Just when it seemed the whole sports world had been turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic, Mississippi College authored the kind of headline that’s been scarce these past few weeks. The college, which competes at the NCAA Division II level, has announced that it is adding a women’s golf program to its lineup of intercollegiate sports, effective immediately.
The announcement came out of Clinton, Mississippi, on Monday and makes Mississippi College the only school in the state to offer women’s golf at the Division II level. The Choctaws will compete in the Gulf South Conference along with Christian Brothers, Lee, Montevallo, Shorter, Spring Hill, Union, West Florida and West Georgia.
“We are really excited about the launch of the women’s golf program at MC,” said athletic director Mike Jones. “Women’s golf is the fastest-growing segment in the game, and we are thrilled to offer an opportunity for young women to compete for the Lady Choctaws.”
The announcement also included the revealing of the new women’s golf head coach Brad Belton, who serves as the head professional at Bay Pointe Resort and Golf Club. Belton has been at Bay Pointe since 1991, and has been teaching golf for nearly 40 years.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity to not only lead but launch the women’s golf program at MC,” said Belton. “I feel like our home state of Mississippi needed a Division II program to give girls an opportunity to play college golf. Mississippi College and it’s strong Christian beliefs are a perfect match for my family and what we want to do.”
Bay Pointe will serve as the main practice facility for the women’s team. Under Belton’s leadership, the club is about to see some significant upgrades, too. That includes a new putting green and chipping area, new bunker practice area and upgrades to their driving range. Perhaps most impressive are the plans for an indoor practice facility that will be outfitted with Trackman technology.
The Mississippi College women’s golf team is scheduled to begin competition in fall 2020. The school’s men’s program ended the season ranked No. 149 in Golfstat’s rankings for Division II programs after finishing its season abruptly March 3 with a runner-up finish at its own Mississippi College Invitational.
At the end of 2019, NCAA research showed a spike in overall number of universities sponsoring women’s college golf teams. The net growth in the sport amounted to 157 teams, with 62 of those teams being added at the Division II level since 2009.
[lawrence-related id=778024842,778043039,778036908]