Cowgirl Golf opens season with trip to Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – The 20th-ranked Oklahoma State women's golf team tees off its 2025-26 campaign on Friday at the Carmel Cup in Pebble Beach, Calif.

This is the fourth consecutive season that the Cowgirls have opened at world-renowned Pebble Beach Golf Resorts. The 6,156-yard, par-72 course offers both beautiful scenery and a rich history. The six-time US Open host is regarded as the country's premier public golf course, largely thanks to its breathtaking coastal scenery.

Senior Grace Kilcrease is the tournament's defending champion, shooting 7-under (68-72-69—208) in her Cowgirl debut to lead the Pokes to a fifth-place team finish.

Format:

The Carmel Cup is a 54-hole stroke play event, with an 18-hole round played daily. Each of the eight schools will bring six golfers, with the top five scores counting toward daily team totals.

Coverage:

Follow live scoring from the Carmel Cup on Scoreboard by Clipp'd.

Read daily recaps at okstate.com or follow us on social media:

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Meet the Field (Golfweek preseason ranking):

Texas A&M (7)

Arkansas (10)

Vanderbilt (11)

Oklahoma State (20)

Mississippi State (21)

TCU (24)

Oklahoma (NR)

Texas Tech (NR)

Putting the Band Back Together:

A veteran Oklahoma State lineup includes five golfers from last year's NCAA Championship scorecard: Grace Kilcrease (No. 34 in the final 2024-25 individual rankings), Marta Silchenko (58), Ellie Bushnell (130) and sophomores Summer Lee and Lucy Darr.

Each of the five returners have also played in the Carmel Cup at least once.

Kilcrease – a preseason third team All-American, per Golfweek -- took home the individual title last year with three rounds at par or better and 17 birdies.

Silchenko was injured last fall but carded eight birdies and two eagles as a freshman in 2023.

After a slow start to the 2024 Carmel Cup, Bushnell settled in with eight birdies over the final two days and rounds of 70 and 72. She also played well in the 2023 event, carding seven birdies and an eagle in her first collegiate tournament.

A Cowgirl Debut:

True freshman Yu-Chu Chen is new to college golf but no stranger to high-level competition. She won the 2024 Taiwan Amateur Championship and, prior to signing with OSU last fall, was No. 212 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and 33rd on the Rolex AJGA list.

Under New (Old) Management:

Former Cowgirl All-American Annie Young begins the first season of her second tour as head coach. From 2008-11, she coached the program to a Big 12 championship and a pair of top-10 NCAA Championship finishes.

This is Young's 17th season overall as a head coach, following successful stops at CSUN (2011-12), Colorado State (2012-18) and Tulsa (2018-24). She led the latter to the 2021 American Athletic Conference title along with back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances in 2023 and 2024 and was twice named conference coach of the year.

25 conference titles. 31 NCAA Championship appearances. 44 All-Americans.

For the latest news and updates on Oklahoma State Women's Golf, visit okstate.com or follow @CowgirlGolf on Instagram/Facebook and @OSUCowgirlGolf on X.

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Yu-Chu Chen

Lucy Darr

Grace Kilcrease

Summer Lee

Marta Silchenko

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