FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The seventh-ranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team was selected to participant in the NCAA West Regional Championship hosted by Sacramento State May 8-10, it was announced Monday.
Arkansas is coming off a program-best second place team finish at the 2008 Southeastern Conference Championships in which senior Stacy Lewis earned medalist honors with a three-round 214 for the one-stroke victory.
“I’m excited about the West Regional,” said Arkansas head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor. “I tried to be strategic in my schedule planning and we played both the Central and East courses but it didn’t work out,” Estes-Taylor laughed.
“We haven’t played Lincoln Hills but we will try and gather as much information about the course as we can. We’ll prepare as we have all year long and see what happens.”
The 2008 selection is the seventh in the 13-year program history and the sixth consecutive. It is the second time the Lady Razorbacks have traveled to the West Regional. They were also in the West in 2006 when they played at Washington National in Auburn, Wash. Arkansas finished eighth and advanced to the NCAA Championship that year.
This year, Arkansas faces the challenges of Lincoln Hills Golf Club in Sacramento, Calif., and takes on a field that includes No. 3 Southern California, No. 4 Arizona State, No. 12 Arizona, No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 17 California, No. 21 Michigan State and No. 23 Stanford as the other seeded teams at this regional.
The rest of the field includes No. 27 BYU, No. 29 Tulsa, No. 34 North Carolina, No. 36 Ohio State, No. 38 San Jose State, No. 41 Oklahoma, No. 44 Oregon, No. 46 UNVL, No. 53 UC-Davis, No. 60 UC-Irvin, No. 77 Fresno State, No. 97 Oral Roberts and No. 142 Portland State.
The top eight from each of the three regional sites advance to the 2008 NCAA Championship in Albuquerque, N.M., May 20-23.
“Our goal is to try and go out there and win the tournament,” said Estes-Taylor. “That’s our goal in every event we play and that strategy won’t change. I know they advance the top eight but if we strive to win we should advance without any problems.”
For more information about Arkansas women’s golf, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.
East Regional
The East regional will be played May 8-10 at the UGA Golf Course, Athens, Georgia, hosted by the University of Georgia. Conference automatic qualifiers are indicated in parenthesis next to the institution.
Teams:
1. Duke (ACC)
2. Florida ( SEC)
3. Georgia
4. Auburn
5. Wake Forest
6. Tennessee
7. Virginia
8. New Mexico (Mt. West)
9. Vanderbilt
10. Louisville
11. South Carolina
12. Furman (Southern Conf.)
13. East Carolina
14. Georgia State
15. UCF
16. Missouri
17. Indiana
18. NC-Wilmington (CAA)
19. Jacksonville State (OVC)
20. Charleston Southern (Big South Conference)
21. Jackson State (SWAC)
Individuals:
1. Dori Carter, Mississippi
2. Emma Degroot, Chattanooga
3. Paula Hurtado, Florida Intn’l
Central Regional
The Central regional will be played May 8-10 at the University of Texas Golf Course, Austin, Texas, hosted by the University of Texas. Conference automatic qualifiers are indicated in parenthesis next to the institution.
Teams:
1. UCLA
2. Purdue (Big Ten Conference)
3. Alabama
4. Denver (Sun Belt Conference)
5. Kent State (MAC)
6. Pepperdine
7. LSU
8. Texas A&M
9. Notre Dame (Big East Conf.)
10. Texas
11. TCU
12. Florida State
13. North Carolina State
14. East Tenn. State (Atlantic Sun)
15. Texas Tech
16. Washington
17. Nebraska
18. Harvard (Ivy)
19. Texas State (Southland)
20. Illinois State (MVC)
21. Fairleigh Dickinson (NE Conf.)
Individuals:
1. Steffi Kirchmayr, College of Charleston
2. Sara Wikstrom, UALR
3. Araceli Felgueroso, Coastal Carolina
West Regional
The West regional will be played May 8-10 at the Lincoln Hills Golf Club, Lincoln, California, hosted by Sacramento State University. Conference automatic qualifiers are indicated in parenthesis next to the institution.
