54-hole event to take place at Moss Creek Golf Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - The 2012 Southern Conference Women's Golf Championship will be played April 15-17 at Moss Creek Golf Club's North Course in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

This is the fourth straight year that the par 72, 5,975-yard course has hosted the SoCon championship, as Chattanooga will look to win its third consecutive tournament title. The Mocs routed the field in 2011, topping second-place College of Charleston by 30 strokes in the largest SoCon tournament win since 2005.

Chattanooga's Jordan Britt, who was runner-up to departed teammate Emma de Groot a year ago, is the top returner in the field while Appalachian State junior Yue Xu, who stormed to a three-stroke victory as a freshman in 2010, looks to take home medalist honors for the second time.

UNCG, led by freshman Fanny Cnops, who is the top-rated golfer in the league, ranks tops in the league this season at 64th nationally, according to Golfstat. The Spartans have claimed the runner-up trophy six times in school history but are still in search for their first SoCon crown.

Two-time defending champion Chattanooga enters the event rated second at 76th nationally, followed by Furman at 83. The Paladins have won 13 of the 18 SoCon Tournaments since the event began in 1994.

College of Charleston (92), which finished second in both 2010 and 2011, is also a top 100 team, according to Golfstat. Other schools competing in this weekend's event include Appalachian State, The Citadel, Elon, Samford, Western Carolina and Wofford.

The winner of the SoCon Championship will earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The tournament tees off at 8:00 a.m. ET Sunday morning, and fans can follow the action at http://golfstatresults.com/public/index.cfm?tournament_id=2735.