WEST POINT — Mississippi State University women’s golf coach Ginger Brown-Lemm had an ambitious wish list when she took over the Lady Bulldogs program.
One of her goals was to get MSU into the business of hosting regular-season tournaments. Her program will realize that objective today when it plays host to the Old Waverly Bulldog Invitational. The 10-team, three-round event started at 9:30 a.m. today at the Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point. The tournament concludes Wednesday.
“Old Waverly is one of the greatest assets of our state,” said Brown-Lemm, who is in her third season. “To be able to showcase it with an event such as this will be an incredible experience for all of the players. When I arrived, my basic goals were to help build the morale back up in the program and to host a tournament. That time is finally here.”
MSU will tee off with fellow Southeastern Conference rivals University of Arkansas and University of Kentucky. The field also includes the University of Southern Mississippi, Tulane University, the University of Memphis, the University of South Florida, Murray State University, Kennesaw State University, and the University of South Alabama.
“We did a great job of really putting together a quality field,” Brown-Lemm said. “Old Waverly is one of the more challenging courses in the Southeast. I think that is what coaches are looking for in the fall. They want a chance to challenge their players and to see what their team is made of.”
MSU’s lineup features three sophomores, a freshman, and the squad’s only junior. Last year as a freshman, Ally McDonald became the first Lady Bulldog to qualify for the postseason since 2007 when she reached the NCAA West Regional. Fellow sophomores Rica Tse and Elena Warren joined McDonald to form the nation’s sixth highest-ranked freshman class.
Junior Mary Langdon Gallagher has played in a team-best 19 consecutive tournaments. Freshman Gabi Oubre, a Mobile, Ala., native, will make her MSU debut. Classmate Logan Chaney will compete as an individual.
“We are really excited about a chance to play at home,” McDonald said. “I think this will be a good experience for our freshman players. It is an advantage when you can play somewhere where you are familiar. Hopefully, we can have a good week and start the season on a strong note.”
This week’s event is the first in-season tournament for the MSU men’s or women’s golf programs. Old Waverly has played host to some collegiate championship events in the past.
“It plays in your favor when you host a tournament on a course you are familiar with,” Brown-Lemm said. “Putting a tournament together like this has been in the works for quite some time. This will be a great opportunity to showcase our program and our state.”
A season ago, the Lady Bulldogs recorded three top-10 finishes. Brown-Lemm, a 15-year PGA professional and former coach at Arkansas State University, feels like her squad can improve on last season’s 308.44 average and is poised to turn the corner in the Southeastern Conference.
“This is a big event for us,” Brown-Lemm said. “I feel like we have a talented team assembled. They will learn a lot about themselves this week and through the rest of the fall. We are looking forward to getting started.”
Admission is free to the Bulldog Invitational. Tuesday’s second round will begin at 8:30 a.m., with a special Sept. 11 presentation slated for 8 a.m. Wednesday’s final round will begin at 9:30 a.m., and will feature a closing ceremony and an awards presentation.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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