Feb. 22, 2002
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Now On The Tee: Arizona's women's golf team will play host to the nation's
best, an annual February ritual in Tucson, at the Wildcat Invitational on
Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 25 and 26. Eighteen teams will tee off Monday at
7:30 a.m. and play 36 holes and again at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday for the final
round, with shotgun starts both days.
Some Tournament Themes: Arizona will learn if some home-cooking and a home
course advantage are enough to put the Wildcats over the top and win their
first team title of the year... Sophomore Lorena Ochoa will attempt to
extend her dominant streak of wins to six in a row... A victory for Ochoa
would make her the most accomplished women's golfer in UA history, breaking
Marisa Baena's mark of nine individual championships... Senior Cristina
Baena makes her season debut after missing the entire fall season after
wrist surgery... Freshman Mar Garcia will step out of older brother
Sergio's shadow and attempt to make some waves of her own as she makes her
collegiate debut... Ochoa and Candy Hannemann of Duke will square off for
the third time in their careers... Their previous matchups have both
resulted in sudden-death playoffs to determine medalist honors, with Ochoa
besting Hannemann for the 2001 Wildcat Invitational title and Hannemann
defeating Ochoa for the 2001 National Championship.
Course: The Raven at Sabino Springs will serve as the tournament course.
Widely recognized as one of Arizona's most scenic golf courses, the Raven will
play to a par of 72 and a length of 6,119 yards this week.
The Field: The top five teams and seven of the top-10 teams in the country,
according to the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index, will compete in the
Wildcat Invitational. The top 13 teams in last year's Wildcat Invitational
will return to Tucson for the event. Additionally, 10 of the top 11 teams
from last year's NCAA Championships will participate. Sophomore Lorena
Ochoa, the nation's top-rated golfer, and the Auburn Tigers, the nation's
top-rated team, will put their rankings on the line at the Wildcat
Invitational.
Teams Scheduled to Compete: host Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Duke, New
Mexico, New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Pepperdine, San
Jose State, SMU, Southern California, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Tulsa,
UCLA and Washington.
A Look at the Rankings: Arizona sits 11th in the Golfweek/Sagarin
Performance Index. Sophomore Lorena Ochoa, winner of five consecutive
tournaments, stands atop the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index individual
ratings.
Wildcat Lineup:
Golfer Year Avg. Top 10/20 Low Rnd. Events
Lorena Ochoa So. 69.93 5/0 66 5
Laura Myerscough Jr. 75.71 1/1 72 5
Julia Kraschinski Jr. 80.50 0/0 72 3
Cristina Baena Sr. first event of season
Mar Garcia Fr. first event of career
Miriam Kraschinski* Fr. 78.45 0/0 75 4
Anne Lee* Jr. 77.42 0/1 71 4
Cathie Williamson* Sr. 80.66 0/0 77 3
* will compete as individuals
Last Year at the Wildcat Invitational: The second-ranked Arizona women's
golf team claimed the championship at its lone home tournament, the Wildcat
Invitational held at The Raven Golf Club at Sabino Springs., by shooting a
team total of 875. Arizona out-dueled No. 1 Duke and No. 5 Stanford to
earn the title. Head coach Greg Allen's squad held a four-stroke lead
entering the final round, but still needed a strong performance down the
stretch to claim the title. With only nine holes remaining, the Wildcats
were three shots back of the top-ranked Blue Devils. However, Arizona shot
four-under-par as a team on the final nine holes to surge ahead of Duke as
the Lady Blue Devils combined to shoot 12-over-par on the back nine.
Leading the late charge for Arizona was stellar freshman Lorena Ochoa, who
earned medalist honors for the third time in her career. Ochoa completed
the tournament with a total of 213 (-3), winning the individual title in a
sudden-death playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole. Also playing a
large part in the Wildcats' success was Arizona's other standout freshman
Natalie Gulbis. Named Golf World Collegiate Player of the Week on Feb. 21,
Gulbis finished in fifth place with a three-day total of 216 (E).
