Expectations are high on a team that, despite its youth, is among the nation’s best.
The No. 8 ASU women’s golf team will tee off Monday in its first tournament of the year — the Dale McNamara Invitational in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a tournament that might bring back some memories for the team’s steady leader.
Head coach Melissa Luellen, a four-time All-American and 1988 national champion, played her best golf at the University of Tulsa under the mentorship of her mother, Dale McNamara — for whom the tournament is named.
When McNamara retired with four national championships in 26 years, in 2000 Luellen followed in her mother’s footsteps — taking the job and leading the Golden Hurricanes to two conference and regional championships in as many years.
This is the second year of the annual tournament, which features mostly Midwest teams — ASU is the only Pac-12 team in the field.
The ability to play in a fall tournament is a luxury that ASU will not take for granted, as the team was unable to compete in the fall of 2010 due to only having three players on its roster. Five freshmen came to the team in January, which will prevent the team from having to sit out.
