WEST POINT — As Mississippi State took to the first tee at Old Waverly Golf Club on Monday morning, the Bulldogs did so in the shadow of a large sign showcasing the logo of ‘The Ally’.
First known as the Magnolia Invitational at its inception in 2017, the event has been a staple of MSU’s fall schedule and the program’s lone home tournament.
More recently, it has gone by another name, a name change instituted by former head coach Ginger Brown-Lemm to honor arguably the best Bulldog in program history, Ally Ewing.
Now in year four of ‘The Ally’, Mississippi State looks to finally defend its home course with a victory, cementing a period of rapid growth that has seen the Bulldogs reach new heights.
“There’s definitely a very different feeling about this tournament,” head coach Charlie Ewing said. “Not making it necessarily any better or on a different level or anything, it just has a different meaning to us. It means a lot to us for a lot of reasons. We’re really, really proud of our home golf courses. To be able to host here at Old Waverly is unbelievably special.”
First built in 1988, Old Waverly is considered one of the best, if not the best, golf courses in Mississippi, and one players from all over the country to travel to the Golden Triangle to experience.
Ewing talked about how coaches and players who have come to play in the tournament rave about the amenities and the course, asking to have their names on the list to return as soon as possible.
This year saw four teams, Indiana, Mercer, Old Dominion and James Madison return to the field of 12 competing for a title, and with the recent success of Mississippi State, it’s become a destination tournament for some of the best programs in the country.
“Everything about it is something I know other coaches and players really appreciate about coming and visiting here,” Ewing said. “That just makes it even more cemented in our hearts how grateful we are and how privileged we are to be able to call this place home.”
Ewing has been involved with Mississippi State golf since the 2017-18 season, first as an assistant coach for men’s golf before becoming the head coach of the women’s program in December 2020.
His and Ally’s last names aren’t coincidental as the two have been married since May 2020.
In his tenure as head coach, Ally Ewing, a 2015 MSU graduate and three-time LPGA Tour winner, has remained close with the program since getting her tour card in 2015.
Ally Ewing’s presence, along with world-class practice sites at both Old Waverly and Mossy Oak Golf Course across the street, the expectation of success has risen, and the importance of representing the university, especially at home, has stuck.
“It’s absolutely amazing and it’s great that we can share it with other teams,” sophomore Izzy Pellot said. “… We’re very thankful that we have Ally just as someone that we can look up to and that we can keep our heads held high knowing we have such great golfers to look up to..”
Pellot was part of MSU’s starting five for last year’s tournament, only her fourth-career start with the Bulldogs.
While there’s great pride taken from hosting an event like ‘The Ally’ and a known importance about the event, the golf is all the same.
“We do a lot of qualifying out here,” Pellot said. “It’s kind of just, ‘See the course, know what you have to do and just get out there and go play.’ You don’t need to make home tournaments feel very overwhelming because I feel like it can. … It was just a really chill environment.”
The Bulldogs certainly put themselves in a position to win this year, finishing 4-under as a team through the first round on Monday.
Tuesday’s second round has proved to be a tough time for the entire field with no team shooting under par, but that doesn’t change the mission at the end of the day: Take home hardware.
“Every single time you tee it up, you want to be in that position to win,” Ewing said. “That’s not something that changes. There’s just something about this week that’s a little bit extra special. … You just know deep down that being able to play at home is something that we only do once a year. When we have the opportunity to do it, we want to take advantage of it.”
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