It seems that anytime Stanford University pops up, it is immediately associated with high standards. With the Arizona women’s golf team set to tee off for the 2009 Pacific 10 Conference Championships this Saturday at the Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto, Calif., high standards will be the demand.
“”We actually led the fall tournament back in October at the Stanford Course halfway through,”” said UA head coach Shelly Haywood. “”I feel like all of the girls know the course, and they’re comfortable there so it sets up for our game really well.””
Arizona heads into the post-season as a No. 4-seed and looks to take on the nation’s top golf contenders against UCLA, ASU and USC.
“”The Pac-10 is the toughest conference in the country,”” Haywood said. “”In order to win Pac-10s, we’ve got to beat the nation’s top three teams.””
Although the task seems very daunting, Arizona fell just one stroke short of beating No. 1 UCLA at the ASU Invitational tournament on April 5.
A Pac-10 title never comes easily in any sport, but Haywood explained that a few crucial elements to the team’s qualifiers might have given the team the competitive edge it will need to succeed.
“”The thing we did a little differently this year in preparing for Pac-10s, is we actually had five girls play for four (qualifying) spots,”” Haywood said. “”Alejandra (Llaneza) was exempt based on her finish at ASU’s tournament, but the other five girls actually had to fight for the remaining spots.
“”I told them that although they may not have liked fighting for those spots, that’s how life is and it would ultimately better prepare them for Pac-10s that way,”” Haywood added.
The team remains confident behind its best player – sophomore Alejandra Llaneza – and feels that the Stanford course greatly accentuates its golf skills.
“”We’re good putters and we’ve got great short game,”” Haywood said. “”(Stanford) is not a particularly long course, and we’ve definitely had success there in the past.””
A successful tournament will ultimately come down to mental clarity and fine-tuned focus.
Haywood explained that the team is very well balanced – every player has been in the No. 1 spot at some point throughout the season – but mental mistakes are what have cost the team.
“”I think we have a really good shot,”” Haywood said. “”We just need everyone playing well together at the same time.
“”The girls know that it’s there and that they’re capable of doing it,”” Haywood added. “”We just definitely have to go out there and play our best golf this weekend.””
