Women’s Golf Set to Open Fall Campaign at Pebble Beach on Friday
Published 2:35 pm Friday, September 2, 2022
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s golf is set to open the fall portion of the 2022-23 season on Friday at the Carmel Cup from the historic Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. The three-day event will feature all eight teams ranked in the top 50 of the GolfStat rankings and be played Sept. 2-4 on the par 72, 6,156-yard greens of Pebble.
Since its inception in 2011, the beautiful scenery at Pebble Beach Golf Links has set the stage for the Carmel Cup. This year’s event begins a new era for the tournament as the 2022 edition will feature women for the first time. Each team will have six student-athletes competing while taking the top five scores for their team total.
The 54-hole event features a competitive field highlighted by two top six programs in top-ranked Stanford, the reigning national champions, and No.6 Oklahoma State. Joining the Cardinal and Cowgirls are No. 18 Texas A&M, No. 19 Arkansas, No.27 Texas Tech, No. 33 Vanderbilt and No. 50 Oklahoma.
The Bulldogs enter the 2022-23 campaign ranked 31st, coming off a strong season that culminated with a trip to the NCAA Championships.
Head coach Charlie Ewing begins his third season leading the Bulldogs and brings back a talented roster that mixes both veteran talent and underclassmen who are ready to play for the Maroon and White.
“I am really excited to start the second fall with this team,” Ewing said. “I love the fall. It is a great time of year and brings in some of the best-hosted tournaments in the country. I am so excited to see these new faces on campus with these new freshmen coming in and playing great golf. Everyone coming back from last year is in a different role from last year which is always fun to see in the fall. We have a fantastic fall schedule and are excited to play against some great teams.”
Senior Ashley Gilliam will tee off the fall season for State in the Carmel Cup. Gilliam appeared in eight events last season and led the Bulldogs at the 2022 Tallahassee Regional with a tied for ninth finish. Heading into the season, Gilliam is ranked seventh all-time in school history for rounds in the ’60s (6) and ranked ninth in par or better rounds (20).
Hannah Levi, who will shoot second for the Bulldogs, enters the season looking to climb up the Mississippi State record book as she is currently third all-time in stroke average (74.06), fourth all-time in par or better rounds (31) and eighth all-time in rounds in the 60s. She enters her final year with the program, competed in all in all 12 events last season for MSU.
“I believe we have become a better team each and every year that I have been here,” Levi said. “The work ethic has increased dramatically. We have had coaches that work hard with us and are not afraid to get into the dirt and grind away with us. It makes us better and we able to become smarter golfers heading into the season.”
Izzy Pellot will shoot third in her collegiate debut. Pellot represented the Bulldogs this summer in the U.S. Women’s Amateur where she advanced to the Round of 64.
Shooting fourth for the Bulldogs is another familiar face in Abbey Daniel. Daniel enters her senior year having competed in seven events for State last season, finishing the year with the fourth-best stroke average on the team (74.06).
Junior Jarutrawee Khotchagrai, nicknamed JK, takes the fifth spot in the opener for MSU. Last season, JK appeared in two events as an individual and secured the best finish of her career, tying for fifth in the Auburn Individuals.
Reigning SEC Freshman of the Year Julia Lopez Ramirez rounds out the starting lineup for Mississippi State. Lopez Ramirez shined in her first season at MSU, winning three individual titles while accumulating numerous SEC honors throughout the season. Lopez Ramirez competed in all 12 events for the Bulldogs last season, securing an SEC freshman-best 70.59 stroke average. Lopez Ramirez enters her sophomore season ranked third all-time in school history in rounds in the ’60s (10) and seventh all-time in par or better rounds (21).
Live scoring for the Carmel Cup will be available at golfstat.com. Pairings and tee-times will be announced at a later time.
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women’s golf on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and join them on Instagram by searching for “HailStateWG.”