WALTHAM, Mass. – Women’s golf, Bentley University’s newest varsity sport, will debut Monday and Tuesday with the Falcons at the Bretwood Golf Course in Keene, N.H. for the Franklin Pierce Women’s Fall Invitational.
              
The addition of women’s golf gives the Falcons a total of 24 varsity sports, evenly split between men and women. It’s the first addition to Bentley’s varsity sports offerings since women’s lacrosse a quarter-century ago.
              
Coach David Scholnick has amassed a diverse roster of nine players, representing five states and the country of Indonesia. It’s a young group with five freshmen, three juniors and senior Kaitlyn McCarthy (Medfield/Medfield HS). McCarthy will be a team co-captain, along with junior Jillian Miles (Rutland, Vt./Vermont Academy).
              
The lineup for the opening tournament will be the two co-captains and freshmen Tanya Chowdary (Belle Mead, N.J./Wardlaw Hartridge School), Alexandra Kwon (Westford/Westford Academy) and Ryley King (Barnstable/Barnstable HS).
              
According to Scholnick, his players, most notably the freshmen, will have to adjust from playing nine-hole match-play events in high school to competing in 36-hole medal-play tournaments.
              
The team has been preparing for their first season with practice sessions at the Needham Golf Club, the Stone Meadow driving range in Lexington and at the putting green at the Cornelia Warren Park, just down the street from Bentley.
              
“We are very grateful that Needham has allowed us to their facilities every Tuesday,” said Scholnick, who was charged with assembling the program from scratch since being hired last winter.
              
The Franklin Pierce Invitational will be the first of five during the fall portion of the schedule. The Falcons will be at the Hartford Hawks Gillette Ridge Invitational Sept. 21-22 and will play in the Northeast-10 Conference Championships at Blackstone National in Sutton Sept. 29-30.
              
October will see Bentley participate in tournaments in New Hampshire and Connecticut.