Kelly Announces 2021 Women’s Golf Schedule

BOULDER — University of Colorado women's golf coach Anne Kelly announced the team's 2021 spring schedule Thursday, which will feature six spring tournaments leading into the postseason.
 
In her 24th season at the helm of the program, Kelly is currently the third longest active tenured Buffalo head coach behind Richard Rokos (skiing, 31st year) and Mark Wetmore (cross country and track & field, 26th season).
 
The Buffaloes are set to open the season February 8-9 at San Diego State University's Lamkin Invitational. Typically this tournament is a match-play event, but this year it will be a stroke play event. The following week, Feb. 15-17, the CU will play at Arizona State's Talking Stick Invitational.
 
Colorado has three tournaments scheduled in March, starting March 1-3 with the Bruin Wave Invitational that is co-hosted by UCLA and Pepperdine at Saticoy Country Club. The following week the Buffs will head to Tucson, Arizona for the Wildcat Invitational, March 8-9. CU's busy month will come at the end, March 27-29, when the Buffs head to The Bruzzy in Argyle, Texas.
 
The final regular-season tournament for the Buffs will be its own Silverado Showdown, which CU co-hosts with Oregon, April 5-7, in Napa, Calif.
 
The 2021 Pac-12 Championship is set for April 23-25 and will be hosted by Stanford. NCAA Regionals are scheduled for May 10-12 at various sites, while the NCAA Championship will be May 21-26 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
 
Colorado returns all eight athletes from the 2019-20 season, which includes Kirsty Hodgkins, who returns for a fifth-season. In addition, the Buffs added two freshmen during the offseason.
 
Hodgkins and Elle Otten will be the two seniors on the team, while Malak Bouraeda, Alisha Lau and Kelsey Webster are in their junior seasons. Ellie Gower, Sophie Johnson and Issy Simpson return to the team as sophomores this season. Colorado native Hailey Schalk (Erie, Colo.) and Lauren Gooding (London, England) are the two freshmen on the roster for CU. All 10 have had a chance to practice this fall.
 
NOTES: There were no fall tournaments in college golf due to the pandemic, but many players from around the country competed on occasion in regional amateur events, including many Buffaloes … "We had some good practice this fall and team members were able to work on their individual areas of their game where they need to improve," Kelly said. … Alisha Lau and Hailey Schalk teamed up and won the U.S. Women's Amateur 4-Ball qualifier, shooting a 4-under 68 … Schalk went on to have success at a couple other tournaments, taking home medalist honors at the Colorado National Women's Amateur Powered by The Cactus Tour at Colorado National Golf Course, carding a 3-under (74-67--141), which included a 5-under final round. Schalk also placed fifth in another Cactus Tour event at Apache Creek Golf Club (8-under, 208) … "Hailey started to play way better at the end of the summer and that continued into the fall. She has put in the hard work and to her credit, she has worked through a lot of changes and is really on track now," Kelly said. … Another member of CU's team finished quite well at the Colorado National Women's Amateur. Kelsey Webster finished one stroke back from Schalk for second (72-70—140). Webster earned another runner-up finish at the CGA Fall Amateur Championship (72-73-74—219) … "It seems that she has made a really big jump, both with her game and her confidence level. That is very encouraging," Kelly said. … Four other Buffs took advantage of the opportunity to play close to home. Ellie Gower placed 17th, Lauren Gooding tied for 18th and Elle Otten and Issy Simpson tied for 24th at the Colorado National Women's Amateur. … Simpson also placed fifth at the CGA Fall Amateur Championships and played solo at the U.S. Women's Amateur 4-Ball qualifier where she finished second … Gooding also played at The Cactus Tour event in Arizona, finishing 14th … Kirsty Hodgkins did not compete this fall after participating in the U.S. Women's Amateur; she is the CU's career stroke average leader (73.78) and is the career leader in top-five finishes with nine; she has qualified for regionals all three times she was eligible.
 
2021 Women's Golf Schedule*
Dates                           Tournament                                     Location/Course                                           Host      
February 8-9             Lamkin Invitational                         San Diego, Calif./The Farms CC                  SDSU
February 15-17         Talking Stick Invitational              Scottsdale, Ariz./Talking Stick GC             Arizona State
March 1-3                   Bruin Wave Invitational                 Ventura County, Calif./Saticoy CC             Pepperdine/UCLA
March 8-9                   Arizona Wildcat Invitational        Tucson, Ariz./Sewailo GC                             Arizona
March 27-29              The Bruzzy                                        Argyle, Texas/Lantana GC                           North Texas
April 5-7                     Silverado Showdown                       Napa, Calif./Silverado CC                            CU/Oregon
April 23-25                 Pac-12 Championships                   Stanford, Calif./Stanford GC                        Stanford
May 10-12                  NCAA Regional                                  various locations                                            --------
May 21-26                  NCAA Championship                       Scottsdale, Ariz./Greyhawk GC                  Arizona State
 
*schedule is fluid and could change
(last update – January 13, 2021)