College Golf | ‘Dogs getting it done in East

golf georgia garrett phillips east regional

‘Dogs getting it done in East

• Central: UCLA maintains lead.
• West: UNLV frosh making storied West run.

By DAN MIROCHA
Assistant Editor

ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia isn’t playing its best golf, but coach Kelley Hester couldn’t be more relaxed.

The Bulldogs, No. 8 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, followed a first-round 299 with a 300 Friday at the NCAA Women’s East Regional, but still moved from ninth to a tie for fifth on a day when the wind blew and pins seemed to be in precarious spots on the slick greens at the University of Georgia Golf Course.

“I feel like it doesn’t do a lot of good if I’m real antsy,” Hester said. “The girls pick up on it.”

Home-course advantage and sleeping in their own beds isn’t the only thing that is making the Bulldogs more easy-going. A year ago this week, former coach Todd McCorkle resigned after the school completed an investigation into complaints that he verbally and sexually harassed his players. The program was in turmoil and the squad struggled at the NCAA Championship, finishing eighth.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen this time a year ago,” junior Mallory Hetzel said. “Nobody could have predicted. Certainly I’m happy with the way things are now.”

Hester isn’t the only one who’s provided Georgia with a fresh start. Freshman Krystle Caithness is emerging as the team’s go-to player, especially since she was named to the Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup team in March. The match will be held at St. Andrews, her home course.

“I feel like I’ve performed better since being named,” said Caithness, who shot 72 and is tied for fourth with UNC Wilmington’s Carmen Perez. “I want to show them back home that I’m playing well.”

Hester is confident her team will qualify for the NCAA Championship, but emphasized that she’s looking for a solid round tomorrow in order to gain momentum heading to Albuquerque, N.M.

“There was no way in the world these girls (were) not going to allow everything ... to work out,” Hester said.

• • •

CHOMPIN’ AWAY: Florida flew by Duke after posting Friday’s best score – 7-over 295 – and took the lead by three shots. Jessica Yadloczky made par on her final nine holes and finished with 72. She moved from a tie for 17th to a tie for seventh with three other players. Freshman Hanna Yun recovered after a front-nine 41 to shoot 2 under coming in.

“They’re hanging in there and they’re fighting hard,” coach Jill Briles-Hinton said. “We’re not sending any message, we’re just playing golf. We’re just fortunate that when we add it up, the scores are pretty low.”

A day after two of his players broke par, Duke coach Dan Brooks said his team had trouble Friday playing on the University of Georgia Golf Course’s tricky greens.

“There were a lot of surprised looks on (our) faces after putts because they expected them to go in,” Brooks said. “You’ve got to be mentally stronger than that, and that’s where we didn’t get it done.”

Amanda Blumenherst finished with a 73, the team’s best score, and is tied for second at 3-under 141.

• • •

FROM CANADA, WITH LOVE: A little bit of mentoring goes a long way, especially for Louisville freshman Sara-Maude Juneau. The Quebec native posted her second consecutive 67 and leads Blumenherst and South Carolina’s Benedicte Toumpsin by a shot. And she’s thanking a conversation with Cardinals alumus and fellow Canadian Adrienne White for inspiration.

“She told me the main thing was to be constant,” Juneau said. “Pars are good.”

It sounds simple, but for Juneau it works. Louisville coach Kelly Meyers-Rothberg said Juneau, despite finishing sixth, wasn’t ready mentally to win the Big East Championship three weeks ago. Now, with a new gameplan and mindset, Juneau is poised for a run at the regional individual title.

“I’ve learned how to be patient and that’s what I’m going to try to do tomorrow,” Juneau said.

• • •

QUOTES FROM THE BUBBLE: Meyers-Rothberg, after he Cardinals went from fifth to tenth with a second-round 315, “We’re not going to be playing scared tomorrow. We’re going to be attacking because we have nothing to lose”

• New Mexico coach Jill Truijillo, after the Lobos moved from tenth to eighth with a 301, “Yesterday we were very nervous. We have a lot of pressure on us. We’re the host school (for the NCAA Championship) and we need to get there. Every day back home, people are telling us, ‘This is the year you can do it.’ We’ve worked so hard to get here and we would be doing a very big disservice to ourselves if we didn’t make it.”

• Virginia coach Kim Lewellen, after the Cavaliers went from a tie for sixth to ninth after a 310, “The hardest part of being a coach, it’s just me keeping my mouth shut. I’m sure (my players) can do what they do well. I’ve had to learn that – just to keep my mouth shut and do some cheerleading.”

