by Pierce Yarberry

Women's Golf Opens Spring Season At The UCF Challenge

Women's Golf Opens Spring Season At The UCF ChallengeWomen's Golf Opens Spring Season At The UCF Challenge
Alex Vine

NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion women’s golf opens its 2026 spring season this week at the UCF Challenge, presented by PDI. The Knights are hosting the three-day tournament at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, which features a par of 72 and is 6,392 total yards.

There will be 16 teams competing in the tournament, to include four teams currently ranked in the Top 25. The field includes Abilene Christian, No. 7 Auburn, Baylor, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Gulf Coast, No. 24 Kent State, No. 18 Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Florida, Northern Illinois, Old Dominion, Penn State, South Alabama, No. 12 UCF, and USF.

Teams will play 18 holes each day, with 8:30 a.m. split-tee starts on Sunday and Monday and a 9 a.m. shotgun start for Tuesday’s final round. Fans will be able to follow along with live stats provided by Scoreboard by Clippd.

The lineup for the Monarchs will consist of Puneet Bajwa, Barbara Car, Alina Shchepteva, Mariana Arronte, and Ludovica Girola with Julia Rafter competing as an individual.

This will be the eighth time that the Monarchs will play in the UCF Challenge as a team, with the program’s best outing a fourth-place finish in 2019. Additionally, Jana Melichova played in the tournament as an individual in 2021, tying for 79th with a three-round score of 234 (+18).

At last year’s UCF Challenge, ODU combined for a nine-over par 873 to finish 14th in the team standings. Lucia Gonzalez turned in a four-under 212 to lead the Monarchs as she tied for 25th in the individual standings. Her best round was the second, when she made seven birdies and posted a four-under 68 for the day.

The Course

Eagle Creek Golf Club

Par: 72

Yardage: 6,392

Tournament Field

Abilene Christian

No. 7 Auburn

Baylor

Charlotte

East Carolina

Florida Gulf Coast

No. 24 Kent State

No. 18 Mississippi State

Nebraska

North Florida

Northern Illinois

Old Dominion

Penn State

South Alabama

No. 12 UCF

USF

ODU Lineup

Puneet Bajwa

Barbara Car

Alina Shchepteva

Mariana Arronte

Ludovica Girola

Julia Rafter*

*Competing as an individual