Ducks Set to Face Cougars in Spring Opener

EUGENE, Ore. - The Oregon women's golf team will open the 2018 spring season by taking on Washington State at the Las Vegas Country Club in Las Vegas, Nev. The Ducks look to begin their season on a positive note and build on the momentum created from back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Updates throughout the two-day event will be provided on Twitter via @OregonWGolf.

WHEN/FORMAT
The two-day match will run from Monday, Feb. 5 to Tuesday, Feb. 6. Day one of play will consist of two four-ball matches and one singles match, while day two consists only of singles matches.

WHO
Washington State

WHERE
Las Vegas Country Club, Las Vegas, Nevada. (Par 72; 7,200 Yards)

COMPETING DUCKS
– Madi Daniel
– Amy Matsuoka
– Alexis Phadungmartvorakul
– Petra Salko
– Kathleen Scavo

RECENT SUCCESS AGAINST THE COUGARS
Looking back to last season, the Ducks held their own against the Cougars. The two teams faced each other on three separate occasions during the 2016-17 season. Oregon finished five spots ahead of Washington State at the Nanea Pac 12 Preview, where junior Kathleen Scavo finished in fourth place at 2 under. The Ducks also finished seven spots ahead of the Cougs at the Silverado Showdown and two spots ahead of them at the Pac-12 Championships.

LAST TIME OREGON AND WSU MET
Oregon and Washington State recently faced each other in stroke play at the Nanea Pac-12 Preview during the 2017 fall season. While the tournament was not completed due to weather, the Ducks shot 28 over after two rounds to finish three spots behind the Cougars who shot 18 over.

FALL SEASON RECAP
The Ducks competed in four tournaments during the 2017 fall season, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the East and West Match Play. Kathleen Scavo had a breakout performance at the East and West Match Play, where she notched her first individual tournament win after shooting 7 under to finish as the co-medalist. Scavo was also Oregon's top finisher at the Windy City Collegiate and the Stanford Intercollegiate, where the Ducks finshed tied for 12th and 10th place, respectively. At the Nanea Pac-12 Preview, the Ducks finished tied for 10th with Petra Salko as their top finisher.

DUCKS LOOK TO VETERANS IN 2018
The Ducks will look to their veteran players to provide experience and leadership to this year's team. The current roster includes three upperclassmen - Petra Salko, Kathleen Scavo, and Kelsey Ulep - who have all competed in post-season play for the Ducks. They contributed to Oregon's back-to-back national championship appearances - a program first - that was accomplished last spring. Their 2017 NCAA tournament appearance was also fueled by a program-best third-place NCAA Regional finish. Sophomore Amy Matsuoka also had some great moments during her freshman campaign, including clinching a win over Ohio State in the semifinals of the 2016 East and West Match Play with a victory in extra holes. Experience in moments like these will serve the Ducks well as the season progresses.

STRONG FALL SHOWING FOR PHADUNGMARTVORAKUL
Freshman Alexis Phadungmartvorakul had a phenomenal collegiate debut, opening the season with nine birdies to finish the first round of the East and West Match Play at 8 under (64) and as the overall leader. Phadungmartvorakul's 64 is the second-lowest single-round score in program history. The freshman from Taft, Calif., added five more birdies in the second round while shooting a 2-over 74 to close stroke play in third overall at 6 under. Phadungmartvorakul led the field with 14 total birdies through 36 holes. Phadungmartvorakul finished the season with an impressive 74.40 scoring average.

MEET THE NEWCOMER
The Ducks welcomed one newcomer to the 2018 spring squad, adding freshman Madi Daniel out of Bakersfield, Calif. Daniel comes to the team after a successful high school career at Bakersfield Christian High School, where she finished with an impressive 73.2 career scoring average. Daniel clinched the 2017 Central Section championship after shooting 3-under 69 in the final round of the tournament, and she also represented California in the 2017 USGA State Team Championships.

UP NEXT
The Ducks will travel to New Orleans, La., for the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Hosted by Tulane University at the English Turn Golf and Country Club, the three-day tournament will run from Sunday, Feb. 18 to Tuesday, Feb. 20.