THIS WEEK: The Cal State Fullerton women's golf team hits the links for the first time in 2014-15 this week, opening the season Monday at the Minnesota Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minn.
THE COURSE: This week's event will be held at the 6,119-yard, par-72 Minikahda Club for the second consecutive season. The club also previously hosted site of the 1916 U.S. Open, the 1927 U.S. Amateur, the 1957 Walker Cup, the 1988 U.S. Women's Amateur, and the 1998 Curtis Cup. Play begins on Monday with the first 36 holes and concludes with the final round of 18 holes on Tuesday.
THE FIELD: In addition to the Titans and host Minnesota, the tournament field includes 2013 Minnesota Invitational winner Kent State, Nebraska, GRU-Augusta, Illinois, Texas State, Colorado, Texas, SMU, East Carolina, Purdue, Fresno State and Kansas.
IN THE POLLS: This week's field features four schools that finished among the top 50 in the final 2013-14 GolfStat NCAA Head-to-Head rankings: GRU-Augusta (No. 32), Kent State (No. 37), Minnesota (No. 45) and East Carolina (No. 49). In addition, all 14 programs participating finished in the top-100 GolfStat NCAA Head-to-Head rankings including the Titans (No. 90). The field rounds out with Colorado (No. 51), Texas State (No. 52), SMU (No. 53), Texas (No. 54), Purdue (No. 60), Illinois (No. 63), Nebraska (No. 78), Kansas (No. 81), and Fresno State (No. 98).
WATCH IT LIVE: Well… sort of. Live scoring will be available for all three rounds of the Minnesota Invitational at GolfStat.com by clicking here. Complete results following each day's play and final results will be posted online at FullertonTitans.com.
FREQUENT FLYERS: Cal State Fullerton will have tournaments in four different states during the fall portion of the 2014-15, starting with the Minnesota Invitational. The Titans will head to the Rose City Challenge in Portland, Ore. following The Minnesota Invitational and then close out the fall portion of the season with trips to Price's New Mexico State Invitational on Oct. 6 and the Rainbow Wahine Invitational in Wahiawa, HI on Oct. 21.
ENCORE: Sophomore Martina Edberg had an excellent freshman campaign with the Titans in 2013-14. The Glumslov, Sweden native earned Big West Women's Golf Freshman of the Year honors, the first Titan to earn the award in the team's history. She became the first Titans golfer to win an individual title at a 54-hole event since the program was reinstated for the 2009-10 season. Edberg placed first at the Juli Inkster Spartan Invite in March, shooting three consecutive rounds of 71 to capture the title. Her collective score of 213 is the lowest score by a Titans golfer at a 54-hole event in team history.
Edberg then capped off the season by earning Cal State Fullerton's first Big West Conference Individual title, defeating Clariss Guce of Cal State Northridge in a one-hole playoff to win the championship. Edberg was the first player in Titans history to shoot under par at the Big West Championships, finishing with a collective 2-under 217. She also led the Titans with a 74.81 scoring average this season and played in all nine tournaments the team participated in this year.
Edberg led the team with a 74.81 scoring average, which is also the lowest scoring average in a single season in Titans history. Edberg had seven top-20 finishes and 10 rounds of par or better in 2013-14, the most in Titans history.
THE VETERAN: Entering her senior season, Tisha Alyn Abrea has yet to miss a tournament in her time at Cal State Fullerton. Abrea has played in all 27 tournaments in her three seasons with the Titans and a total of 80 rounds. Her 75.78 career scoring average is ranked first in Titans history amongst players who have played more than one season at Cal State Fullerton. Her 20 career top-20 finishes rank at the top of the Titans record book and has eight career rounds of par or better, ranking second behind Martina Edberg. Abrea also holds the school record for lowest single-round score, shooting a 69 at the Price's "Give 'Em Five" Intercollegiate in 2013, recording the score in both the first and third rounds at the tournament, the only Titan to ever to record the score twice.
TITANS ON THE LINKS: The Titans return six golfers from last year's squad, including seniors Makayla Mier and Tisha Alyn Abrea. Sophomore and defending Big West Conference individual champion Martina Edberg also returns to the Titans for the 2014-15 season. Juniors Dakota Brown and Nadine Rivera and sophomore Michelle Thompson round out the Titans returning to the links. Freshman Brittany Farrell is the lone newcomer to the 2014-15 roster. The Dove Canyon, Calif. native won the CIF Southern Section individual championship while at Mission Viejo High School. Farrell won by two strokes, shooting a 5-under par 66 at Talega Golf Club in San Clemente.
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO: With her 10 rounds at par or better in 2013-14, Martina Edberg shattered both the single-season and career marks in school history, which were each held by teammate Tisha Alyn Abrea. Edberg's 10 rounds eclipsed Abrea's five of scoring par or better, which she also recorded in 2013-14. Overall, Abrea now sits second in Titans history with eight career rounds of par or better.