2013 Women's Golf Signee Claims Her Third-Consecutive Ernie Els Championship
The 2013 signee from Mpumlanga, South Africa, posted a 148 (73-75) to edge Kelly Erasmus by two strokes (73-77=150). Pieters previously won the 2010 and 2011 Ernie Els Championships en route to being named back-to-back Mpumalanga Sports Woman of the Year.
"This third championship for Izel is indicative of her ability and exactly the level of the talent we are recruiting to Mississippi State," third-year coach Ginger Brown-Lemm said. "She works hard and is very determined to succeed. We are still building, but with a freshman like Izel contributing, it won't be long before we achieve our goal of an SEC Championship."
Pieters is a perennial Top 5 member of the Women's Golf South Africa (WGSA) Junior Order of Merit. She earned a career-best ranking of second following the 2011 season and hopes to top that ranking before donning the Maroon and White.
She has represented her country on the junior amateur team in India, Germany and twice in Scotland. Pieters also received invitations to the 2011 and 2012 Annika Sorenstam Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
Pieters signed with Brown-Lemm and the women's golf program in November as one of the top international recruits in the 2013 class.
