ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington women's golf team will play its only fall tournament of the COVID-affected 2020-21 season this coming Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 19-20, when the Mavericks host the UTA Invitational presented by Veritex Bank at Texas Rangers Golf Club.
 
Action is set to commence with the first two rounds – 36 continuous holes – on Monday with a scheduled 8 a.m. shotgun start; final-round play will also begin with a planned 8 a.m. shotgun on Tuesday.
 
Spectators are welcomed and encouraged to attend UTA's first tournament at Texas Rangers Golf Club, which is located about 10 minutes north of campus at 701 Brown Blvd.
 
Live scoring will also be available via Golfstat for all three rounds by clicking here or visiting the link at the top of this release.
 
All eight members of the Mavericks will be teeing it up on the par-72 course, which for tournament action will play at 6,191 yards:
 
1) Madigan Murray
2) Kinsey Ray
3) Kate Tran
4) Sydney Garber
5) Romina Gonzalez
 
In addition to those five as part of the team lineup (the best four scores each round are counted toward the team total), the following three Mavs will be competing as individuals: Abigail Adams, Connor Howard and Janane Tan.
 
UTA will begin play on Monday off the 1st hole with the trio of individuals paired together first and the quintet of team members following right behind. Due to COVID, all five members will be paired together – the same goes for each of the other teams UTA will be competing against.
 
Also joining the Mavs in the field will be fellow Sun Belt Conference member ULM, Stephen F. Austin, Houston Baptist, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Prairie View A&M.
 
This will be UTA's first competitive action since the 2019-20 season was canceled in mid-March due to COVID. It will be the lone fall tournament of the year for the Mavs, who were scheduled to tee it up in Little Rock's event next week before that was recently canceled. UTA expects to have a more complete spring championship season.
 
Under the leadership of head coach Catherine Matranga, UTA will look to continue its ascension as a program since its first competitive season in 2017-18. UTA returns every member of the roster in 2020-21, and the Mavs have bettered their performance every season – highlighted by the following noteworthy numbers:

• After holding a 312.24 team scoring average in its first-ever season in 2017-18, UTA lowered that score to 309.64 in 2018-19 and continued its progress with a program-best 307.43 in 2019-20.
   
• UTA's national ranking also lowered again: #208 in 2017-18 to #173 in 2018-19 to #160 in 2019-20.
   
• The Mavs' finish percentage continued the same trajectory: 24.2 percent in 2017-18 to 34.9 percent in 2018-19 to 55.6 percent in 2019-20.

Below is more information about each of UTA's team members, in addition to notes regarding the relatively-new Texas Rangers Golf Club.
 
UTA PLAYER PROFILES
1) Murray (Sr.): Enters her senior season ranked 1st in program history in scoring average (77.46), par-or-better rounds (10), counting scores (79), finish percentage (59.6) and birdies (143) … is one of three players (Tran and Garber) to have competed in all 87 rounds of all 29 tournaments in the three-year history of the program … posted a team-leading 74.14 scoring average in 2019-20, setting the single-season program record over 21 rounds (minimum 15 needed to qualify) … top-20 finishes in six of seven tournaments, including three top-10s and two runner-up showings … shot a program-record 6-under 66 in the final round of the Lady Red Wolves Classic last October.
 
2) Ray (So.): Will look to take a major step forward in her second season after registering an 81.83 scoring average as a freshman … she competed in four events: two as part of the team lineup and two as an individual … her best round was an even-par 72 in the final round of the Lady Red Wolves Classic… that performance was six shots better than any of her other rounds during the season … in six opportunities, her score was used in the team total twice.
 
3) Tran (Sr.): Her 75.90 scoring average ranked 2nd on the team last year and was the 3rd-best in single-season program history … top-10 finishes in three of the last four events of the year, including a career-best tie for 3rd out of 264 competitors in the largest collegiate tournament in the nation at the Kiawah Island Classic … secured the best 54-hole score hole in program history with a 4-under 212 at the Kiawah Island Classic with three rounds all under par: 71-70-71 … that performance propelled her to being named the program's first-ever Sun Belt Conference Golfer of the Week … tied the single-season program record with six par-or-better rounds … secured the 3rd-best single-season finish percentage in program history at 76.8 … tied for the team lead with 20 counting scores … rolled in the 2nd-most birdies on the team with 38.
 
4) Garber (Sr.): Enters her senior season ranked 3rd in program history in scoring average (78.66), birdies (113) and counting scores (66) … her 78.62 scoring average ranked 3rd on the team last year … best round was a 73 in the opening round of the Lady Red Wolves Classic … score was used in the team total 16 times in 21 opportunities … finished with the 3rd-most birdies on the team with 23 … one of only three players to compete in all seven tournaments and complete all 21 rounds.
 
5) Gonzalez (Jr.): Transferred to UTA this summer following Division-II St. Edwards cutting women's golf due to financial restraints posted by COVID … in her two years with the Austin-based school, she competed in 15 tournaments and carried a stroke average of 79 … her sophomore season last year resulted in a stroke average of 77.76 – nearly three shots better than her freshman campaign … she carded a career-low 1-under 71 in the 2nd round of the year … her national ranking climbed to #204 – an improvement of nearly 200 positions from her freshman season.
 
I) Adams (Jr.): Missed the entire fall portion of the 2019-20 season with an injury … made her only appearance of the year at the Texas State Invitational in February with rounds of 77-79-80 (236) … all three of those rounds were used in the team score.
 
I) Howard (Jr.): Posted an 81.07 scoring average over five tournaments last season … score was used in the team total eight times in 15 opportunities … career-low round of 74 (+2) in the final round of the Lady Red Wolves Classic … score was used in the team total in all three rounds at that event – just the second time in her career that has occurred.
 
I) Tan (Jr.): Posted an 81.39 scoring average last year … competed in six events, all as part of the team lineup … score was used in the team total 12 times … career-low round of 75 twice: the first came in the 2nd round of the Lady Red Wolves Classic and the second occurred in the 1st round of the Little Rock Classic … registered seven rounds in 70s.
 
ABOUT TEXAS RANGERS GOLF CLUB
Opened in February of 2019, the state-of-the-art Texas Rangers Golf Club is the new home of UTA's men's and women's golf programs. The world's only Major League Baseball-branded golf course, TRGC is the result of a $24 million renovation and updated routing of the former Chester W. Ditto Golf Course.
 
The Home of UTA Golf was designed by UTA alumni John Colligan and Trey Kemp of Arlington-based Colligan Golf Design. It features an expansive 23-acre practice area, and a new 33,871-square-foot clubhouse – set to open later this fall – will feature a full-service restaurant and bar, covered patio overlooking the golf course, pro shop, locker rooms and numerous rental and event spaces. For more information about TRGC, click here.
 
FOLLOW THE MAVS SOCIALLY
For up-to-date news, photos and videos of the UTA women's golf program, follow us on Twitter: @UTAMavsWGolf, Instagram: @UTAMavsWGolf and Facebook: /UTAMavsWGolf.