Rain dampens weekend, rankings for golf team
Jeremy Acree
Issue date: 10/1/09 Section: Sports
In a dreary, rain-shortened Bettie Lou Evans Invitational, the No. 12 ranked Lady Mocs golf team finished tied for third. The tournament was scheduled for three rounds from Friday through Sunday, but inclement weather cancelled Saturday's second round and the tournament concluded after only 36 holes of play.
The tournament was played on two different courses near the University of Kentucky Campus. The Lady Mocs challenged the par-72 SEC course Friday and the par -71 Big Blue Course for the final round Sunday. But the Lady Mocs needed at least one more round if they were going to catch the leaders.
A disappointing first round left Chattanooga five shots back of No. 9 Florida State - the only other top-25 team in the tournament. Aside from Emma de Groot, from Coffs Harbour, New South Whales, Australia, who shot an even par 72, UTC did not have a player shoot below a 75.
After such a strong outing at the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Nevada two weeks ago, junior Christine Wolf, from Igls Austria, struggled in both rounds in Kentucky. After the Nevada trip, coach Colette Murray said it was the first time Wolf had put together three strong rounds since she had been at UTC. But Murray also emphasized that her play was something to be expected every week.
The inconsistency returned for Wolf, however.
She shot a first round 81 and a second round 76, both of which were the drop scores for the Lady Mocs.
De Groot was just two shots behind leader Macarena Silva, from Florida State after her opening round, in which she made 16 pars, a birdie and a bogie.
Sophomore Maria Juliana Loza, from Bucaramanga, Columbia, finished her round with a 75 the first day.
She was tied for 13th at that point, and she held on to 17th - her best finish this season - with a second straight 75 Sunday.
Senior Kayla Stewart, from Cookeville, Tenn., also posted a season best finish, combining rounds of 78 and 74 to place 31st.
Sophomore Maria Salinas, from Lima, Peru, came into the tournament as the top-ranked Lady Moc nationally, at 66. She had been battling a back injury, however, and she fought her way to a first round 78.
The second round was an improvement, as she ended the round with Chattanooga's only eagle. She shot a one-over 72 and claimed a tie for 17th with Loza.
With the finish, Chattanooga dropped from No. 12 to 32 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin ratings, primarily due to the lack of strong teams in the tournament.
Even with the win, Florida State dropped ten spots to No. 19.
The competition will get tougher next time out for the Lady Mocs.
The team will head to Farragut, Tenn., for the Mercedes Benz Women's Championship October 16-18.
The tournament is hosted by the University of Tennessee-Knoxville at Fox Den Country Club, and will be the Lady Mocs' final tournament of the fall.
The tournament was played on two different courses near the University of Kentucky Campus. The Lady Mocs challenged the par-72 SEC course Friday and the par -71 Big Blue Course for the final round Sunday. But the Lady Mocs needed at least one more round if they were going to catch the leaders.
A disappointing first round left Chattanooga five shots back of No. 9 Florida State - the only other top-25 team in the tournament. Aside from Emma de Groot, from Coffs Harbour, New South Whales, Australia, who shot an even par 72, UTC did not have a player shoot below a 75.
After such a strong outing at the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Nevada two weeks ago, junior Christine Wolf, from Igls Austria, struggled in both rounds in Kentucky. After the Nevada trip, coach Colette Murray said it was the first time Wolf had put together three strong rounds since she had been at UTC. But Murray also emphasized that her play was something to be expected every week.
The inconsistency returned for Wolf, however.
She shot a first round 81 and a second round 76, both of which were the drop scores for the Lady Mocs.
De Groot was just two shots behind leader Macarena Silva, from Florida State after her opening round, in which she made 16 pars, a birdie and a bogie.
Sophomore Maria Juliana Loza, from Bucaramanga, Columbia, finished her round with a 75 the first day.
She was tied for 13th at that point, and she held on to 17th - her best finish this season - with a second straight 75 Sunday.
Senior Kayla Stewart, from Cookeville, Tenn., also posted a season best finish, combining rounds of 78 and 74 to place 31st.
Sophomore Maria Salinas, from Lima, Peru, came into the tournament as the top-ranked Lady Moc nationally, at 66. She had been battling a back injury, however, and she fought her way to a first round 78.
The second round was an improvement, as she ended the round with Chattanooga's only eagle. She shot a one-over 72 and claimed a tie for 17th with Loza.
With the finish, Chattanooga dropped from No. 12 to 32 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin ratings, primarily due to the lack of strong teams in the tournament.
Even with the win, Florida State dropped ten spots to No. 19.
The competition will get tougher next time out for the Lady Mocs.
The team will head to Farragut, Tenn., for the Mercedes Benz Women's Championship October 16-18.
The tournament is hosted by the University of Tennessee-Knoxville at Fox Den Country Club, and will be the Lady Mocs' final tournament of the fall.