• • •

Dan Mirocha is a Golfweek assistant editor. To reach him e-mail dmirocha@golfweek.com.

Scores with relation to par from the second round of the NCAA Women’s East Regional, played May 9 at the par-72, 6,335-yard University of Georgia GC in Athens, Ga. (Note: y-playing as an individual):

TEAMS
1. Florida	290-295--585	+	9
2. Duke	285-303--588	+	12
3. South Carolina	291-303--594	+	18
4. Auburn	296-302--598	+	22
5. Georgia	299-300--599	+	23
5. Furman	292-307--599	+	23
7. Wake Forest	298-305--603	+	27
8. New Mexico	304-301--605	+	29
9. Virginia	296-310--606	+	30
10. Louisville	293-315--608	+	32
11. East Carolina	314-297--611	+	35
12. Vanderbilt	308-305--613	+	37
13. Georgia St.	308-306--614	+	38
13. UNC Wilmington	312-302--614	+	38
15. Indiana	309-313--622	+	46
15. Tennessee	311-311--622	+	46
17. Central Florida	312-311--623	+	47
18. Charleston Southern	309-315--624	+	48
19. Missouri	305-320--625	+	49
20. Jacksonville St.	327-315--642	+	66
21. Jackson St.	338-333--671	+	95
• • •
INDIVIDUALS
1. Benedicte Toumpsin, South Carolina	68-70--138		-6
2. Amanda Blumenherst, Duke	68-73--141		-3
2. Sara-Maude Juneau, Louisville	67-74--141		-3
4. Krystle Caithness, Georgia	70-73--143		-1
4. Carmen Perez, UNC Wilmington	71-72--143		-1
6. Alexandra Phelps, New Mexico	71-73--144		E
7. Corrine Carr, Furman	69-76--145	+	1
7. Cydney Clanton, Auburn	70-75--145	+	1
7. Ornella Jouven, Florida	72-73--145	+	1
7. Jessica Yadloczky, Florida	73-72--145	+	1
11. Tiffany Chudy, Florida	72-75--147	+	3
12. Kimberly Donovan, Duke	70-78--148	+	4
12. Julia Potter, Missouri	73-75--148	+	4
12. Marci Turner, Tennessee	73-75--148	+	4
12. Hannah Yun, Florida	73-75--148	+	4
16. y-Emma de Groot, Chattanooga	73-76--149	+	5
16. Iliska Verwey, Georgia St.	74-75--149	+	5
18. Nannette Hill, Wake Forest	74-76--150	+	6
18. Joy Kim, Virginia	73-77--150	+	6
18. Blair Lamb, Furman	76-74--150	+	6
18. Emelie Lind, East Carolina	76-74--150	+	6
18. Camila Mori, South Carolina	74-76--150	+	6
18. Candace Schepperle, Auburn	74-76--150	+	6
18. Anna Scott, Georgia St.	75-75--150	+	6
25. Carolina Andrade, Georgia	77-74--151	+	7
25. Jaclyn Hilea, Furman	72-79--151	+	7
25. Mercedes Huarte, Jacksonville St.	76-75--151	+	7
25. Cindy LaCrosse, Louisville	72-79--151	+	7
25. Liebelei Lawrence, Vanderbilt	78-73--151	+	7
25. Amber Littman, East Carolina	80-71--151	+	7
25. Whitney Neuhauser, Virginia	72-79--151	+	7
25. Garrett Phillips, Georgia	77-74--151	+	7
33. y-Dori Carter, Mississippi	77-75--152	+	8
33. y-Paula Hurtado, Fla. International	76-76--152	+	8
33. Amber Lundskog, Vanderbilt	76-76--152	+	8
33. Calle Nielson, Virginia	74-78--152	+	8
33. Natalie Sheary, Wake Forest	72-80--152	+	8
33. Sarah Thead, Auburn	77-75--152	+	8
33. Alison Whitaker, Duke	75-77--152	+	8
40. Jean Chua, Wake Forest	76-77--153	+	9
40. Laura Crawford, Wake Forest	76-77--153	+	9
40. Jodi Ewart, New Mexico	76-77--153	+	9
40. Stefanie Kenoyer, Furman	75-78--153	+	9
40. Mariana Macias, Auburn	77-76--153	+	9
40. Katrin Rumpf, Charles. So.	78-75--153	+	9
