Auburn Women’s Golf Eyes Statement Win at Moon Golf Invitational
The No. 8 Auburn women’s golf team is heading back to a familiar stage this weekend, teeing it up at the Moon Golf Invitational from Sunday through Tuesday at Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Florida. This marks the sixth straight season the Tigers have competed in the event - and it’s clear this one means a little more than most.
There’s a strong Auburn connection here. Anne and Dan Moon, owners of Moon Golf and longtime supporters of the program, have helped turn this tournament into a staple on the spring calendar. Add in former Auburn player and assistant coach Courtney Trimble - now the tournament director - and it’s easy to see why head coach Melissa Luellen and her squad circle this event every year.
“We really want to get the win, and we want to get it for Anne,” Luellen said. “These next two tournaments have the strongest field strengths that we will see until the national championship.”
That’s not coach-speak - the field this week is loaded. Twelve of the nation’s top 25 teams are set to compete, including No.
5 Florida, No. 6 Texas A&M, No.
7 Wake Forest, No. 9 Texas, and a host of SEC rivals like No.
14 Ole Miss, No. 16 Mississippi State, No.
18 South Carolina, No. 22 Tennessee, and No.
24 Florida State. This is as close to a national championship preview as it gets in February.
But Auburn isn’t just showing up - they’re coming in hot.
The Tigers are fresh off a dominant team win at the UCF Challenge on January 27, where they fired a blistering 24-under-par 840 to secure their third title of the season. That performance wasn’t just impressive - it was a statement. Auburn beat Mississippi State by four strokes and looked every bit like a team with championship aspirations.
Senior Katie Cranston was the star of the show in Orlando, delivering three straight rounds of 3-under 69 to notch her first collegiate victory. Her 9-under 207 total was a career-best and earned her SEC Player of the Week honors. It’s the kind of breakthrough performance that can spark a big spring - and Cranston has already shown she can handle this course.
Last year, she led the Tigers with a tie for sixth place at the Moon Golf Invitational, helping Auburn to a seventh-place team finish. The year before that, the Tigers finished runner-up. This is a team with history here - and unfinished business.
This week’s Auburn lineup includes Cranston, Anna Davis, Charlotte Cantonis, Molly Brown Davidson, and Carys Worby. Anne Fernandez will compete as an individual and gets the early start, teeing off on No. 10 at 7:30 a.m.
CT. The rest of the team will begin on No. 1 at 8:40 a.m.
CT.
With a deep, talented roster and momentum on their side, Auburn’s heading into the Moon Golf Invitational with confidence - and purpose. The field is deep, the stakes are high, and the Tigers are looking to make a statement that resonates well beyond Melbourne.
Live scoring will be available throughout the tournament at scoreboard.clippd.com.