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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Set to Host Magnolia Invitational at Old Waverly
9/30/2017 | Women's Golf
WEST POINT, Miss. - In-state rivals Ole Miss and Mississippi State will come together to host the Magnolia Invitational this weekend at Old Waverly Golf Club.
The three-round, 54-hole event begins Sunday, Oct. 1, and a champion will be crowned Tuesday, Oct. 3. Head coach Kory Henkes and the Rebels are thrilled for the opportunity to join forces with the Bulldogs and showcase golf in The Hospitality State.
"We're super excited about the Magnolia Invitational," Henkes said. "For so many years, Ole Miss and Mississippi State have done our own tournaments. When we took over this job two years ago, we spoke with (MSU head coach Ginger Brown-Lemm) at a tournament and said, `You know what, why don't we combine forces and make this a great event here in the state of Mississippi and showcase the great golf course we have here at Old Waverly?'"
Old Waverly Awaits
Old Waverly is regularly heralded as the premier course in the state, and one of the best in the nation. A past site of Southeastern Conference championship, it will also host the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.
Highlighted by an iconic finishing hole that plays into the shadow of its beautiful clubhouse, Old Waverly will present a challenge for the young Rebel squad. The par-72 track will set up at 6,320 yards.
"It's a top-notch golf course, definitely one of the best in the Southeast," Henkes said. "It's going to be a challenge. It's going to be difficult for these players, but that's what we want."
The Rebel Rundown
The Rebels played a qualifying round at Old Waverly earlier this month, and they'll roll with a young lineup featuring two freshmen, a sophomore and two juniors. While the two freshmen, Julia Johnson of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, and Conner Beth Ball of Madison, Mississippi, lack collegiate experience, they've both been playing Old Waverly since they were young.
Ball and Johnson, as well as sophomore Pi-Lillebi Hermansson and junior Kie Purdom, are in the Ole Miss counting five for the third straight tournament to open the season. While those four look to continue their strong start to the season, they'll be joined by junior Diane Lim making her first appearance in the counting group as a Rebel.
Lim made her debut as an individual last week at the Lady Paladin Invitational, and she improved with each round (77-76-73--226) in her first tournament since transferring from Coastal Georgia this offseason. That
All nine Rebels on the roster will make the trip to West Point. Seniors Katy Harris and Laura Hoskin will make their first appearances of the season, and junior Martina Flori will make her third while freshman Macy Holliday makes her collegiate debut.
"We're looking forward to it. It's going to be a great event," Henkes said. "We have five SEC teams and some other talented teams that'll be joining us. We know it's going to be top-notch."
The Rebel squad will be put to the test against a tough 10-team field, featuring five SEC teams, including No. 17 Auburn and No. 23 Tennessee.
Ole Miss plays a practice round at 2:45 p.m. CT on Saturday before teeing off early Sunday morning. The independent Rebels will tee off starting at 8:30 a.m., followed by the counting squad at 9:10 a.m. Ole Miss will walk the first 18 holes with Mississippi State and Kansas State. All teams will tee off from the first hole for Round 1. Admission is free.
Tournament Information 
| Tee Times | Live Scoring | Live Tweeting
The Rebels
1. Julia Johnson, Freshman
2. Pi-Lillebi Hermansson, Sophomore
3. Conner Beth Ball, Freshman
4. Kie Purdom, Junior
5. Diane Lim, Junior
Ind. Katy Harris, Senior
Ind. Macy Holliday, Freshman
Ind. Martina Flori, Junior
Ind. Laura Hoskin, Senior
The Field
No. 17 Auburn
Augusta
Kansas State
LSU
Memphis
Mississippi State
Ole Miss
Southern Miss
No. 23 Tennessee
Troy
For all Ole Miss women's golf news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWGolf and Facebook at Ole Miss Women's Golf.