Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Begin 2015 Season in California
February 23, 2015 | Women's Golf
Feb. 22, 2015
IRVINE, Calif. -- The Texas Tech women's golf team will tee off the 2015 season on Monday at the UC Irvine Invitational at Santa Ana Country Club.
No. 51 Tech is one of 13 schools competing in the tournament. Joining the Lady Raiders are No. 2 USC, No. 4 Washington, No. 5 Stanford, No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 19 UNLV, No. 20 Pepperdine, No. 24 San Diego State, No. 34 UC-Davis, No. 44 Gonzaga, No. 48 SMU, Long Beach State and host UC-Irvine.
"We're very excited," head coach JoJo Robertson said. "It's been so long since we competed since the end of October. Our players have been looking forward to this for a while and we've had some great weather days to get a lot of qualifying in so we can't wait to get started."
Tech will tee off in the final group on holes 16-18 beginning at 8:30 a.m. PT alongside the individual players. The new-look Lady Raiders will be led by senior Elin Arvidsson, senior Stephanie Bertelsen, junior Sarah Brown, junior Kimmy Hill and redshirt freshman Lauren Mason - who will be playing her first official tournament for Tech since coming to Lubbock in 2013.
Mason sat out the last year due to international transfer rules. The Australian enters her first collegiate event after winning the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Sunshine Coast Amateur Championships and Queensland Amateur Championships.
"I think it's going to be great having Lauren on the squad and traveling with her," Brown said. "She's a solid player and someone is really fun to be around so I think she can add a lot to the team."
Brown and Bertelsen played the majority of the fall tournaments together with Arvidsson and Hill, who was named the Big 12 Women's Golfer of the Month in November following the final fall tournament.
Hill, who was Tech's lone qualifier in the NCAA Regional Championship this past year, is excited about playing her first tournament close to home in Palm Desert, Calif.
"I don't think we've played a tournament this close to home yet," Hill said. "So it will be fun to see both my parents, friends and should be good with some nice weather."
And there's an added bonus for playing well in the Irvine Invitational.
The tournament will partner with Kia for the third consecutive year in offering a sponsor's exemption to the Kia Classic to the medalist, making it the only event of its kind. The 2015 Kia Classic will be played March 23-29 at the Aviara Golf Club.
The Irvine Invitational will conclude Tuesday after three rounds.
