Mountain Hawks set to host Lehigh Invitational
Posted: 10/21/2011
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh women’s golf team concludes its fall season this weekend as the Mountain Hawks host the Lehigh Invitational at Saucon Valley Country Club. Eight teams will compete on Saucon Valley’s Grace Course with Albany, Brown, FDU, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Siena joining two Lehigh squads for the two-day, 36-hole event.
Saucon Valley Country Club, founded in 1920, has grown from 18 holes and a clubhouse to become one of the largest private clubs in North America. It encompasses 800 acres and consists of four courses, including the Weyhill Course, Old Course, Grace Course and Short Course. The Grace Course opened with nine holes in the fall of 1953 with the second nine opened for play in 1958. Named for Eugene Gifford Grace (Class of 1899), longtime president and chairman of Bethlehem Steel, the Grace Course measures 7,051 yards from the championship tees and features greens nearly twice the size of those on the Old Course but without the severe contours.
The Mountain Hawk women have been off since competing at the Nittany Lion Invitational back on October 1. Lehigh has also competed at invitational tournaments hosted by Bucknell, Princeton and Yale, with its top finish being a fourth-place finish at the Bucknell Invitational. Junior Ginette Schapira has been Lehigh’s top performer at the Bucknell and Penn State Invitationals, while junior Chelsea Michalek led the Mountain Hawks at Yale. Michalek and sophomore Crystal Lee tied for Lehigh’s top finish at Princeton.
This weekend, Lehigh’s nine women will be split into a team of five and a team of four. Michalek, Lee, and Schapira will play with freshmen Melanie Dickens and Kelly Moylan on one squad, while the second squad will consist of junior Natalie Lansing, sophomores Elle Sander and Hannah Kim and freshman Alyssa Scheyd.
Action at the Lehigh Invitational begins Saturday at 9 a.m. with the first 18 holes from the Grace Course at Saucon Valley Country Club. Sunday’s final round features a shotgun start with play also beginning at 9 a.m.