Sophomore Anne Lee finished the tournament tied for eighth place with a
three-round total of 219 (+3). Lee's previous high finish was a tie for
26th place at last year's Pac-10 Conference Championships. Arizona junior
Cristina Baena tied for 31st place at 13-over-par 229, while sophomore
Laura Myerscough tied for 52nd place with a tournament total of 233 (+17).
Last Time Out at the TRW Regional Challenge: Lorena Ochoa, the top-rated
golfer in the nation, extended her streak of consecutive tournament
victories to five as she earned medalist honors for the ninth time in her
career at the TRW Regional Challenge at Palos Verdes Golf Club. Ochoa
posted a score of 7-under-par 206, six strokes ahead of second-place
finisher Christi Cano of Oklahoma State. Ochoa's three-round score
shattered the previous tournament record at the TRW Regional Challenge by
six strokes. The old record of 212 was set in 1998 by Filippa Hemersson of
Tulsa and in 2000 by Shauna Estes of Georgia. With her performance, the
5-foot-5-inch phenom lowered her scoring average to 69.93, well below her
record-setting average of 71.56 from her freshman season. Ochoa's dominant
performance was not enough, however, to lead Arizona to the team title.
No. 2 Tulsa finished in first place with a three-day team total of 870.
The Wildcats finished in sixth place, with a team score of 907. Freshman
Miriam Kraschinski wrapped up play tied for 43rd place with a three-round
total of 232. Junior Laura Myerscough closed the tournament tied for 36th
place. Juniors Julia Kraschinski and Anne Lee finished in 78th and 86th
places, respectively.
Record-Setter?: A win at the Wildcat Invitational would make Lorena Ochoa
the most successful golfer in UA history, giving her the most individual
tournament championships in a UA career.
No Place Like Home: No tournament has been as friendly to the Wildcat
women's golf team as the Wildcat Invitational. Arizona has won its home
tournament seven times, including the last three years. The Wildcats have
won the Rainbow Wahine Invitational on six occasions and have taken top
honors five times at both the Pac-10 Conference Championships and the Dick
McGuire Invitational.
A Duel in the Desert: Lorena Ochoa and Duke senior Candy Hannemann will
square off for the third time in their college careers. Last year at the
Wildcat Invitational, the duo completed the regulation 54 holes tied and
Ochoa reigned victorious in a one-hole playoff. The two met again at the
NCAA Championships and again completed regulation play tied. However,
Hannemann defeated Ochoa in a two-hole sudden death playoff.
Baena Back in Action: Senior Cristina Baena will make her season debut at
the WIldcat Invitational, after missing the entire fall season and the
first event of the spring season due to wrist surgery. The fourth-year
senior had three top-10 finishes in 2000-01.
Garcia Comes Aboard: Upon enrolling in classes at UA at the beginning of
the spring semester, freshman Mar Garcia, the younger sister of PGA Tour
and European PGA Tour star Sergio Garcia, became eligible to compete for
the Wildcats. Garcia, a 5-foot-5-inch freshman from Castellon, Spain,
hails from a family full of accomplished golfers. In addition to her
brother Sergio, her father Victor competes on the Senior PGA Tour and
another brother, also named Victor, played golf at Francis Marion
University. Her accomplishments include a first-place performance in the
21 and under group at the 1999 Spanish Junior.
Re-Writing The Record Books: Ochoa's three-round total at the Oregon State
Invitational of 10-under-par 206 set a new Arizona record for individual
54-hole score. The previous mark of 207 was shared by former Wildcat
standouts Leta Lindley (Feb. 24-25, 1992, Arizona Inv., Randolph North GC),
Jenna Daniels (April 7-9, 2000, PING/ASU Inv., Karsten GC) and Natalie
Gulbis (May 10-12, 2001, Pac-10 Chmps., Karsten GC).
All-Time Tournament Championships: The five titles won by sophomore Lorena
Ochoa this season brings her career total to nine, which ties her with
Marisa Baena on the all-time ranks of most individual tournament
championships for an Arizona woman. Baena claimed nine titles during her
three seasons as a Wildcats, including six in the 1995-96 season. Ochoa
passed former Arizona great and current LPGA Player of the Year Annika
Sorenstam, who ranks third with seven individual titles.
