The South Alabama Jaguars women’s golf team is preparing to compete in the Gator Invitational, which will be held from March 6 to March 8 at the Mark Bostic Golf Course in Florida. The event is hosted by the University of Florida and features a par 70 course measuring 6,002 yards.
The tournament will follow a three-day, 54-hole format. Play begins on Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. (CT) with teams starting from both the first and tenth holes. Saturday’s second round also starts at 7:30 a.m., again using split tees, while Sunday’s final round shifts to an 8 a.m. shotgun start.
A total of 14 teams are participating in this year’s field. In addition to South Alabama and host Florida, the lineup includes Campbell, Clemson, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida International, Georgia Southern, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Florida and Virginia. Eight individual players from several schools will also compete.
South Alabama will be paired with Florida Atlantic and Florida International for their opening round and begin play on hole No. 10.
The Jaguars’ lineup consists of Anna Behnsen (No. 1 Tee | 9:50 a.m.), Lillie Buehle (No. 1 Tee | 9:40 a.m.), Daniela Palmeros (No. 1 Tee | 9:30 a.m.), Mercedes Aldana (No. 1 Tee | 9:20 a.m.) and Katelyn Foster (No. 1 Tee | 9:10 a.m.). Behnsen leads the team in average strokes per round and birdies this season and has achieved three Top-10 finishes as well as multiple rounds at or below par.
Daniela Palmeros also has earned a tournament win this spring after taking medalist honors at the Fifth Annual Evie Odom Invitational hosted by Old Dominion during the fall season.
Mercedes Aldana finished twelfth at last year’s Gator Invitational with consistent rounds of even-par golf and eight birdies across three days.
Last spring, South Alabama recorded one of its best performances at this event by posting an overall score of 862 over three rounds—ranking as the fourth-lowest total in program history—and finishing fifth among the fourteen competing teams.
This year’s field features strong competition with three teams ranked inside the national Top-25: Florida (7), North Carolina (13), and Oklahoma (25).
Live scoring for each round can be accessed through USAJaguars.com.
For more information about South Alabama women’s golf or updates throughout the tournament, fans can follow @SouthAlabamaWGLF on Twitter or visit usajaguars.com.
