For the first time since 2016, Southern Arkansas women's golf is hosting the first-ever Arkansas Collegiate at Mystic Creek Golf Club in El Dorado.
The first round of competition was held on Monday. The Lady Muleriders are led Taylor Rich, Taylor Rose Hubbard, Aubrey Marx, Emma Hester, Kelsey Saveall and Aurea Carlisle.
Southern Arkansas is playing in its third tournament of the spring and eighth overall since the start of last fall ranked inside the top 130 in Division II with a regional ranking of 24th. In 16 total rounds played, SAU is averaging a per round team score of 326.7.
SAU has been led by the play of Hester who is averaging a per round score of 79.5 with 286 wins this season and a regional ranking at #90. Semester transfer Rose Hubbard follows with a per round average of 80.8. Marx (81.7) and Rich (83.0) both hold regional rankings inside the top 140.
Joining SAU at the Arkansas Collegiate in El Dorado are familiar league foes in Arkansas-Monticello (#19cr), Harding (#9cr), #13 Henderson State (#2cr) and Southeastern Oklahoma (#26cr) as well as the Gulf South Conference's Christian Brothers (#34sr) and Union (#29sr).
According to Golfweek, Mystic Creek is the No. 1 course to play in the Natural State. Cathedral pines with rolling timberlines native to the southernmost parts of Arkansas, Mystic Creek was recognized as one of the Golf Digest's Best New Courses in 2013 and along with the men's Arkansas Collegiate and now the women's Arkansas Collegiate, plays host to the LPGA Epson Tour's Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout as well as the NCAA Division I Duck Commander Intercollegiate Championship.