Oregon Trail Proves Successful for Lee: Trysting Tree Golf Club in
Corvallis, Ore., has been the site of two of junior Anne Lee's career-best
rounds. At the Oregon State Invitational held at Trysting Tree in early
October, Lee fired a 1-under-par 71 to set a new career low. The mark
eclipsed her old personal best of even-par 72, which she shot on two
occasions. Most recently, Lee carded a 72 at Trysting Tree during the
Wildcats' 20-stroke victory at the NCAA West Regional. The junior from
Northridge, Calif., also shot 72 at the 2001 Wildcat Invitational.
Lorena on the LPGA: Lorena Ochoa has received sponsor exemptions to
participate in the first three LPGA tournaments held in the continental
United States this season, PING Banner Health, Welch's/Circle K
Championship and the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Last year, Ochoa competed
in the Welch's/Circle K Championship where she tied for seventh place at
12-under-par. She also tied for 21st place at the 2001 Nabisco
Championship with a four-round total of 2-over-par. Ochoa was the low
amateur finisher in both events in 2001.
Sister, Sister: With freshman Miriam Kraschinski joining the squad, the
Wildcats added another pair of sisters to the Arizona golf family. Miriam
joins her sophomore sister Julia in the program. They join current Wildcat
Cristina Baena and her sister, LPGA star Marisa, as the only siblings to
have competed for Arizona.
Wildcat Coaching Staff: Now in his second year with the Arizona golf
program, Greg Allen has led the team to six tournament championships,
including the 2001 Pac-10 Conference Championship and a 20-stroke victory
at the 2001 NCAA West Regional. Last summer, he paired with Arizona men's
head coach Rick LaRose to coach the United States team to victory in 2001
U.S.-Japan Collegiate Matches. Allen, who was hired in July 2000, came to
the University of Arizona from Texas where he was the assistant coach for
the Longhorns' men's golf team. Allen helped guide Texas to the 1999-2000
NCAA Central Region championship and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA
Championships. Prior to coaching at Texas, Allen served as Director of
Tournament Operations with the American Junior Golf Association. Allen
graduated from Murray State University in 1993. He is assisted by Holly
Carriker, who joined the staff in September 2001. Carriker competed
collegiately at USC for two years before transferring to Texas, where she
completed her remaining eligibility. The Texas native is a member of the
LPGA's Teaching & Club Professional Division.
NCAA FALL PREVIEW - 8th Place
Sept. 24-26, Auburn, Wash.:
Sophomore Lorena Ochoa won her first tournament championship of the season
at the NCAA Fall Preview, after tournament officials cancelled the third
round due to rain and determined the 36-hole totals would be the final
results. The Wildcats finished in 11th place as a team with a two-round
total of 606.
Ochoa used consecutive sub-par rounds of 71 and 68 to claim her first
title of the season with a two-round total of 5-under-par 139. The 2001
NCAA Fall Preview marks Ochoa's fifth career championship.
Junior Laura Myerscough wrapped up play with a two-round total of
8-over-par 152, while junior Anne Lee shot a two-round score of 11-over-par
155. Myerscough and Lee finished tied for 41st and 64th places,
respectively. Also scoring for Arizona were the Kraschinski sisters.
Freshman Miriam Kraschinski tied for 93rd, while junior Julia finished in
118th place.
OREGON STATE INVITATIONAL - 2nd Place
Oct. 8-10, Corvallis, Ore.:
Sophomore Lorena Ochoa won individual medalist honors for the sixth time
in her career and the second time of the season at the Oregon State
Invitational after posting a career-best 54-hole total of 10-under-par 206.
Arizona finished tied with tournament champion California at 18-over-par
882, but took second place by virtue of the NCAA tie-break policy.
The Wildcats closed action at the Oregon State Invitational, held at
Trysting Tree Golf Club, with a third-round of 17-over-par 305. Despite
posting identical scores, California was awarded first place over Arizona
as the low score from each team's fifth player broke the tie.
