EFSC women's golf team opens national tournament Tuesday morning

The Eastern Florida State College women's golf team will tee off at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday in the first round of the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Garden City, Kansas.

The Titans come into the tournament ranked fourth in the Golfstat Junior College National Poll and will open the tournament playing alongside McLennan and Western Texas.

Overall the top 15 teams in the nation will be vying for the national tournament at Buffalo Dunes Golf Club in Garden City. Seminole State College, who has won the past three national titles, is back and comes into the tournament No. 1 in the national poll.

The Titans finished second in the Southeast District Championships and feel good about their chances heading into the program's second straight national tournament appearance.

"It is a good golf course, but it depends on the weather, if the wind blows it will be tough, if it doesn't it will be approachable," Eastern Florida State College women's golf coach Jamie Howell said. "I think they are looking forward to this, all of the hard work that they have put into this all year long, you just can't wait to go out and play as much as I am."

Freshman Sarah Knitter has finished in the top 10 in every event this spring for the Titans and is ranked fifth in the nation individually coming into the national tournament.

Teammate Gracie Doke finished sixth overall at the Southeast District Championships and has placed in the top five in the past two tournaments heading into the national tournament.

Sophomore Morela Boyd was tied for ninth overall and Savannah Hawthorne was 11^th at the district tournament.

The teams will play 18 holes for four straight days with the final round scheduled for Friday.