40. Margaret Shirley, Auburn	75-78--153	+	9
40. Jessy Tang, UCF	74-79--153	+	9
40. Bly Worley, South Carolina	75-78--153	+	9
49. Taylor Barrett, South Carolina	74-80--154	+	10
49. Abby Bools, East Carolina	76-78--154	+	10
49. Diana Cantu, Tennessee	74-80--154	+	10
49. Britney Choy, New Mexico	76-78--154	+	10
49. Brooke Goodwin, Vanderbilt	77-77--154	+	10
49. Lene Krog, Virginia	78-76--154	+	10
49. Jennie Lee, Duke	79-75--154	+	10
56. Laura Anderson, Louisville	76-79--155	+	11
56. Allie Bodemann, Wake Forest	80-75--155	+	11
56. Elaine Harris, Indiana	77-78--155	+	11
56. Laura Nochta, Indiana	81-74--155	+	11
56. Jennifer Pandolfi, Duke	72-83--155	+	11
61. Anita Gahir, Indiana	76-80--156	+	12
61. Morgan Grantham, New Mexico	81-75--156	+	12
61. Megan Grehan, Vanderbilt	77-79--156	+	12
61. Mallory Hetzel, Georgia	75-81--156	+	12
61. Madison Jeter, Charles. So.	76-80--156	+	12
61. Olivia Jordan-Higgins, Charles. So.	75-81--156	+	12
61. Stephanie Noser, UNC Wilmington	79-77--156	+	12
61. Ashley Tait, UNC Wilmington	78-78--156	+	12
61. Innapha Tantanavivat, Georgia	77-79--156	+	12
61. Mayule Tomimbang, UCF	77-79--156	+	12
71. Jennie Arseneault, Virginia	77-80--157	+	13
71. Whitney Simons, South Carolina	78-79--157	+	13
73. Mikaela Backstedt, New Mexico	82-76--158	+	14
73. Leigh Crosby, UCF	81-77--158	+	14
73. Katie Detlefsen, UCF	82-76--158	+	14
73. Lauren Harling, Indiana	77-81--158	+	14
73. Lindsey Haupt, Missouri	78-80--158	+	14
73. Nicole Schachner, Florida	82-76--158	+	14
79. Colleen Estes, East Carolina	85-74--159	+	15
79. Rhiannon Loebs, Charles. So.	80-79--159	+	15
79. Sandra Maier, Georgia St.	78-81--159	+	15
79. Michelle Morgan, Missouri	76-83--159	+	15
83. Madde Augustsson, Missouri	78-82--160	+	16
83. Shasta Averyhardt, Jackson St.	83-77--160	+	16
83. Kellye Belcher, Indiana	79-81--160	+	16
83. Emily Klein, UNC Wilmington	85-75--160	+	16
83. Cathrine Madsen, Georgia St.	81-79--160	+	16
83. Ana Maria Puche, East Carolina	82-78--160	+	16
83. Nicole Smith, Tennessee	82-78--160	+	16
83. Claire Starkie, Georgia St.	83-77--160	+	16
91. Amanda Henry, Louisville	78-83--161	+	17
92. Portia Abbott, Jacksonville St.	82-80--162	+	18
92. Jenny Calkins, Louisville	78-84--162	+	18
92. Stephanie Connelly, UCF	80-82--162	+	18
95. Ginny Brown, Tennessee	82-81--163	+	19
95. Jacqui Concolino, Vanderbilt	82-81--163	+	19
95. Liana Viljoen, UNC Wilmington	84-79--163	+	19
95. Rebecca Watson, Tennessee	85-78--163	+	19
99. Ashley Cox, Jacksonville St.	83-81--164	+	20
99. Chelsea Schriewer, Missouri	81-83--164	+	20
101. Laura Cutler, Jacksonville St.	86-79--165	+	21
102. Ashley Baker, Furman	80-87--167	+	23
103. Mirielle LaBlanc, Jackson St.	83-85--168	+	24
103. Jennifer Sells, Jackson St.	85-83--168	+	24
105. A. Espinosa, Jacksonville St.	86-89--175	+	31
105. Lauren Ragland, Jackson St.	87-88--175	+	31
107. Nikeya Peay, Jackson St.	94-91--185	+	41
108. Kinsey Green, Charles. So.	121-129--250	+	106

Posted: 5/9/2008

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