CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the third year in a row, the High Point University women's golf team heads to the Big South Championship as the top seed behind the conference's highest ranking at No. 62, which was announced by the league office ahead of play beginning Sunday afternoon at the Ocean Creek Golf Course in Fripp Isalnd, S.C.

"I'm really excited to get down to Fripp Island this year and see what this team can do," HPU Women's Golf Head Coach Lyndsey Hunnell said. "This is a special group of young women who have competed for each other and this program all season. They have big goals, and I truly believe we're nowhere near our ceiling yet. We return a strong core of players who know this course well, and with that comes a lot of motivation. This course has challenged us in the past, and there's no question our team is eager for the opportunity to respond. Our leaders have done a great job bringing the freshmen along, especially when it comes to course management and staying disciplined in tough moments. At the end of the day, our focus is simple. Play the golf course, not the moment. If we stay committed to that and trust our preparation, we'll give ourselves a great chance to do something special this week."
 
Tournament Central | Live Scoring
Site: Fripp Island, S.C. 
Course: Ocean Creek Golf Course – Fripp Island Golf and Beach Resort
Par: 72
Yardage 6,032

SEEDINGS (Clippd national ranking)
1 – High Point (#62)
2 – UNC Asheville (#112)
3 – Longwood (#147)
4 – Charleston Southern (#174)
5 – Radford (#178)
6 – Winthrop (#202)
7 – Gardner-Webb (#226)
8 – Presbyterian (#237)
9 – USC Upstate (#255)
 
The Panthers' lineup will be a combination of veterans in senior Ella Perna and junior Anna Howerton, who will play the course for the third straight season, while sophomore Anais Arafi and freshmen duo Makayla Grubb and Eva Lye will take the Fripp Island links for the first time. Sophomore Savannah Cherry will be the team's alternate and has experience from playing in the championship last season.
 
This lineup is in pursuit of something the HPU women's golf program has never done: win a Big South Championship. In Hunnell's first season (2023), the Panthers came close as they reached match play for the first time in program history and finished runner-up.
 
Since then, High Point has advanced from stroke play to match play for a combined three straight seasons (2023-2025) with two championship medalists in Sarah Kahn (2023) and Julia McLaughlin (2025) to show for; however, the Panthers haven't been able to seal the deal and hoist the trophy.
 
This time around, the Panthers are confident this core group can do something the program never has. Perna, once a freshman who clinched the program's first-ever match play win in 2023, is at the forefront of that belief after being a part of it all.
 
"Going into this year's conference tournament, our team has done a lot to prepare both on and off the golf course to be as ready and prepared as we can," Perna said. "This year, we used a lot of previous course knowledge and experience to help our newer girls feel confident about the course and our game plan. In terms of our team this year, anyone who knows High Point women's golf knows that this year's team is nothing short of special. The talent, commitment to being the best, and camaraderie are the best I've seen in my four years here. Our chemistry shows up in the way we push each other to be the best we can be, hold each other accountable, and celebrate each other's success. Throughout the season, we have been tested in different ways, but each time we have been able to learn from those experiences and respond by getting stronger as a team. There is no doubt that those things have led us to our success so far this year."
 
The Panthers have played in their toughest tournament fields to date, winning two tournaments in back-to-back weeks — RiverTowne Intercollegiate and Daniel Island Invitational — within the spring season to prepare for the conference championship. In all 10 tournaments, High Point finished fourth or higher.
 
Now, HPU comes to Fripp Island with the experience under its belt and the right people, on and off the course, and the mentality to do something really remarkable that would be a full circle moment for Perna.
 
"As a senior, I am taking the opportunity to approach my last Big South championship with joy, pride, gratitude, and love for my team and university," Perna said. "I am so grateful to Coach Hunnell for allowing me to be a leader of this team. I hope they have learned just as much from me as I have learned from them. To be a part of a team chasing history with a group this special is something I'll never forget, and I know we're ready to make the most of it down at Fripp Island!"
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Sunday, April 19
8:00am - Practice Round (Shotgun)
1:30pm - First Round (Shotgun)
     #1 High Point, #2 UNC Asheville, #3 Longwood (Holes 1, 2, 4, 6, 7)
     #4 Charleston Southern, #5 Radford, #6 Winthrop (Holes 8-12)
     #7 Gardner-Webb, #8 Presbyterian, #9 USC Upstate (Holes 13, 14, 16, 17, 18)
 
Monday, April 20
Second Round (based on 18-hole scores) – Hole 1
     8:00-8:36am - 7th, 8th, 9th-place teams
     8:54-9:30am - 4th, 5th, 6th-place teams
     9:48-10:24am - 1st, 2nd, 3rd-place teams
 
Tuesday, April 21
Final Round (based on 36-hole scores) – Hole 1
     8:00-8:36am    7th, 8th, 9th-place teams
     8:54-9:30am     4th, 5th, 6th-place teams
     9:48-10:24am    1st, 2nd, 3rd-place teams
 
Wednesday, April 22
Match Play – Semifinals
     8:00am - No. 1 vs. No. 4 (Hole 1)
     8:05am - No. 2 vs. No. 3 (Hole 10)
Match Play – Finals
     1:30pm - 1/4 Winner vs. 2/3 Winner