno's streak of top-20 finishes ended when she tied for 31st overall, leading Little Rock with a 16-over 229.
Road Warriors
When Little Rock tees off in Arizona Friday, it will add another leg to its growing travelogue this season. The tournament in Arizona marks the seventh tournament in the seventh different state and the fourth different time zone for Little Rock in 2017-18. The Trojans have teed off this year in Utah, Kansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and Arizona, traveling over 10,000 miles in the process, with two trips to Florida and a return visit to Missouri still on the schedule.
Looking Ahead
After the trip to Arizona this weekend, Little Rock will have a couple of weeks off before heading across the country to Tampa, Florida, competing in the Western Kentucky Spring Break Shootout at Lake Jovita Golf Course March 12 and 13.
#LittleRocksTeam
Â
