SHIZUOKA, Japan – The Florida Gulf Coast University women's golf team kicks off its 2026-27 campaign on the other side of the world, heading to Shizuoka, Japan, for the Pan Pacific University Golf Super League Tournament at Grand Fields Country Club.

With the time zone difference, the Pan Pacific UGSL Tournament will take place Sept. 2-4 locally, but will take place Sept. 1-3 stateside. The Eagles will tee off round one at 7:50 a.m. locally (6:50 p.m. ET).

Set at Grand Fields Country Club, a par-71 course measuring 6,164 yards, the Pan Pacific UGSL field includes Long Beach State, San Jose State, TCU, Fukui University of Technology, Komazawa University, National Taiwan Sport University, Nihon University and Tohoku Fukushi University alongside the Eagles. FGCU will send Sydney Deal, Annie Yost, Gia Culler-Guerra, Sarah Hyten and Charlene Lamb to Japan for the tournament. Live scoring will be provided by Scoreboard.

Leading the way for the Eagles is junior Sydney Deal, who earned Second Team All-ASUN honors as a sophomore last season. Deal competed in 10 tournaments and 30 rounds, posting a 73.6 scoring average. Her best finish came at the ASUN Championship, where she placed sixth at 1-under, recording nine birdies and carding a 2-under 70 in round two. She also tied for 15th at the Bell Bank "Pay It Forward" Collegiate and led the Eagles at the Route 66 Invitational with a tie for 11th, tallying 15 birdies, tied for most in the field. Deal closed the season nationally ranked No. 383.

Sophomore Annie Yost returns after a freshman campaign in which she played four tournaments and 12 rounds, averaging 74.3 strokes per round. Her top finish came at the Pat Bradley Invitational, where she tied for 14th at 6-over with six birdies across the two-day event. Yost also finished tied for 42nd at the Route 66 Invitational and tied for 47th at the UCF Challenge.

Sophomore Gia Culler-Guerra also returns to the lineup after competing in two tournaments and six rounds as a freshman, posting a 74.5 scoring average. She turned in her best finish at the Pat Bradley Invitational, placing 26th at 10-over in her collegiate debut, and later tied for 41st at the Gators Invitational while tallying seven birdies, tied for 23rd most in the field.

Making her collegiate debut is freshman Sarah Hyten, who arrives at FGCU after a decorated career at Father McGivney Catholic High School. Hyten posted a 70.6 scoring average as a senior and a 72.75 average for her high school career, with a career-low round of 64. She won the 2025 Illinois 1A State Championship, earned All-State honors three times and was named the 2025 St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro Girls Golfer of the Year. Hyten graduated summa cum laude with a 4.32 GPA.

Also making her collegiate debut is freshman Charlene Lamb, who joins the Eagles out of Cactus Shadows High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Lamb was named Athlete of the Month and Athlete of the Year during her prep career and earned a language seal for her academic achievement.

The FGCU men's golf team will also be in action in Japan, competing in a men's division that runs concurrently at the same event.

Head coach Shannon Sykora and the Eagles open the 2026-27 season thousands of miles from home, kicking off the year on the other side of the Pacific.

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