The Arkansas Razorbacks women’s golf team is set to begin its 2025-26 season at the Carmel Cup, held at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California from August 29 to 31. The event uses a 6-count-5 format and will feature live scoring via Scoreboard by Clippd.
Arkansas enters the season with high expectations, ranked No. 10 in Golfweek’s preseason rankings and No. 9 in Golf Channel’s preseason top 30 teams and players. Junior Maria José Marin has received several preseason accolades, including first-team All-American honors from both Golfweek and Golf Channel, as well as a spot on the ANNIKA Award Preseason Watch List. Sophomore Clarisa Temelo was named a third-team All-American by Golf Channel.
The Razorbacks’ projected starting lineup for the Carmel Cup includes Marin, Temelo, Reagan Zibilski, Abbey Schutte, and Natalie Blonien. Other team members listed are Anna Kate Nichols and incoming freshmen Swetha Sathish and Sayers Allen. Notably, Kendall Todd, Giovanna Fernandez, and Cory Lopez have departed from last year’s squad.
According to Golf Channel’s Brently Romine, Arkansas finished last season ranked second nationally and reached the NCAA match play quarterfinals before being eliminated by Northwestern. The team also won a match at the SEC Championships for the first time since their conference victory in 2018.
Head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor commented on preparations for this season: “We’ve got to have a little different mindset and finish a little stronger,” she said, “so we’re doing some things to really challenge the girls coming down the stretch and prepare them for moments of winning.”
Marin is highlighted as an important returnee after spending her summer refining her game inside 100 yards and competing in two major tournaments. Temelo is recognized for her strong iron play following a freshman campaign that included five top-10 finishes and a Women’s Amateur Latin America win.
Senior Reagan Zibilski won the Missouri Women’s Amateur over the summer while Schutte made match play at Bandon. Both are expected to contribute alongside Blonien and Nichols at Pebble Beach.
Estes-Taylor has emphasized increased focus on match play scenarios during qualifiers leading up to the Carmel Cup to help strengthen performance under pressure.
For further updates on Arkansas women’s golf, information is available through their official social media channels (@RazorbackWGolf).
