Indiana women’s golf is back in play this weekend at the Chattanooga Classic. The event, which will run from Sunday to Tuesday in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the penultimate regular season tournament on the Hoosiers’ schedule.
Indiana is coming off a 17th place finish in the Briar’s Creek Invitational this past week. The Hoosiers collectively shot 913, 49-over par, in 54 holes of play.
Looking to improve its placings, Indiana is almost completely turning over its lineup. The Hoosiers’ top scorer, freshman Aine Donegan, will remain in the lineup. However, four new faces will enter the lineup in search of an answer.
Seniors Maddie Dittoe and Arushi Singh, sophomore Morgan Dabagia and freshman Beatriz Junqueira are expected to round out the lineup for Indiana this weekend. Dittoe is the most recent of the six to make an appearance in the lineup after competing in the Big Ten Match Play Championship from Jan. 31-Feb. 2.
The Chattanooga Classic field will be one of the biggest Indiana has seen this season, but the competition is not as daunting as the Hoosiers are accustomed to. Of the 19 opposing teams, only three are ranked in the Golfstat top 60: No. 54 University of North Florida, No. 57 University of Texas at San Antonio and No. 58 East Tennessee State University.
The remainder of the field is made up of the following teams: University of Central Arkansas, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Colorado State University, East Carolina University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, James Madison University, Middle Tennessee State University, Murray State University, Old Dominion University, Samford University, University of South Florida, University of Southern Mississippi, Yale University and Big Ten opponents Iowa and Wisconsin.
The lack of top-tier opponents in the field will give the Hoosiers an opportunity for a high placement in the tournament. Indiana’s 54-hole mark to beat on the season is 890, 26-over par, which it accomplished at the Illini Invitational from Oct. 11-12.
This is the first appearance Indiana has made in the Chattanooga Classic. The 54 holes of play will be played across three days, one round being each played each day.
Indiana will tee off at 12:15 p.m. Sunday and will be paired with Florida International and Southern Mississippi. The Hoosiers will receive a new pairing group after each day.
Indiana head coach Emily Kuhfeld said she still believes there is more for her team to prove. She said as long as the players pay attention to the little things and stay committed on each and every hole, there is a lot more the team can accomplish.
Live stats for the Chattanooga Classic are available here.
