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By BETH ANN BALDRY
Senior Writer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – North Carolina coach Sally Austin was reading the local newspaper at breakfast this morning and happened to leave the sports section lying on the table. Her Tar Heel team picked it up and noticed they weren’t listed among the top 10 teams to watch at the NCAA Division I Women’s Championship. No offense, but why would they be? They’re ranked 18th by Golfweek and haven’t won a tournament all season.

“We do have something to prove,” said Austin. “I want (the team) to believe it more than anybody else.”

North Carolina opened the championship with a 9-over 297 May 22 to tie for second with first-time participant Louisville. Southern California leads the field with a 7-over 295. Top-ranked Arizona State turned in a less-than-stellar 19-over performance to tie for 15th. Duke is in fifth, five strokes back.

This marks North Carolina’s 10th NCAA Championship appearance, five coming under the leadership of Austin. Despite having several first-team All-Americans on its rosters over the years, UNC’s best showing at this tournament is a pair of eighth-place finishes in 1992 and ’95. Even with two first-team All-Americans in Meaghan Francella and Ashley Prange in 2004, the Tar Heels couldn’t do better than a tie for 15th their senior season. Francella stunned Annika Sorenstam earlier this season by winning a four-hole playoff at the MasterCard Classic in Mexico City. Prange earned national attention last year by winning the Golf Channel’s “Big Break V.”

This time around there is no superstar. No go-to girl to carry the team to glory. This time around it’s a total team effort.

“I kind of like the fact that we don’t have a huge star,” said senior Katie Miller. “We look for consistency throughout our top five.”

True to form, Miller opened with a 3-over 75 while Sydney Crane, Lauren Hunt and Kate Thomas all added 74s. Hunt, a sophomore from Little River, S.C., is the team’s highest-ranked player at No. 50.

Miller has played in every event for the Heels since she stepped on campus four years ago. The Pennsylvania native won three state high school championships before heading south, but wasn’t an AJGA stalwart.

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Click here to check out the photo slide show with audio of Miller's first round.

Click here to see who made the photo slide show with highlights from the first round.

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In fact, none of the women on Austin’s roster were AJGA All-Americans or international world-beaters. But together this athletic group could deliver the best performance in school history here at LPGA International’s Legends Course.

“They’re expecting a lot of themselves,” said Austin. “I think they strike they ball just as well as anybody else.”

Austin’s history at UNC runs far deeper than her 14-year tenure as head coach. Prior to Austin enrolling at UNC in the fall of 1973, her father, Jake, approached then athletic director Homer Rice about the possibility of starting a women’s golf team. Rice met with Austin her freshman year and decided to check the student body to see if anyone else was interested in forming a team. One of the responses came from fellow freshman Mindy Moore, who played with Austin for four years and now serves as LPGA vice president of professional development and member services.

Austin graduated from UNC in 1977 and earned her LPGA Tour card in 1987. After serving as an assistant at UNC under longtime head coach Dot Gunnells, Austin took over the program in the summer of 1993.

“It makes me feel old,” said Austin, when asked to put her time at UNC into perspective.

Austin usually brings a fun-loving vibe to the course, but this postseason she looks especially laid-back in her sparkly shades. A booster gave her the blue-sequined sunglasses and she first donned them at the first tee two weeks ago at the NCAA East Regional to “provide a little levity.” The team broke a school record in Baton Rouge with an 8-under 280 to finish fifth May 12 and her players insisted she bring the lucky shades to nationals.

“When you’re walking up to a par 3 it’s kind of hard not to smile at her,” said Miller.

Seriously though, this could be a breakthrough week for the Heels. So what if they haven’t won a tournament since 2004 or even been to this championship the last two seasons. Finally, they are starting to believe.

“Are we likely winners?” Austin asks. “Probably not. But we can we win? Absolutely ... We’re not here to mop up after Duke for goodness sakes.”

•••

Beth Ann Baldry is a senior writer for Golfweek. She can be reached by e-mail at bbaldry@golfweek.com.

