Monday, February 13
Palos Verde, Calif.
All Day
USC
vs
Therese Hession Regional Challenge
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
No. 15 USC Women's Golf Stays Local At Therese Hession Regional Challenge
February 09, 2023 | Women's Golf
The No. 15 USC women's golf team, with one win during the fall season, will see its first stroke play action of the 2023 spring season when it returns to the Therese Hession Regional Challenge, Sunday through Tuesday (Feb. 12-14) at the Palos Verdes (Calif.) G.C.
The 15-team tournament is hosted by Ohio State and also includes Arizona, Baylor, Florida, Georgetown, Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Pepperdine, San Jose State, Stanford, SMU, Texas, UCLA, USC and Washington. Live results for the 54-hole event will be available here.
Tee times begin at 9 a.m. Sunday and Monday. Tuesday begins with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.
The Trojans are led by fifth-year head coach Justin Silverstein and first-year assistant coach Tiffany Joh, the All-American first-teamer and LPGA star from UCLA now in her second year of collegiate coaching.
USC HISTORY AT THE REGIONAL CHALLENGE
USC finished sixth at the event last year, led by freshman Amari Avery's tie for eighth. The Trojans were second at the formerly-called Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in 2020. (The 2021 event was canceled). Troy has won the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge four times, most recently in 2017 when the Trojans captured the event by one stroke with a tournament record 4-over 856. In the previous victory, the Trojans won in 2014 at a combined 14-over 866 while then sophomore Annie Park ran away with the individual title at 6-under 207. That was Troy's best individual effort at the event and one off the tournament record. USC also won it in 2011 and 2010. Irene Cho was medalist in 2006.
TROY OPENS SPRING PLAY WITH BATTLE FOR THE BELL MATCHUP WITH UCLA
USC opened spring play with the debut of the Battle for the Bell, a two-round match-play event between the Trojans and their crosstown rivals, UCLA. The Bruins got the better of the event, winning 8.5-3.5. Freshman Catherine Park posted a 2up win in the first day of action at Sherwood C.C. while sophomore Amari Avery halved her match. In the second day at Rolling Hills C.C., Avery won her match, 5&4, while senior Malia Nam won hers, 4&3.
FALL HIGHLIGHTS
After a tough season-opener, USC came roaring back in its second event of the fall season, winning the Windy City Collegiate Classic on Oct. 4 by nine strokes while sophomore Amari Avery won her fourth career individual title by a stroke. It marked both USC's third team and individual wins at the event. Avery won at 6-under 210 (67-69-74). Fellow sophomore Xin (Cindy) Kou tied for seventh at 3-over 219 (72-75-72).
THE TROJANS IN THE RANKINGS
Amari Avery is the No. 15-ranked golfer in the NCAA per golfweek.com while Xin (Cindy) Kou is No. 67 and Brianna Navarrosa is No. 84.
TROJAN NOTES
• Amari Avery's win at the Windy City gives her four for her career, tied for fifth on USC's career chart. She has three top 14 finishes and four top 23 finishes in her first four starts as a sophomore.
• Avery has a team-best five rounds in the 60s this season, giving her 15 career rounds in the 60s, tied for fifth on USC's career chart.
Avery leads USC with a stroke average of 71.40.
• Brianna Navarrosa's tie for third at 5-under 211 (69-70-72) at the Stephens Cup was her second top 3 finish in a five-start stretch.
• Navarrosa has three top 19 finishes this fall and eight top 22s in her last 10 events.
• Xin (Cindy) Kou's tie for seventh at the Windy City Collegiate was her sixth career top 10 of her young career and second top 17 this season. She has been inside the top 25 in all four events.
• Kou is second on the Trojans with a stroke average of 72.50, which includes eight rounds of par or better, including two under par. Her 67 to close out Stanford is her eighth career round in the 60s.
• Junior Christine Wang tied for 24th at the Windy City and was 28th at the Stephens Cup. Her 1-under 71 at the Stephens Cup marked a season-best.
• Freshman Catherine Park has a trio of top 25 results this fall, including a season-best tie for 12th at the Windy City, which featured a season-best final-round 70. She also tied for 17th at the Nanea Pac-12 Preview at 2-over.
TROJAN OVERVIEW
USC returns seven golfers from last year's team that posted a trio of wins, captured the 2022 NCAA Stanford Regional and finished 10th at the NCAA Championships, just outside of match play.
