Clemson, S.C.—The Clemson women’s golf team returns to action this weekend at the Mason Rudolph Championship in Franklin, Tenn. The 15-team tournament will be played September 24-26 at the par 72 Vanderbilt Legends Club.
Clemson has a strong recent history at this national event. Kelley Hester’s team finished fourth out of 15 teams in 2018 when the tournament was cut to 36 holes due to weather, and second out of 15 teams in the fall of 2019. Clemson shot 868, four-over-par in recording that runner-up finish. Clemson did not participate in the tournament during the 2020-21 academic year when ACC teams did not play a fall schedule.
Senior Ivy Shepherd will be in the Clemson lineup this weekend and will be playing in her third Mason Rudolph Championship. She has recorded top 10s in both previous appearances, ninth place with a two-under-par 142 in 2018, and 10th place in 2019 with an even-par score. Shepherd had a final round 68 at the Cougar Classic in Clemson’s season opening tournament and finished 15th for the 54-hole event.
Melena Barrientos was the top Tiger in the season opening tournament with a score of six-under-par 210. The freshman from Plano, Texas became the first golfer in Clemson history to score under-par in each of her first three rounds. She finished sixth overall in the field of 93 golfers.
Callista Rice is a third Clemson golfer who will play in her second tournament of the year. The “Super Senior” had an opening round 71 at the Cougar Classic, the third best round of her career. She finished in a tie for 50th overall in helping the Tigers to an eighth-place finish in the season opener.
Gracyn Burgess and Savannah Grewal are veteran players who will be making their debuts in 2021-22 at the Vanderbilt Legends Course. Both have played in this tournament previously.
Grewal finished 23rd with a 220 score in 2019. She was second on the team in scoring average last year with a 73.76 figure. She finished a career best third place at the Clemson Invitational last year when she became the first Clemson women’s golfer to make a hole-in-one during her second round 67.
Burgess shot a seven-over-par 151 in 2018 at the Mason Rudolph Championship. This will be her 17th career tournament and she has a 75.91 career scoring average.
Freshman Katherine Schuster will play the tournament as an individual and it will be her first career tournament. Schuster won medalist honors at the 1A-2A High School State Championships in North Carolina all four years of her high school career, just the second four-time state champion in North Carolina women’s golf history.
The address of the golf course is 1500 Legends Club Lane, Franklin, Tenn, 37069. Live scoring will be available at golfstat.com.
