Fassi No. 2; Kim No. 8; Arkansas No. 3 In Preseason Polls
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 2018-19 University of Arkansas women’s golf season is just around the corner and the Razorbacks begin the year ranked No. 3 with seniors Maria Fassi ranked No. 2 and Dylan Kim ranked No. 8 in the nation.
Fassi and the Razorbacks had a record-setting season last year but fell short of their national championship aspirations. The Razorbacks host the big event this year with Fassi and Kim leading the charge. Arkansas opens the year Sept. 9-11 at the Powerade Cougar Classic in Charleston, South Carolina.
Fassi, Kim and senior Kaylee Benton have had a full summer of competition to keep them sharp for their final season of collegiate golf. Fassi is currently taking part in the World Amateur Championships in Ireland. She finished T-8th shooting 5-under 285 with rounds of 74-69-71-71.
She joined Kim and Benton in the Canadian Am a couple of weeks ago, while Benton recently reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
Arkansas finished last fall with three wins in four tournaments with Fassi getting two of her six individual titles in 2017. The Razorbacks played those four events 92-under par and return to two of those courses – the ANNIKA Intercollegiate Presented by 3M and Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational – again this season.
Be sure to mark your calendars for the NCAA Championship May 17-22, at Blessings Golf Course in Johnson, Arkansas. It is the first time that the Razorbacks have hosted the event. The Razorbacks also host the men’s championship the following week.
More Information
Keep up with all of the latest news and information and get behind the scenes looks into our program on our social media accounts. Follow us on Twitter at @RazorbackWGolf and check out our Facebook page “Razorback Women’s Golf.” Stats, news and player information can be found at ArkansasRazorbacks.com.
Team 2017-18 Golfweek Rank
1 Alabama 1
2 UCLA 3
3 Arkansas 2
4 Duke 4
5 Stanford 6
6 USC 5
7 *Arizona 12
8 Kent State 13
9 Washington 16
10 Texas 7
*Defending National Champions
Golfweek Individual Top-10
1. Lauren Stephenson (Sr.), Alabama
Led the nation in scoring last season at 69.76. A repeat effort will come down to putting.
2. Maria Fassi (Sr.), Arkansas
NCAA showing should be in the rearview mirror for this explosive player.
3. Kristen Gillman (Jr.), Alabama
Spectacular summer for two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion. Calm and collected.
4. Lilia Vu (Sr.), UCLA
Capable of magnificent runs, winning four straight titles the past two seasons.
5. Jennifer Kupcho (Sr.), Wake Forest
Undisputed queen of the postseason proved she can bounce back like a champ.
6. Patty Tavatanakit (So.), UCLA
Captured Pac-12s and her regional in a four-win season. The sky’s the limit after that freshman campaign.
7. Andrea Lee (Jr.), Stanford
Not her strongest spring, but has been a Player of the Year contender since the day she stepped on campus.
8. Dylan Kim (Sr.), Arkansas
The Baylor transfer was seemingly always in contention in her first year at Arkansas. The next step is adding wins.
9. Pimnipa Panthong (Jr.), Kent State
Strong ballstriker with particularly good distance control. Won four times last season.
10. Olivia Mehaffey (Jr.), Arizona State
This Curtis Cup stalwart will be counted on to lead a young team. Thrives under pressure.