Avery returns following her All-American first-team debut as a 2021-22 freshman — which saw her win three times — while Nam, also an All-American as a freshman, is back after missing last season due to injury. Kou was Pac-12 honorable mention last year and started all 13 events, as did the ever-improving Navarrosa, while Park will make her debut in Cardinal and Gold.
USC saw just one departure from last season as fifth-year senior and All-Pac-12 honorable mention pick Katherine Muzi transferred for her final season to South Carolina.
TROJAN FLASH CARDS ENTERING 2022-23
• Avery was a finalist for the 2022 ANNIKA Award as well as the WGCA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honor and managed all of that despite joining the Trojans as a spring semester freshman. Collegiately, Avery posted three wins (including at NCAA Regionals), a tie for second, a tie for fifth, a tie for sixth and a tie for eighth among her first eight stroke-play starts.Â
• Avery, who tied for fourth at the Augusta National Women's Amateur, finished with seven top 10 finishes (all in the top 8) in nine stroke play events, tied for sixth on USC's all-time season list.
• Avery represented the U.S. at the 2022 Curtis Cup and Arnold Palmer Cup.
• Avery won her fourth career event at the 2022 Windy City Collegiate Classic. That total is now tie for 5th on USC's career tournament wins list. She now has 12 career rounds in the 60s in less than a full season of collegiate golf, tied for ninth on USC's career chart.
• Junior Brianna Navarrosa was a 2022 U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist. She finished second on the Trojans in stroke average (73.63) after starting all 13 events. She had six top 16 finishes and nine in the top 24 to go with 11 top 20s for her career. She led USC at the NCAA Championships, tying for 21st.
Sophomore Xin (Cindy) Kou is USC's other returner who started all 13 events last year. She was just the third Trojan freshman in over 20 years to record four straight top 15s to start the season.
• Kou finished with four top 5 finishes, five top 10s and six top 15 results. Her 13-under at the Icon Invitational last year is tied for the third-best total in school history.
• Junior Michael Morard came on strong last spring and finished with three top 11s, highlighted by a tie for eighth at The Gold Rush and a tie for 11th at the Icon Invitational. She had 11 rounds of par or better.
• Injured last season, graduate senior Malia Nam looks to return to the form this year that made her the 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and a 2019 All-American.
Â
The 15-team tournament is hosted by Ohio State and also includes Arizona, Baylor, Florida, Georgetown, Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Pepperdine, San Jose State, Stanford, SMU, Texas, UCLA, USC and Washington. Live results for the 54-hole event will be available here.
Tee times begin at 9 a.m. Sunday and Monday. Tuesday begins with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.
The Trojans are led by fifth-year head coach Justin Silverstein and first-year assistant coach Tiffany Joh, the All-American first-teamer and LPGA star from UCLA now in her second year of collegiate coaching.
USC HISTORY AT THE REGIONAL CHALLENGE
USC finished sixth at the event last year, led by freshman Amari Avery's tie for eighth. The Trojans were second at the formerly-called Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in 2020. (The 2021 event was canceled). Troy has won the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge four times, most recently in 2017 when the Trojans captured the event by one stroke with a tournament record 4-over 856. In the previous victory, the Trojans won in 2014 at a combined 14-over 866 while then sophomore Annie Park ran away with the individual title at 6-under 207. That was Troy's best individual effort at the event and one off the tournament record. USC also won it in 2011 and 2010. Irene Cho was medalist in 2006.
TROY OPENS SPRING PLAY WITH BATTLE FOR THE BELL MATCHUP WITH UCLA
USC opened spring play with the debut of the Battle for the Bell, a two-round match-play event between the Trojans and their crosstown rivals, UCLA. The Bruins got the better of the event, winning 8.5-3.5. Freshman Catherine Park posted a 2up win in the first day of action at Sherwood C.C. while sophomore Amari Avery halved her match. In the second day at Rolling Hills C.C., Avery won her match, 5&4, while senior Malia Nam won hers, 4&3.
FALL HIGHLIGHTS
After a tough season-opener, USC came roaring back in its second event of the fall season, winning the Windy City Collegiate Classic on Oct. 4 by nine strokes while sophomore Amari Avery won her fourth career individual title by a stroke. It marked both USC's third team and individual wins at the event. Avery won at 6-under 210 (67-69-74). Fellow sophomore Xin (Cindy) Kou tied for seventh at 3-over 219 (72-75-72).
