Monday, November 4
Kailua Kona, Hawaii
All Day
USC
vs
Pac-12 Preview
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
Amelia Garvey
Photo by: Tim Cowie/Tim Cowie Photography
No. 4 USC To Close Fall Season At Pac-12 Preview
November 03, 2019 | Women's Golf, Features
Trojans enter event with two straight top 3 finishes.
The No. 4 USC women's golf team, a seven-time winner last season with seven golfers back who have started -- including four All-Americans – will finish out the fall slate of action at the 2019 Pac-12 Preview, Monday through Wednesday (Nov. 4-6), at Nanea G.C. in Kailua Kona, Hawaii.
The field includes 11 Pac-12 teams with programs (all schools except Utah) as well as Hawaii. Teams will tee off in a shotgun start Monday beginning at 9:30 a.m. PT. Results will be at Golfstat.com.
USC, with three top 5 finishes this fall including two in a row in the top 3, tied for third at the Pac-12 Preview last season at par.
The starting lineup will feature senior Allisen Corpuz, juniors Alyaa Abdulghany, Gabriela Ruffels and Amelia Garvey as well as sophomore Malia Nam.
The Trojans, under the guidance of second-year head coach Justin Silverstein and first-year assistant coach Katie Mitchell, will now feature a starting lineup without junior Jennifer Chang, who has decided to forgo the remainder of her collegiate eligibility to play professionally.
Chang, who earned her LPGA Tour card on Nov. 2 with a tie for ninth in the LPGA Q-Series, was a first-team All-American last year. The Trojans, however, still have four All-Americans on the roster including second-teamers Ruffels and Nam and honorable mention picks Abdulghany and Garvey.
FALL RECAP
* Senior Aiko Leong led USC in its season opener at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate, posting a career-best tie for sixth at 3-under 213 (74-66-73) with a career-best 66 in the second round. The Trojans finished fifth.
* The Trojans then finished second at the Windy City Collegiate at 11-under 853 (286-282-285), three back of first. Senior Allisen Corpuz (70-70-70) and junior Jennifer Chang (70-71-69) tied for third at 6-under 210.
* For Corpuz, her performance was a career-best under par over 54 holes.
* Chang, following a tie for eighth in USC's season opener, had posted six top 8 finishes in her last seven starts dating back to last season. Chang's final round gave her 12 career rounds in the 60s, tied for eighth on USC's career chart.
* USC tied for third at the Stanford Intercollegiate at 4-under 848 (282-285-281).
* Corpuz, who leads USC with a 70.89 stroke average (with Chang now turning pro), extended her streak of rounds under par to seven after taking fourth at 4-under 209 (70-70-69). It was her second consecutive top 4 finish.
* Corpuz's back-to-back top 4 finishes marks the second time she's done so and the first since her sophomore season.
* Junior Alyaa Abdulghany posted a season-best tie for eighth at Stanford at 2-under 211 (70-72-69) thanks to her fourth round under par in six outings.
* Sophomore Malia Nam has a pair of top 15 finishes in two events this season. She tied for 13th at par 213 (70-72-71) at Stanford and tied for 15th at the Windy City Collegiate at par 216 (74-72-70).
* Gabriela Ruffels missed USC's event at the Windy City Collegiate while playing in the Japan Women's Open, although she missed the cut.
2018-2019 HIGHLIGHTS
* USC advanced to the 2019 NCAA Championships match play last season, extending its national-best streak of top 5 finishes to 14 straight. USC advanced to the NCAA Championships match play bracket for the fifth year in a row since it was instituted, one of just two teams to do so (Stanford is the other).
* USC's wins at the Windy City, Stanford Intercollegiate, East Lake Cup, Clover Cup, PING/ASU, Pac-12 Championships and NCAA Cle Elum Regional were the first seven for then-new head coach Justin Silverstein.
* Troy's seven wins matches its total in 2013 for the second most in program history behind only its record nine wins in 2014. USC has now won at least four tournaments in six of the past seven season.
* Chang, Ruffels, Nam and Garvey all earned 2019 All-Pac-12 first team honors, the second career honor for Chang. Abdulghany and Corpuz claimed honorable mention notice, the second in a row for both.
2019 SUMMER SUCCESS
The USC women's golf team, No. 1 for much of the 2018-19 season, had a huge off-season led by junior Gabriela Ruffels winning the 2019 U.S. Amateur and the 2019 North & South Amateur.
Ruffels, on a hot streak unmatched in amateur golf this year, used three birdies over the final four holes to defeat Stanford's Albane Valenzuela, 1up, to win the 119th U.S. Women's Amateur on Aug. 11 at Old Waverly G.C. in West Point, Miss.
Ruffels won the North & South Amateur Championship in July with five straight match play wins and then made it an amazing 11 match play victories in a row, defeating six top fellow amateurs to become USC's fourth U.S. Amateur winner. She joined USC's previous title holders in Jennifer Song (2009), Becky Lucidi (2002) and Jill McGill (1993).
Ruffels won the North & South with a 1up semifinal win and a 2up win over fell Aussie Doey Choi in the final.
She joined Jennifer Chang and Malia Nam in the Arnold Palmer Cup. Ruffels, finishing 2-1-1 during the event, helped the International side defeat the U.S. Overall, USC's trio finished 6-3-3 in their combined action.
USC came close to holding both the U.S. and Ladies British Am trophies as junior Amelia Garvey was a finalist in the latter in June, falling in the final on the 18th hole, 1 down. Garvey was among the top 3 in stroke play and won five matches to reach the final.
Garvey joined Ruffels and teammates Allisen Corpuz, Malia Nam and Jennifer Chang in the match play of the North & South. Corpuz was medalist in the event at 3-under 139 and reached the quarterfinals, as did Chang. In the U.S. Am, Ruffels was joined by Corpuz and Nam again, Corpuz reaching the round of 16.
