GRAND FORKS, N.D.-- Monday's opening rounds finally give shape to a shortened 2020-21 women's golf season, a schedule that features four tournaments in the spring leading up to the Summit League Championship in April.  

North Dakota opens at the UTRGV Invitational in McAllen, Texas, then two weeks later returns south for the Bama Beach Bash in Gulf Shores, Ala. UND will play at the John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate Mar. 29-30 then will have one final tuneup before the conference meet, an April 12-13 Stampede at the Creek in Omaha, Neb. 

Head coach Kristyl Sunderman is in her third season at North Dakota and boasts an impressive list of golfers she's brought to campus. UND will lean heavily on that fresh talent this season with half of the roster newcomers (four freshmen, one transfer). 

Carrie Carpenter was the Montana AA State champion as a prep and appears to be an immediate plugin to the lineup. Joy Callinan was also a state champion, unseating a three-time winner in Arizona. Courtney Wedin was a Minnesota State 3A runner-up and Josalynn Abbott finished 7th at state for a dynamite rookie class that looks to pay immediate dividends. 

St. Cloud State transfer Morgan Hetletved returns to her home city, where she had a successful prep career at Red River High School that preceded her first two collegiate seasons where she was the top golfer in each of the last two seasons for the Huskies. 

The returners include sophomore Pemika Ponlamuangdee, who was named a Summit League Golfer to watch for a second consecutive season. Last year, she was second on the team with a 79.56 stroke average in 16 rounds. Ponlamuangdee shot a team-season-low 72 in the final round of the Rainbow Wahine Invitational and also tied for UND's second-lowest round of the season with a one-over 73 in the final round of the first tournament of her career, part of eight rounds in the 70s in her freshman season.

Also returning for North Dakota is senior Abby Schramel, who had seven rounds in the 70s last year, including six consecutive sub-80 rounds in the early portions of the season. Junior Abbie Kelm shot an individual best one-over 73 at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational, part of her six sub-80 rounds with her stroke average at 80.75 for the season. Rebecca Huus returns as well, after playing in one tournament a season ago. In addition, sophomore returner Kianna Novacek will solidify the roster. 

The season gets underway Monday when the team travels to Texas to partake in the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley Invitational. The par-72, 6,024-yard course will see 11 teams converge on the course from predominantly Texas schools, but also including fellow Summit League member Omaha and UIC from the Horizon League.