PALM COAST, Fla. – Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Harry Stokes, Bethune-Cookman Women's Golf stays in Florida for the third consecutive week when visiting Palm Coast, just 20 minutes north of Daytona Beach, for the inaugural Hammock Beach Invitational hosted by Purdue Fort Wayne at Hammock Beach Resort.
 


The 36-hole tournament will be played across two days with each day consisting of just one (1) 18-hole round, respectfully. The action begins Thursday, March 13, at 9:30 a.m., with Friday's round scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
 
The field for this year's Hammock Beach Resort includes the host Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne, in addition to Bethune-Cookman, Bryant, Chicago State, UIC, Indiana State and Stonehill.
 
Live scoring for the Hammock Beach Invitational is provided through Leaderboard King and available here.
 

ABOUT THE COURSE
Marked by sparkling streams, waterfalls and detailed stonework, this magnificent course is a true masterpiece.  Named after the British-styled glass domed clubhouse, the Conservatory course was meticulously designed by golf champion Tom Watson with nods to British links-style golf.
 
The course will play as a par 72 for the Hammock Beach Invitational, with yardage set approximately at 5,995 yards.
 
WILDCATS IN THE FIELD
1. Katie Robinson (Sr.) – American Canyon, Calif.
2. Skylar Kew (Jr.) – Dundas, Ontario
3. Kamary Leaf (R-Sr.) – Brownsburg, Ind.
4. Meeya Marquez (Soph.) – Sherman Oaks, Calif.
5. Leiahnni Smith (Jr.) – Lima, Ohio
 

HEAD COACH HARRY STOKES
"We're all really excited about this week. This is an awesome place that we're playing, and it's close to home."
 
"The golf course is set up pretty short, and we've got some long hitters that I think could be able to take advantage of some of the holes, especially on the back. I'm looking for a really good week from Katie Robinson. She's starting to round into form. And Skylar Kew is starting to hit it really well, and I think this could be a springboard for them going into the conference."
 
"So, we're excited to see what we can do and really excited about the venue. The golf course is great, and it's one of the better ones that we'll see all year."
 

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE CATS
Competing with just four players, Bethune-Cookman Women's Golf completed its stay in the Lady Bison Intercollegiate hosted by Howard University at Hawkstone Country Club in Gainesville, Florida. The two-day, 54-hole event ran March 3-4, with the final round providing plenty of movement throughout the field.
 
The tournament proved challenging for the Wildcats, who played with just four players after redshirt senior Kamary Leaf withdrew following Sunday's practice round.
 
Katie Robinson, the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) individual medalist, emerged as Bethune-Cookman's bright spot, posting the best individual performance with a tied 22nd-place finish, shooting rounds of 81-73-83 for a total of 237 (+24). The junior from American Canyon, California bounced back for a 2-over 73 scorecard in her second round, allowing her to finish tied for sixth in the scoring for the second round.
 
Junior Skylar Kew followed Robinson in the team standings, finishing in a tie for 43rd place with rounds of 86-83-88, totaling 257 (+44). Sophomore Meeya Marquez finished third amongst the team's scorers, carding an 88-88-85 for a 261 (+48) and a 49th-place finish, saving her best round during Tuesday's finale.
 
The Wildcats' Leiahnni Smith, playing her first season for the Maroon and Gold after transferring from Edward Waters, rounded out the B-CU lineup shooting rounds of 103-88-96 for a collective 287 (+74). The Lima, Ohio native had the single best individual turnaround from one round to the next, going from 103 in the opener on Monday, down to an 88 in her second time around the course that same day to finish 57th on the leaderboard.
 
As a team, Bethune-Cookman (358-332-352=1042, +1o90) placed ninth out of 10 teams in this year's field.
 


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