OU Aims to Defend Tournament Title in Arizona

NORMAN – One year after a record-breaking performance at the Westbrook Invitational, Oklahoma women's golf returns to the 2019 edition aiming to defend its crown. The 54-hole event will be held Sunday and Monday at the par-72, 6,432-yard Vista Course at Westbrooke Village Golf Club in Peoria, Ariz.

Oklahoma took home the team title last year after posting a program-record three-round score of 839 (-25). Sophomore Kaitlin Milligian also set the school record for both lowest tournament score (199, -17) and lowest round score (62, -10).

The Sooners enter this season's edition of the Westbrok Invitational coming off a third place finish at the Moon Golf Invitational, their fourth top-five performance of the season. OU will tee off with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. CT on Sunday with the second round immediately following.

"It was a quick turnaround for us this week but we're excited to play in this event," said OU head coach Veronique Drouin-Luttrell. "It will be important for us to control the controllables all week and stay focused throughout the tournament."

The 16-team field includes Denver, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon State, Tennessee, UC Davis, Washington State and host Wisconsin.

Live scoring will be available on Birdiefire.com.

OU LINEUP

1. Libby Winans, freshman: Coming off a top-five finish…Posted a 67,5-under in the second round of the Moon Golf Invitational…Back-to-back top-ten finishes at the Schooner Fall Classic and Magnolia Invitational…Carded a 206 (-7) and finishing tied for seventh at the Schooner Fall Classic...Opened her career with a 222 (+6) at the Minnesota Invitational and tied for 29th place...Won the 2018 Texas 6A State Championship while also capturing district and regional crowns at Plano East High School...Advanced to the match play portion of the 2018 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship and the round of 32 in the 2018 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.

2. Julienne Soo, senior: Picked up her fourth top-20 finish of the season at the Moon Golf Invitational…Tied for sixth at the Battle at the Beach to pick up her 14th top-10 finish … Tied for seventh at the Jim West Invitational… Posted a 69 and 67 at the Jim West for a total of 17 career round in the 60's…Closed out the Schooner Fall Classic with a 6-under 66, tying her career 18-hole low…Qualified for stage 1 of Q-School…A Golfweek All-America Team Honorable Mention…Finished her junior season with a stroke average of 72.27 - tied with Chirapat Jao-Javanil's 2012-13 campaign for the lowest in program history (both golfers took exactly 2,457 shots in 34 rounds)...Claimed 19th place in the 2018 NCAA Championships – the second-highest finish by a Big 12 golfer in the field…Named to the All-Big 12 Team in 2017 and 2018...Also named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team and Academic All-Big 12 Team.

3. Kaitlin Milligan, sophomore: Shot a 69 (-3) in the final round of Moon Golf Invitational...Tied for 12th at the Battle at the Beach to earn her fourth top-20 finish of the fall … Tied for 10th at the Jim West Invitational, picking up her with third straight top-10 finish…Carded a 2-under 142 to tie for sixth at the 36-hole Magnolia Invitational…Tied for fifth in the Schooner Fall Classic, posting a 205 (-8) and finishing her last two rounds with a 66 (-5) and 68 (-3)…Competed in every event her freshman season…Her 117 birdies were the second most in the 2017-18 by a Division I freshman and ranked in the top 20 among all DI golfers...Owns the program and Big 12 record for lowest round, firing a 62 (-10) in the first round of the 2018 Westbrook Invitational…Took second place at the Westbrook Invitational after shooting a 54-hole total of 199 (-17), good for the lowest individual tournament score in school history.

4. Mikhaela Fortuna, freshman: First career top-20 finish came at the Jim West Challenge…Made her collegiate debut at the Magnolia invitational, claiming 45th place…Competed as an individual at the Schooner Fall Classic and posted two rounds in the 60's, finishing in a tie for 14th place…A freshman from Manila, Philippines...Captured second place in the 2018 Philippine Ladies Open...Took second in the 2016 Women's Western Amateur Championship.

5. Hannah Lee, sophomore: Seventh time competing in the Sooners starting lineup…Opened the season with a team-best finish of 17th place by shooting a 220 at the Minnesota Invitational (+4)...Carded a career-best 68 in the opening round of the Minnesota Invitational...Played in three events as a freshman…Competed as an individual at the 2017 Schooner Fall Classic shooting 2-under in her final two days.