CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.---The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's golf team returns to the links on Sunday, Sept. 13, at the inaugural Golfweek Conference Challenge played at the Primm Valley Casinos Desert Course in Primm, Nev. The event features one team from 18 different conferences around the country. It is an interesting setup for the field giving opportunity to several programs to make a splash.
“Just based on the format of the tournament, this is not as strong a field as we just played (NGCA Hooters Collegiate Match Play),” said Head Coach Colette Murray. “But it is a good field and a great tournament to be a part of.
“Oklahoma State is one of the best programs in the country and we know how good Pepperdine is from playing with them at (NCAA) finals,” added the third-year head coach. Cal, UC Irvine and Ohio State all received strong notice last year and we are very familiar with how good Georgia State is.
“It will be a battle and we need to be ready to play from the outset.”
The Lady Mocs are coming off a good showing at the Hooters Collegiate Match Play. Chattanooga finished eighth in stroke play ahead of top 10 programs Duke and North Carolina before losing three tight matches in the Championship Bracket to Florida (3-2), Georgia (2-1-2) and South Carolina (3-2).
“We didn't go down there to get into the championship bracket and be satisfied,” Murray continued. “It was a very disappointing finish because we could have and should have won all three of those matches. It is a learning experience and what the girls are learning is that they can play with anyone in the country.”
WHO: Emma de Groot. Went 3-0 in her matches after finishing stroke play tied for 29th four shots behind teammate Maria Salinas at 151 (+7).
WHAT: Golfweek Conference Challenge – 54 holes (18 per day)
WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 13 through Tuesday, Sept. 15
WHERE: Desert Course at Primm Valley Casino Resorts; Primm, Nev. The 6,150-yard, par 72 layout was designed by renowned designer Tom Fazio and is accented by palm and mesquite trees along with colorful cactus and desert wildflowers. As its name implies, vast stretches of waste bunkers border various fairways and the layout is replete with elevation changes and well-bunked greens.
HOW: Live scoring at Golfstat.com.
LINEUP (Scoring Avg.): Maria Salinas (73.5), Emma de Groot (75.5), Maju Loza (77.0), Kayla Stewart (77.5), Christine Wolf (79.0).
FIELD: Ball State, Cal, UC Irvine, CHATTANOOGA, Coastal Carolina, Drake, East Tennessee State, Fresno State, Georgia State, Harvard, Jacksonville State, UNLV, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts, Pepperdine, Portland State, SMU
2008-09 RANKINGS BY TEAM (Golfstat/Golfweek): Oklahoma State (5/4), Pepperdine (14/14), Cal (21/25), UC Irvine (26/30), Ohio State (27/27), Georgia State (30/29), UNLV (37/33), CHATTANOOGA (44/44), ETSU (47/62), Oral Roberts (68/68), Fresno State (80/75), Coastal Carolina (83/83), Harvard (90/89), Drake (115/117), Jacksonville State (119/116), SMU (122/139), Ball State (128/114), Portland State (146/146)