Ochoa used rounds of 72, 67 and 67 to finish nine strokes ahead of Anne
Walker and Sarah Huarte of California and Kim Kouwabunpat of Stanford, who
tied for second at 1-under-par 215. Earning top-15 finishes for Arizona
were juniors Laura Myerscough and Anne Lee. Myerscough completed play tied
for 10th place, while Lee tied for 14th.
HAWAII FALL INVITATIONAL - 2nd Place
Oct. 30-31, Honolulu, Hawaii:
The fourth-ranked Wildcats claimed second place after finishing 21 strokes
behind tournament champion New Mexico at the Hawaii Fall Invitational.
Sophomore Lorena Ochoa won her third tournament championship of the season
as she closed action at 2-over-par 218.
Arizona shot a final-round 302, its best round of the 54-hole tournament.
California posted a three-round team total of 911 to wrap up the tournament
six strokes back of the Wildcats in third place. The win was the seventh
of Ochoa's career. The Guadalajara, Mexico, native's streak of consecutive
top-three finishes reached 12 tournaments after competing in Hawaii.
Junior Laura Myerscough posted another top-15 finish, closing the
tournament at 12-over-par 228 to tie for 14th. Junior Anne Lee, from
Northridge, Calif., finished tied for 22nd place at 14-over-par 230. Also
scoring for Arizona were senior Cathie Williamson and freshman Miriam
Kraschinski. Williamson tied for 36th, while Kraschinski took 54th place.
AUBURN TIGER-DERBY INVITATIONAL - 4th Place
Nov. 9-11, Auburn, Ala.:
Lorena Ochoa continued her dominant sophomore season by winning her fourth
consecutive tournament as she carded a final-round 70 to finish six strokes
ahead of Georgia's Summer Sirmons and Tennessee's Young-A Yang at the
Auburn Tiger-Derby Invitational.
Arizona finished fourth at 35-over-par 899. Georgia took first place with
a three-day team total of 21-over-par 885. Eight of the top-10 ranked
teams in the nation competed in the 54-hole tournament. Ochoa's six-stroke
victory gives her eight career wins. The final round saw Ochoa shoot par
or better for the ninth time in 11 rounds this season. The sophomore
posted a 54-hole total of 6-under-par 210.
Junior Anne Lee contributed to the Wildcats' success with a three-round
score of 12-over-par 228, good for a tie for 24th place. Laura Myerscough,
a junior from Charleston, Ill., closed the tournament tied for 21st place
at 11-over-par. Freshman Miriam Kraschinski tied for 39th place at
18-over-par, while junior Julia Kraschinski tied for 52nd at 26-over-par.
Senior Cathie Williamson competed as an individual and tied for 60th place.
TRW Regional Challenge - 6th Place
Feb. 11-13, Palos Verdes, Calif.:
Lorena Ochoa, the top-rated golfer in the nation, extended her streak of
consecutive tournament victories to five as she earned medalist honors for
the ninth time in her career at the TRW Regional Challenge at Palos Verdes
Golf Club. Ochoa posted a score of 7-under-par 206, six strokes ahead of
second-place finisher Christi Cano of Oklahoma State.
Ochoa's three-round score shattered the previous tournament record at the
TRW Regional Challenge by six strokes. The old record of 212 was set in
1998 by Filippa Hemersson of Tulsa and in 2000 by Shauna Estes of Georgia.
With her performance, the 5-foot-5-inch phenom lowered her scoring average
to 69.93, well below her record-setting average of 71.56 from her freshman
season.
Ochoa's dominant performance was not enough, however, to lead Arizona to
the team title. No. 2 Tulsa finished in first place with a three-day team
total of 870. The Wildcats finished in sixth place, with a team score of 907.
Freshman Miriam Kraschinski wrapped up play tied for 43rd place with a
three-round total of 232. Junior Laura Myerscough closed the tournament
tied for 36th place. Juniors Julia Kraschinski and Anne Lee finished in
78th and 86th places, respectively.
