No. 12 USC Set For Second Appearance At East Lake Cup

The No. 12 USC women's golf team, which won one of its two tournaments it has played at full strength this fall, will compete in the East Lake Cup for the second time, Monday through Wednesday (Oct. 30-Nov. 1), at the East Lake G.C. in Atlanta.

The Trojans, who won the inaugural event in 2015, will join their fellow 2017 women's and men's NCAA Golf Championships semifinalists in the event's three-day format. Joining USC on the women's side will be 2017 NCAA champion Arizona State as well as Northwestern (who the Trojans lost to in the 2017 semifinals) and Stanford. On the men's side is 2017 title-winner Oklahoma plus Oregon, Illinois and Vanderbilt.

The teams will compete in an individual stroke play competition on Monday to determine seedings for the two-round match play tournament Tuesday and Wednesday. Action will begin at 8 a.m. PT each day.

Live tournament coverage of the East Lake Cup will air on Golf Channel from 12-3 p.m. PT Monday-Wednesday and will replay in primetime. In addition, Golf Central and Morning Drive will be live and on-site at East Lake.

FALL SEASON IN SUMMARY
USC won its season-opener, taking the Minnesota Invitational at 26-under 838 (282-276-280) for a nine-shot win. The Trojans' 26-under performance was their third-most under par total in a 54-hole tournament. Sophomore Muni He tied for first at 10-under 206 (70-67-69), which is tied for fifth most under par in program history. Junior Robynn Ree tied for third at 8-under 208 (71-68-69).

Ree led USC at the Annika Intercollegiate with a tie for ninth at 2-under 214 (68-74-72) as the Trojans finished seventh overall. Ree has four rounds in the 60s in six collegiate rounds this fall and leads the squad with a stroke average of 70.33. He has a pair of rounds under 70 and is second on the team with a stroke average of 71.83.

The Trojans were short-handed at the rain-shorthanded Pac-12 Preview in Kona, Hawaii, sending just three players. Sophomore Allisen Corpuz and freshman Alyaa Abdulghany led the trio with a tie for 26^th at 4-over 150.

The USC contingent was less than at full strength as Ree and He were competing in the LPGA's second stage of Q school. Both players advanced to the third stage in November.

He and Ree, both All-Americans last year, lead the Trojans' small five-woman roster. The only other returning Trojan is Corpuz, who tied for 17^th in the opener.

USC 22^nd-year coach Andrea Gaston welcomed two new Trojans in freshman Alyaa Abdulghany and sophomore transfer Divya Manthena, who tied for 14^th and 46^th, respectively, in their Trojan debuts.

PROGRAM SUPERLATIVES

The Trojans have reached the NCAA Championships finals a national-best 20 straight seasons and have won NCAA title in 2003, 2008 and 2013, all under 22nd-year head coach Andrea Gaston.
The Trojans' second-place finishes in 2010 (Purdue, one stroke), 2012 (Alabama, one stroke) and 2014 (Duke, two strokes) were by a combined four strokes.
USC has made it to the NCAA Championships match play bracket each of the last three years since it was instituted, one of just two teams to do so.
USC has finished in the NCAA top 5 a national-best 12 straight years.
USC has won a whopping 30 tournaments in the last five years heading into the 2017-18 season. The Trojans won 3 times in 2017, six times in 2016, five times in 2015, nine in 2014 and seven in 2013.
USC players have won a combined 19 events in the last 5 years, including two NCAA titles.
Ten different Trojan players have earned a combined 19 All-American honors in the last 5 years.

No. 12 USC Set For Second Appearance At East Lake Cup

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Players Mentioned

Alyaa Abdulghany

Allisen Corpuz

Divya Manthena

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