SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN, Ariz. – Arizona Women's Golf will compete in their first tournament of 2022 when that join the field at the Match in the Desert at Superstition Mountain that includes Oklahoma State. Kansas, Ole Miss, Arizona State, UCLA and Denver with four of those programs ranking in the top 25 of the GolfStat national rankings. The Wildcats and the rest of the field will tee off in the morning on Sunday, Jan. 23 from Superstition Mountain Golf Course.

"This will be a great way to open a new year against high-quality competition," said head coach Laura Ianello. "All of the young ladies in our lineup have played well in various fall tournaments, and I am excited to see how they come out and compete after months of practice."
 

The Wildcat lineup will look a little different from last semester with the departure of Yu-Sang and Vivian Hou who earned LPGA status through Q-School in December. Experience from Arizona's nationally-televised events in the fall were key for freshmen Lilas Pinthier, Carolina Melgrati and transfer Ellinor Sudow.

Decorated junior Gile Bite Starkute played in this event last year as an individual in Arizona's COVID-19-shortened season of 2020-21. Starkute and senior Ya Chun Chang represent the most experienced veterans in the lineup for Coach Ianello this weekend as both competed in last year's run to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships while Chang was a fixture in the Wildcat lineup as a true freshman in 2018-19 as well.