CLINTON, Miss. --- Mississippi College president Dr. Blake Thompson and athletic director Mike Jones are pleased to announce the start of a women's golf program, effective immediately, it was announced on Monday (May 11).

"We are really excited about the launch of the women's golf program at MC," said Coach Jones. "Women's golf is the fastest-growing segment in the game, and we are thrilled to offer an opportunity for young women to compete for the Lady Choctaws."

Mississippi College will be the only Division II school in the State of Mississippi to offer women's golf and will join Christian Brothers, Lee, Montevallo, Shorter, Spring Hill, Union, West Florida and West Georgia as schools from the Gulf South Conference with women's programs.

Brent Belton, the head professional at Bay Pointe Resort and Golf Club, will serve as the team's head coach. He has been the owner, general manager and pro at Bay Pointe since 1991 and has been teaching golf for nearly 40 years.

"Brent is going to be an outstanding addition to our MC Athletics staff," Jones went on. "He is a Godly man with an exceptional knowledge of the game and great teaching abilities. We will be a new team, but under Coach Belton's leadership, I don't think it will take long to compete for championships."

"I'm really excited for this opportunity to not only lead but launch the women's golf program at MC," said Belton. "I feel like our home state of Mississippi needed a Division II program to give girls an opportunity to play college golf. Mississippi College and it's strong Christian beliefs are a perfect match for my family and what we want to do."

Bay Pointe will serve as the main practice facility for the women's team, and several improvements are being made to make it a top-notch collegiate golf training ground. Under Belton's leadership, the club is adding a brand new putting green and chipping area, new bunker practice area and upgrades to their driving range.

The most exciting feature of the upgrades, however, is the installation of an indoor practice facility that will be outfitted with Trackman technology. Trackman Golf is utilized on the PGA and LPGA Tours to provide unparalleled data to help improve the games of its users. It will be a distinct preparation, as well as, recruiting advantage for Mississippi College Women's Golf.

The Lady Choctaws are scheduled to begin competition in the Fall of 2020.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and began competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.

The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.

For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.