Junior Alyaa Abdulghany was the the low amateur at the Women's California State Open, taking second overall, and followed it with the title at the SCGA Women's Amateur while sophomore Katherine Muzi posted a top 5 finish.
The field includes 11 Pac-12 teams with programs (all schools except Utah) as well as Hawaii. Teams will tee off in a shotgun start Monday beginning at 9:30 a.m. PT. Results will be at Golfstat.com.
USC, with three top 5 finishes this fall including two in a row in the top 3, tied for third at the Pac-12 Preview last season at par.
The starting lineup will feature senior Allisen Corpuz, juniors Alyaa Abdulghany, Gabriela Ruffels and Amelia Garvey as well as sophomore Malia Nam.
The Trojans, under the guidance of second-year head coach Justin Silverstein and first-year assistant coach Katie Mitchell, will now feature a starting lineup without junior Jennifer Chang, who has decided to forgo the remainder of her collegiate eligibility to play professionally.
Chang, who earned her LPGA Tour card on Nov. 2 with a tie for ninth in the LPGA Q-Series, was a first-team All-American last year. The Trojans, however, still have four All-Americans on the roster including second-teamers Ruffels and Nam and honorable mention picks Abdulghany and Garvey.
FALL RECAP
* Senior Aiko Leong led USC in its season opener at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate, posting a career-best tie for sixth at 3-under 213 (74-66-73) with a career-best 66 in the second round. The Trojans finished fifth.
* The Trojans then finished second at the Windy City Collegiate at 11-under 853 (286-282-285), three back of first. Senior Allisen Corpuz (70-70-70) and junior Jennifer Chang (70-71-69) tied for third at 6-under 210.
* For Corpuz, her performance was a career-best under par over 54 holes.
* Chang, following a tie for eighth in USC's season opener, had posted six top 8 finishes in her last seven starts dating back to last season. Chang's final round gave her 12 career rounds in the 60s, tied for eighth on USC's career chart.
* USC tied for third at the Stanford Intercollegiate at 4-under 848 (282-285-281).
* Corpuz, who leads USC with a 70.89 stroke average (with Chang now turning pro), extended her streak of rounds under par to seven after taking fourth at 4-under 209 (70-70-69). It was her second consecutive top 4 finish.
* Corpuz's back-to-back top 4 finishes marks the second time she's done so and the first since her sophomore season.
* Junior Alyaa Abdulghany posted a season-best tie for eighth at Stanford at 2-under 211 (70-72-69) thanks to her fourth round under par in six outings.
* Sophomore Malia Nam has a pair of top 15 finishes in two events this season. She tied for 13th at par 213 (70-72-71) at Stanford and tied for 15th at the Windy City Collegiate at par 216 (74-72-70).
* Gabriela Ruffels missed USC's event at the Windy City Collegiate while playing in the Japan Women's Open, although she missed the cut.
2018-2019 HIGHLIGHTS
* USC advanced to the 2019 NCAA Championships match play last season, extending its national-best streak of top 5 finishes to 14 straight. USC advanced to the NCAA Championships match play bracket for the fifth year in a row since it was instituted, one of just two teams to do so (Stanford is the other).
* USC's wins at the Windy City, Stanford Intercollegiate, East Lake Cup, Clover Cup, PING/ASU, Pac-12 Championships and NCAA Cle Elum Regional were the first seven for then-new head coach Justin Silverstein.
* Troy's seven wins matches its total in 2013 for the second most in program history behind only its record nine wins in 2014. USC has now won at least four tournaments in six of the past seven season.
* Chang, Ruffels, Nam and Garvey all earned 2019 All-Pac-12 first team honors, the second career honor for Chang. Abdulghany and Corpuz claimed honorable mention notice, the second in a row for both.
2019 SUMMER SUCCESS
The USC women's golf team, No. 1 for much of the 2018-19 season, had a huge off-season led by junior Gabriela Ruffels winning the 2019 U.S. Amateur and the 2019 North & South Amateur.
Ruffels, on a hot streak unmatched in amateur golf this year, used three birdies over the final four holes to defeat Stanford's Albane Valenzuela, 1up, to win the 119th U.S. Women's Amateur on Aug. 11 at Old Waverly G.C. in West Point, Miss.
Ruffels won the North & South Amateur Championship in July with five straight match play wins and then made it an amazing 11 match play victories in a row, defeating six top fellow amateurs to become USC's fourth U.S. Amateur winner. She joined USC's previous title holders in Jennifer Song (2009), Becky Lucidi (2002) and Jill McGill (1993).
Ruffels won the North & South with a 1up semifinal win and a 2up win over fell Aussie Doey Choi in the final.
She joined Jennifer Chang and Malia Nam in the Arnold Palmer Cup. Ruffels, finishing 2-1-1 during the event, helped the International side defeat the U.S. Overall, USC's trio finished 6-3-3 in their combined action.
USC came close to holding both the U.S. and Ladies British Am trophies as junior Amelia Garvey was a finalist in the latter in June, falling in the final on the 18th hole, 1 down. Garvey was among the top 3 in stroke play and won five matches to reach the final.
Garvey joined Ruffels and teammates Allisen Corpuz, Malia Nam and Jennifer Chang in the match play of the North & South. Corpuz was medalist in the event at 3-under 139 and reached the quarterfinals, as did Chang. In the U.S. Am, Ruffels was joined by Corpuz and Nam again, Corpuz reaching the round of 16.
Junior Alyaa Abdulghany was the the low amateur at the Women's California State Open, taking second overall, and followed it with the title at the SCGA Women's Amateur while sophomore Katherine Muzi posted a top 5 finish.
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