The No. 12 Arizona women’s golf team will try to make up for a disappointing performance in its last tournament when the squad heads to Palo Alto, Calif., for today through Sunday’s Stanford/Pepsi Intercollegiate.
The tournament boasts a loaded field, including the top three teams in the country, No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Duke and No. 3 UCLA, and eight teams total from the Pacific 10 Conference. The Wildcats tee off their first round this morning at 8:30 a.m. and play 18 more holes tomorrow before concluding the 54-hole tournament Sunday.
The team is motivated after its poor showing at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational Oct. 9-11.
“”We’re looking to get back on track this week,”” said Greg Allen, UA’s head coach.
The course should be easier this week, as the Wildcats are happy to be out of Seattle, where they played at the Edean Ihlanfeldt, held at the Sahalee Golf and Country Club, home of the 1998 PGA Championship.
The course’s tree-lined fairways left little room for error, and as a result it was the hardest course many on the team had ever played.
“”Our ladies are going to think these fairways are like the driving range after playing Sahalee,”” Allen said.
The Wildcats head to the friendlier confines of the Stanford Golf Course, a course Allen said is conducive to low scores.
Arizona will be led once again by the threesome of junior Mary Jacobs, junior Alison Walshe and sophomore Adriana Zwanck.
Jacobs, Arizona’s top player in Seattle, said she thinks the team’s chemistry will be the key to its performance.
“”We have so much fun off the course, I think it’ll carry on into the course,”” she said.
“”We have a really good chance of winning.””
Walshe echoed her teammate’s sentiments, saying, “”I think we have a chance to win every tournament.””
Arizona has made a lineup change for this weekend, replacing redshirt senior Rachel Gavin with freshman Brittany Benvenuto.
“”We’re excited to see what she brings to the team,”” Allen said of Benvenuto. “”She’s a great ball-striker and has the capabilities of making a lot of birdies.””
Sophomore Amanda Wilson rounds out the top five and was specifically mentioned by Allen as someone he expects to play well.
“”We’re all excited,”” Jacobs said. “”It’s going to be a good one.
“”I can feel it.””