THE TROJANS IN THE RANKINGS
Amari Avery is the No. 15-ranked golfer in the NCAA per golfweek.com while Xin (Cindy) Kou is No. 67 and Brianna Navarrosa is No. 84.
TROJAN NOTES
• Amari Avery's win at the Windy City gives her four for her career, tied for fifth on USC's career chart. She has three top 14 finishes and four top 23 finishes in her first four starts as a sophomore.
• Avery has a team-best five rounds in the 60s this season, giving her 15 career rounds in the 60s, tied for fifth on USC's career chart.
Avery leads USC with a stroke average of 71.40.
• Brianna Navarrosa's tie for third at 5-under 211 (69-70-72) at the Stephens Cup was her second top 3 finish in a five-start stretch.
• Navarrosa has three top 19 finishes this fall and eight top 22s in her last 10 events.
• Xin (Cindy) Kou's tie for seventh at the Windy City Collegiate was her sixth career top 10 of her young career and second top 17 this season. She has been inside the top 25 in all four events.
• Kou is second on the Trojans with a stroke average of 72.50, which includes eight rounds of par or better, including two under par. Her 67 to close out Stanford is her eighth career round in the 60s.
• Junior Christine Wang tied for 24th at the Windy City and was 28th at the Stephens Cup. Her 1-under 71 at the Stephens Cup marked a season-best.
• Freshman Catherine Park has a trio of top 25 results this fall, including a season-best tie for 12th at the Windy City, which featured a season-best final-round 70. She also tied for 17th at the Nanea Pac-12 Preview at 2-over.
TROJAN OVERVIEW
USC returns seven golfers from last year's team that posted a trio of wins, captured the 2022 NCAA Stanford Regional and finished 10th at the NCAA Championships, just outside of match play.
Avery returns following her All-American first-team debut as a 2021-22 freshman — which saw her win three times — while Nam, also an All-American as a freshman, is back after missing last season due to injury. Kou was Pac-12 honorable mention last year and started all 13 events, as did the ever-improving Navarrosa, while Park will make her debut in Cardinal and Gold.
USC saw just one departure from last season as fifth-year senior and All-Pac-12 honorable mention pick Katherine Muzi transferred for her final season to South Carolina.
TROJAN FLASH CARDS ENTERING 2022-23
• Avery was a finalist for the 2022 ANNIKA Award as well as the WGCA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honor and managed all of that despite joining the Trojans as a spring semester freshman. Collegiately, Avery posted three wins (including at NCAA Regionals), a tie for second, a tie for fifth, a tie for sixth and a tie for eighth among her first eight stroke-play starts.Â
• Avery, who tied for fourth at the Augusta National Women's Amateur, finished with seven top 10 finishes (all in the top 8) in nine stroke play events, tied for sixth on USC's all-time season list.
• Avery represented the U.S. at the 2022 Curtis Cup and Arnold Palmer Cup.
• Avery won her fourth career event at the 2022 Windy City Collegiate Classic. That total is now tie for 5th on USC's career tournament wins list. She now has 12 career rounds in the 60s in less than a full season of collegiate golf, tied for ninth on USC's career chart.
• Junior Brianna Navarrosa was a 2022 U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist. She finished second on the Trojans in stroke average (73.63) after starting all 13 events. She had six top 16 finishes and nine in the top 24 to go with 11 top 20s for her career. She led USC at the NCAA Championships, tying for 21st.
Sophomore Xin (Cindy) Kou is USC's other returner who started all 13 events last year. She was just the third Trojan freshman in over 20 years to record four straight top 15s to start the season.
• Kou finished with four top 5 finishes, five top 10s and six top 15 results. Her 13-under at the Icon Invitational last year is tied for the third-best total in school history.
• Junior Michael Morard came on strong last spring and finished with three top 11s, highlighted by a tie for eighth at The Gold Rush and a tie for 11th at the Icon Invitational. She had 11 rounds of par or better.
• Injured last season, graduate senior Malia Nam looks to return to the form this year that made her the 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and a 2019 All-American.
Â
Moneyball for Golf: How the Women of Troy are on the Cutting Edge | SC Features
Wednesday, May 14
Trojans Live: Brianna Navarrosa (9/19/22)
Tuesday, September 20
