SMU women’s golf will conclude its 2026 fall campaign at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, North Carolina, from October 23–25, with the Mustangs aiming to build on three competitive tournament performances under head coach Lauren Mason.
The three-day event will take place at the Country Club of Landfall’s Pete Dye Course, bringing together 18 NCAA Division I programs, including several nationally ranked teams and seven Atlantic Coast Conference members.
SMU enters the tournament following a tied-sixth finish at the Stanford Intercollegiate, where senior Grace Jin led the Mustangs with a one-over-par 214.
Jin, Maelynn Kim, Kirra St-Laurent, Celine Chen and Yoonjeong Huh will represent SMU in the team’s final tournament before its winter break.
SMU Women’s Golf Looks to Finish Fall Season Strong
The Mustangs have shown competitive form during the opening three tournaments of the 2026–27 season.
SMU began its fall campaign at the Leadership and Sports Invitational in Washington, finishing tied for fourth.
The team followed that performance with a tied-fifth result at the inaugural Haskins Intercollegiate in Columbus, Georgia.
Most recently, the Mustangs finished tied for sixth among 17 teams at the Stanford Intercollegiate, posting a 16-over-par team total.
Those results have provided a consistent foundation entering the Landfall Tradition, where the team will face another challenging field.
The Wilmington tournament will also give SMU an opportunity to assess its progress before beginning its spring schedule in January.
Grace Jin Leads Mustangs Entering Landfall Tradition
Senior Grace Jin has been one of SMU’s most consistent performers during the fall.
Through three tournaments, Jin leads the Mustangs with a season scoring average of 71.89 strokes.
She also has the team’s best first-round average at 70.89.
Jin opened her senior campaign with a career-low, bogey-free 66 at Chambers Bay during the Leadership and Sports Invitational.
That performance helped her finish tied for fifth overall at two under par, marking her best collegiate finish for SMU.
At the Stanford Intercollegiate, Jin again led the team, recording rounds of 72, 71 and 71 for a one-over-par 214.
Her consistent performances will make her an important player to follow as SMU attempts to finish its fall schedule positively.
Jin is scheduled to begin Friday’s opening round at 9:09 a.m. Eastern from the 10th tee.
Maelynn Kim Brings Strong Birdie-Making Form
Maelynn Kim has also made an immediate impact during her first season with the Mustangs.
The Houston transfer enters the Landfall Tradition with a scoring average of 72.67, the second-best figure on the team.
Her 30 birdies through three events lead SMU, while her opening-round scoring average of 69.33 is the best among the Mustangs.
Kim delivered one of her strongest performances at the Haskins Intercollegiate, finishing tied for eighth at four under par.
She opened that event with a four-under 68 before playing the final two rounds in even par.
At Stanford, Kim finished three over par for the tournament after beginning with a two-under 69.
Her ability to produce birdies could be valuable at the Landfall Tradition, where SMU will need strong individual contributions to challenge the leading teams.
Kim will begin Friday’s first round at 8:58 a.m. Eastern.
Kirra St-Laurent Adds Depth to SMU Lineup
Sophomore Kirra St-Laurent has also contributed several strong rounds during the fall season.
She enters the tournament with a scoring average of 73.00 and has recorded 26 birdies, placing second on the team behind Kim.
St-Laurent has produced three rounds of par or better through the team’s first three tournaments, including two rounds in the 60s.
Her four-under 68 at the Haskins Intercollegiate was one of the notable individual rounds of SMU’s fall campaign.
The sophomore finished tied for 12th at that event, providing another important contribution to the Mustangs’ team performance.
St-Laurent is scheduled to begin the opening round at 8:30 a.m. Eastern from the 10th hole.
Celine Chen and Yoonjeong Huh Complete Five-Player Team
Celine Chen and Yoonjeong Huh round out SMU’s five-player lineup.
Chen, a senior, has maintained a season scoring average of 74.67 through three tournaments.
Her best round of the fall came at the Stanford Intercollegiate, where she posted a one-over-par 72.
Huh enters the weekend with an even 75.00 scoring average.
The South Korean golfer recorded an even-par 71 during the second round at Stanford, marking her second round of par or better this season.
Both players will be important to SMU’s overall scoring as the Mustangs attempt to compete against a strong field.
Chen is scheduled to tee off at 8:39 a.m. Eastern, followed by Huh at 8:48 a.m.
Wake Forest, Auburn and Duke Headline Strong Field
The 2026 Landfall Tradition features several of the leading programs in NCAA women’s golf.
Top-ranked Wake Forest is among the tournament favorites, with Auburn, Duke and South Carolina also bringing strong teams to Wilmington.
SMU will face six fellow ACC programs: Clemson, Duke, Florida State, NC State, North Carolina and Wake Forest.
Other participating schools include Alabama, East Carolina, Indiana, Kent State, Kentucky, Michigan State, South Florida, UCF and host UNC Wilmington.
The tournament provides a valuable opportunity for the Mustangs to compete against familiar conference opponents and nationally competitive programs.
North Carolina returns as the defending team champion after winning the 2025 Landfall Tradition.
Landfall Tradition Schedule and Course Details
The tournament will be contested over three days at the Country Club of Landfall’s Pete Dye Course.
First-round tee times begin at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on Friday, October 23, with players starting from the first and 10th tees.
SMU’s entire five-player lineup will begin from the 10th hole.
Saturday’s second round is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by Sunday’s final round, which will use an 8:45 a.m. shotgun start.
The event is open to spectators, with free admission and parking.
Live scoring will be available through Scoreboard by Clippd, allowing fans to follow the team and individual competitions throughout the weekend.
What Comes Next for SMU Women’s Golf?
The Landfall Tradition marks the conclusion of SMU’s scheduled fall tournament program.
Following the event, the Mustangs will turn their attention to the spring portion of the 2026–27 season.
SMU is scheduled to return to competition at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, California, from January 31 to February 2, 2027.
The spring calendar will also feature the ACC Women’s Golf Championship in April and postseason competition.
The Mustangs enter the season with significant expectations after winning an NCAA Regional in 2026 and advancing to the national championship.
For now, their immediate focus is on producing another competitive performance at Landfall.
With Jin providing consistent scoring, Kim leading the team’s birdie production and several teammates capable of contributing low rounds, SMU has an opportunity to finish its fall campaign on a positive note against one of the stronger fields on its schedule.