Teams:
1. Southern California (Pac-10)
2. Arizona State
3. ARKANSAS
4. Arizona
5. Oklahoma State (Big 12)
6. California
7. Michigan State
8. Stanford
9. BYU
10. Tulsa (Conference USA)
11. North Carolina
12. Ohio State
13. San Jose State
14. Oklahoma
15. Oregon
16. UNLV
17. UC Davis
18. UC Irvine (Big West)
19. Fresno State (WAC)
20. Oral Roberts (Summit)
21. Portland State (Big Sky)
Individuals:
1. Mallory Blackwelder, Kentucky
2. Danielle Cvitanov, San Francisco
3. Emily Powers, Kansas
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Ultimate springtime golf fitness tips for "real" golfers
By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor
For those of you unfortunate enough to live in the North, you must be salivating at the thought of the spring golf season.
Hold on, Tiger. You ain't the man you used to be. You can't just jump up and go straight to the golf course after a long winter of sloth and mold.
Now, you will find any number of charlatans willing to sell you their total golf fitness regimens. These sleazoids always assume you're a golfer interested in a cleaner, healthier way of living and golfing. I've seen you out on the course, and I know that's not the sort of thing you're "into."
So here is my total golf fitness regimen for the "real" golfer:
• For God's sake, you have to strengthen your core! This involves eating really hard food, like jawbreakers. Eat a bag of those and have your neighbor punch you in the gut to see if your core is all it can be.
Options: Month-old fudge, Purina Dog Chow, pine bark.
• You also have to really work your obliques, I mean really work the hell out of them. Here's the perfect exercise for that. Lie flat on your back with knees bent slightly wider than your hips. If you have really fat hips, you're either going to have to really stretch your knees like in a cartoon, like The Elastic Man from India, or just skip this exercise. In fact, if you have really fat hips, just skip playing golf, nobody wants to see you out on the course.
Now, you slim-hipped people reach your hands to the ceiling like you're crying out for the Lord Jesus Christ to spare you from your miserable existence. You can hold light hand-weights, or not. What do I care? Lift your head and chest toward the ceiling and rotate to reach both hands just outside of your fat, right knee. Repeat on the left side. Now, take a breather. Ask Christ for forgiveness.
• Breathing exercises: Breathing properly and deeply is critical, especially for those tense moments on the course when normally you would start crying.
This deep-breathing exercise involves attending your local adult movie house, or calling up one of those sites on your Internet browser. Follow your instincts. It's either that or follow mine, and then you're looking at jail time.
• Horizontal abduction/adduction: I can't give you much help here, because I always get "horizontal" confused with "vertical," and I have no idea what adduction is. Who came up with that word, anyway? It's a stupid word and should be eliminated from the English language, if it's even English.
• Standing hip rotation: Don't do this. It makes you look like a girl.
• Alcohol fitness: How many times have you lost $2 Nassaus because while you were getting hamboned, your playing partners were just holding up that bottle of Jack Black pretending to drink?
Well, no need to waste good liquor. You can still drink and maintain your competitive edge. You just need to build up a tolerance. Stand upright in a dark closet, with a wide stance, and suck it down. Keep drinking until your wife leaves you.
• Aerobics: Ha! Don't make me laugh. This is golf!
• Putting: Don't bother to practice putting. Putting in golf is overrated. I play golf maybe 200 times a year and I've yet to meet anyone who can putt. You either make it or you don't. If you miss, just keep putting until the ball goes in the hole. Simple.
• Seniors: As we age, our bodies react differently, so seniors must prepare for golf differently than young punks. An important thing to remember is that there is an inverse relationship of increased ear hair to laughably short drives off the tee.
So keep those ear hairs trim and neat. If you're proud of your thick mane of ear hair, don't sweat it. If you're short off the tee, you're probably small in other areas, and I think you know what I'm talking about.
• Excuses: A healthy psychological outlook is a must for Better Golf. If you can convince yourself that the snap hook you hit into the weeds over there is not your doing at all, you'll retain the confidence needed to excel in the game.
The first time you smack one of your all-too-typical lousy shots, turn to your playing partner and snarl," "Will you stop that!" Look at him, looking all hurt and everything. Who would have thought golf fitness could be so much fun?