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Scores with relation to par from the first round of the NCAA Women's Champoinship, played May 22 at the par-72, 6,351-yard LPGA International (Legends course) in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Note: y-played as an individual):

TEAMS

1. Southern California		295		+	7
2. North Carolina		297		+	9
2. Louisville		297		+	9
4. Stanford		299		+	11
5. Duke		300		+	12
6. Denver		302		+	14
7. UCLA		303		+	15
7. Georgia		303		+	15
7. Vanderbilt		303		+	15
7. Purdue		303		+	15
7. UC Irvine		303		+	15
12. Arizona		304		+	16
13. New Mexico		305		+	17
14. Pepperdine		306		+	18
14. Wake Forest		306		+	18
16. Arizona State		307		+	19
16. TCU		307		+	19
18. Brigham Young		309		+	21
18. Auburn		309		+	21
20. Michigan State		310		+	22
21. Tennessee		311		+	23
22. Oklahoma State		312		+	24
23. Alabama		314		+	26
24. Indiana University		320		+	32

INDIVIDUALS

1. Selanee' Henderson, UC Irvine			69			-3
2. Amanda Blumenherst, Duke			70			-2
2. Lauren Todd, Stanford			70			-2
4. Veronica Felibert, Southern California			71			-1
4. y-Stacy Lewis, Arkansas			71			-1
6. Christel Boeljon, Purdue			72			E
6. Emily Hoeper, Denver			72			E
6. Catherine Matranga, TCU			72			E
9. Tiffany Joh, UCLA			73			1
9. Paola Moreno, Southern California			73		+	1
9. Camille Williams, Louisville			73		+	1
9. Amanda Wilson, Arizona			73		+	1
13. Jenny Calkins, Louisville			74		+	2
13. Giselle Claux, New Mexico			74		+	2
13. Sydney Crane, North Carolina			74		+	2
13. Lauren Hunt, North Carolina			74		+	2
13. Taylor Leon, Georgia			74		+	2
13. Mandi McConnell, Michigan State			74		+	2
13. Angela Oh, Tennessee			74		+	2
13. Kate Thomas, North Carolina			74		+	2
13. y-Caroline Westrup, Florida State			74		+	2
22. Chris Brady, Vanderbilt			75		+	3
22. Misun Cho, Pepperdine			75		+	3
22. Jacqui Concolino, Vanderbilt			75		+	3
22. Maria Hernandez, Purdue			75		+	3
22. Mallory Hetzel, Georgia			75		+	3
22. Nannette Hill, Wake Forest			75		+	3
22. Hannah Jun, UCLA			75		+	3
22. Karin Kinnerud, Oklahoma State			75		+	3
22. Cindy LaCrosse, Louisville			75		+	3
22. Katie Miller, North Carolina			75		+	3
22. Marisa Milligan, Auburn			75		+	3
22. Belen Mozo, Southern California			75		+	3
22. Rhea Nair, Alabama			75		+	3
22. Anna Nordqvist, Arizona State			75		+	3
22. Daphne Vines, Brigham Young			75		+	3
22. Adrienne White, Louisville			75		+	3
22. Adriana Zwanck, Arizona			75		+	3
39. Camille Blackerby, TCU			76		+	4
39. Patty Chawalitmetha, UC Irvine			76		+	4
39. Jean Chua, Wake Forest			76		+	4
39. Mari Chun, Stanford			76		+	4
39. Jodi Ewart, New Mexico			76		+	4
39. Mandy Goins, Wake Forest			76		+	4
39. Jennie Lee, Duke			76		+	4
39. Juliana Murcia, Arizona State			76		+	4
39. Dewi Schreefel, Southern California			76		+	4
39. Stephanie Sherlock, Denver			76		+	4
39. Kristen Svicarovich, Vanderbilt			76		+	4
39. Eileen Vargas, Pepperdine			76		+	4
39. Whitney Wade, Georgia			76		+	4
39. Catherina Wang, Stanford			76		+	4
53. Py Bengtsson, New Mexico			77		+	5
53. Sara Djos, Denver			77		+	5