• Torque development in the downswing: This is so important, I can barely contain myself. This is vital to any golfer who has ever wanted to improve his score. You could even say it is absolutely critical in terms of reaching your full potential as a golfer and knowing what it is to be truly human.
• Alignment and posture: Face the target squarely and stand erect, with your rump jutting out slightly. Feels a little silly, doesn't it? Can you think of another situation in life where you would position yourself in such an odd manner? I can't.
National Golf Editor
For those of you unfortunate enough to live in the North, you must be salivating at the thought of the spring golf season.
Hold on, Tiger. You ain't the man you used to be. You can't just jump up and go straight to the golf course after a long winter of sloth and mold.
Now, you will find any number of charlatans willing to sell you their total golf fitness regimens. These sleazoids always assume you're a golfer interested in a cleaner, healthier way of living and golfing. I've seen you out on the course, and I know that's not the sort of thing you're "into."
So here is my total golf fitness regimen for the "real" golfer:
• For God's sake, you have to strengthen your core! This involves eating really hard food, like jawbreakers. Eat a bag of those and have your neighbor punch you in the gut to see if your core is all it can be.
Options: Month-old fudge, Purina Dog Chow, pine bark.
• You also have to really work your obliques, I mean really work the hell out of them. Here's the perfect exercise for that. Lie flat on your back with knees bent slightly wider than your hips. If you have really fat hips, you're either going to have to really stretch your knees like in a cartoon, like The Elastic Man from India, or just skip this exercise. In fact, if you have really fat hips, just skip playing golf, nobody wants to see you out on the course.
Now, you slim-hipped people reach your hands to the ceiling like you're crying out for the Lord Jesus Christ to spare you from your miserable existence. You can hold light hand-weights, or not. What do I care? Lift your head and chest toward the ceiling and rotate to reach both hands just outside of your fat, right knee. Repeat on the left side. Now, take a breather. Ask Christ for forgiveness.
• Breathing exercises: Breathing properly and deeply is critical, especially for those tense moments on the course when normally you would start crying.
This deep-breathing exercise involves attending your local adult movie house, or calling up one of those sites on your Internet browser. Follow your instincts. It's either that or follow mine, and then you're looking at jail time.
• Horizontal abduction/adduction: I can't give you much help here, because I always get "horizontal" confused with "vertical," and I have no idea what adduction is. Who came up with that word, anyway? It's a stupid word and should be eliminated from the English language, if it's even English.
• Standing hip rotation: Don't do this. It makes you look like a girl.
• Alcohol fitness: How many times have you lost $2 Nassaus because while you were getting hamboned, your playing partners were just holding up that bottle of Jack Black pretending to drink?
Well, no need to waste good liquor. You can still drink and maintain your competitive edge. You just need to build up a tolerance. Stand upright in a dark closet, with a wide stance, and suck it down. Keep drinking until your wife leaves you.
• Aerobics: Ha! Don't make me laugh. This is golf!
• Putting: Don't bother to practice putting. Putting in golf is overrated. I play golf maybe 200 times a year and I've yet to meet anyone who can putt. You either make it or you don't. If you miss, just keep putting until the ball goes in the hole. Simple.
• Seniors: As we age, our bodies react differently, so seniors must prepare for golf differently than young punks. An important thing to remember is that there is an inverse relationship of increased ear hair to laughably short drives off the tee.
So keep those ear hairs trim and neat. If you're proud of your thick mane of ear hair, don't sweat it. If you're short off the tee, you're probably small in other areas, and I think you know what I'm talking about.
• Excuses: A healthy psychological outlook is a must for Better Golf. If you can convince yourself that the snap hook you hit into the weeds over there is not your doing at all, you'll retain the confidence needed to excel in the game.
The first time you smack one of your all-too-typical lousy shots, turn to your playing partner and snarl," "Will you stop that!" Look at him, looking all hurt and everything. Who would have thought golf fitness could be so much fun?
• Torque development in the downswing: This is so important, I can barely contain myself. This is vital to any golfer who has ever wanted to improve his score. You could even say it is absolutely critical in terms of reaching your full potential as a golfer and knowing what it is to be truly human.