53. Stefanie Endstrasser, Purdue			77		+	5
53. Liebelei Lawrence, Vanderbilt			77		+	5
53. Pernilla Lindberg, Oklahoma State			77		+	5
53. Catalina Marin, Southern California			77		+	5
53. Rachel Meikle, Michigan State			77		+	5
53. Sydnee Michaels, UCLA			77		+	5
53. Nicole Montgomery, Pepperdine			77		+	5
53. Rachel Newren, Brigham Young			77		+	5
53. y-Pamela Ontiveros, Oral Roberts			77		+	5
53. Jennifer Pandolfi, Duke			77		+	5
53. Margaret Shirley, Auburn			77		+	5
53. Dawn Shockley, Denver			77		+	5
53. Jenny Suh, Alabama			77		+	5
53. Jennifer Tangtiphaiboontana, Stanford			77		+	5
53. Marci Turner, Tennessee			77		+	5
53. Alison Walshe, Arizona			77		+	5
53. Alison Whitaker, Duke			77		+	5
72. Leanne Bowditch, Pepperdine			78		+	6
72. Sara Brown, Michigan State			78		+	6
72. Ashley Childers, Brigham Young			78		+	6
72. Elin Emanuelsson, TCU			78		+	6
72. Nicole Hage, Auburn			78		+	6
72. Ann Laney, North Carolina			78		+	6
72. Azahara Munoz, Arizona State			78		+	6
72. Jennifer Osborn, Arizona State			78		+	6
72. Ryann O'Toole, UCLA			78		+	6
72. Alexandra Phelps, New Mexico			78		+	6
72. Garrett Phillips, Georgia			78		+	6
83. Diana Cantu, Tennessee			79		+	7
83. Henna Cho, UC Irvine			79		+	7
83. Laura Crawford, Wake Forest			79		+	7
83. Myrte Eikenaar, Purdue			79		+	7
83. Juli Erekson, Brigham Young			79		+	7
83. y-Kay Hoey, Long Beach State			79		+	7
83. Mary Jacobs, Arizona			79		+	7
83. Kim Lorenzana, UC Irvine			79		+	7
83. Laura Nochta, Indiana University			79		+	7
83. Candace Schepperle, Auburn			79		+	7
83. Maiya Tanaka, UCLA			79		+	7
83. Danielle von Arnim, Brigham Young			79		+	7
95. Sarah Bradley, Oklahoma State			80		+	8
95. Brooke Goodwin, Vanderbilt			80		+	8
95. Anna Grzebien, Duke			80		+	8
95. Lauren Harling, Indiana University			80		+	8
95. Elaine Harris, Indiana University			80		+	8
95. Amanda Johnson, Oklahoma State			80		+	8
95. Angela King, Stanford			80		+	8
95. Alina Lee, Georgia			80		+	8
95. y-Kelly Nakashima, Idaho, University of			80		+	8
104. Helena Blomberg, Alabama			81		+	9
104. Anita Gahir, Indiana University			81		+	9
104. Laura Goodwin, Alabama			81		+	9
104. Megan O'Donnell, TCU			81		+	9
104. Heather Rose, Michigan State			81		+	9
104. Nicole Smith, Tennessee			81		+	9
110. Brittany Benvenuto, Arizona			82		+	10
110. Holly Cantwell, Tennessee			82		+	10
110. Abigale Schepperle, Auburn			82		+	10
110. Mallorie Underwood, Oklahoma State			82		+	10
114. Lindsay Anderson, Arizona State			83		+	11
114. Mikaela Backstedt, New Mexico			83		+	11
114. Jane Chin, UC Irvine			83		+	11
114. Katie Kempter, Denver			83		+	11
114. Stephanie Oukeo, Purdue			83		+	11
119. Kellye Belcher, Indiana University			84		+	12
119. Cristina Gonzalez, Louisville			84		+	12
119. y-Lene Krog, East Carolina			84		+	12
119. Holly Niederkohr, Michigan State			84		+	12
123. Valentine Derrey, TCU			86		+	14
123. Sarah Sturm, Alabama			86		+	14
125. Maggie Simons, Wake Forest			87		+	15
WD. Jayvie Agojo, Pepperdine

Posted: 5/22/2007

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