• Alignment and posture: Face the target squarely and stand erect, with your rump jutting out slightly. Feels a little silly, doesn't it? Can you think of another situation in life where you would position yourself in such an odd manner? I can't.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Immelman’s Steely Nerves Win Masters
Trevor Immelman's swing has been compared to Ben Hogan by one of golf's great players, Gary Player, a three-time Masters Champion.
There is another quality Immelman shares with Hogan that until Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club probably had not received enough attention.
Hogan, also a Masters Champion, was recognized as golf's Wee Ice Mon for his steely nerves. Immelman demonstrated over 72 holes at Augusta National that he has the same kind of determination and cool demeanor.
Immelman shot a final-round 75 Sunday for a 280 total, eight-under-par, and a three-shot victory over four-time Champion Tiger Woods. It is the highest final round score by a winner since Arnold Palmer shot 75 in 1962.
Immelman made it look easy at times, but everybody knows winning the Masters certainly is anything but. He showed resolve and perseverance at every turn. When he needed to hit a key shot or make a clutch putt to ward off challengers, he did. It was quite a display of golf.
Immelman underwent surgery last December 18 to remove a non-cancerous tumor lodged beneath his ribs. He didn't touch a golf club for six weeks and then only was allowed to hit a few pitches and chips.
Now, less than four months later, he is at the pinnacle.
"I made a pretty fast recovery, got back out on tour eager to play, but my game wasn't quite there," he said. "I wasn't happy with the way I was playing. I felt I had to start from zero again. Here I am after missing the cut last week Masters Champion. It's the craziest thing I've ever heard of."
Immelman knew the conditions would be difficult, with a blowing, swirling wind.
"It was a tough day out there," Immelman said. "I knew it was going to be tough out there for us and I knew I had to stick to my game plan, play one shot at a time, and just be tough. I'm proud of myself for doing that.
"This has been the ultimate roller coaster ride and I hate roller coasters."
Two American challengers with six Masters titles between them - Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson - were poised to challenge Immelman but came up short.
They shot even-par 72 in the final round. Woods was runner-up by three shots; Mickelson finished at 286, six strokes behind the winner.
"I just didn't quite have it this week," Woods said. "I didn't make the putts I needed to make this entire week."
Mickelson, winner in 2004 and 2006, posted three rounds at par or better, including a second-round 68. His inability to play the par 3s with efficiency was costly. He made double-bogey and bogey the final two rounds at the 16th hole. He also had two bogeys each at the par-3 sixth and 12th holes.
"I hit two good shots today and made bogeys on four and 16, putting them in a tough spot and three-putting," Mickelson said. "Another three feet and the ball could have rolled down and I could have had a good opportunity (for birdie) both times. Some of it might have been play but some of it might have just been unfortunate."
Mickelson's most unfortunate break came at the par-5 eighth hole during Saturday's third round. His third shot hit the flagstick and caromed away. Instead of a short birdie putt, he three-putted. His charge had ended and try as he might, there was little he could do in the final round.
"I was hoping to make more of a run than I did," Mickelson said. "But it was a tough day and I felt like I had to fight pretty hard to keep it around par. But I certainly had some chances that could have brought it lower. It just doesn't look like it would have been enough anyway.
"I thought I struck the ball pretty well this week and it's encouraging that playing the majors I'm striking the ball better than probably I ever have. My chipping came around this week. It hasn't been where I wanted it."
Vartan Kupelian is the golf writer at The Detroit News.
There is another quality Immelman shares with Hogan that until Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club probably had not received enough attention.
Hogan, also a Masters Champion, was recognized as golf's Wee Ice Mon for his steely nerves. Immelman demonstrated over 72 holes at Augusta National that he has the same kind of determination and cool demeanor.
Immelman shot a final-round 75 Sunday for a 280 total, eight-under-par, and a three-shot victory over four-time Champion Tiger Woods. It is the highest final round score by a winner since Arnold Palmer shot 75 in 1962.
Immelman made it look easy at times, but everybody knows winning the Masters certainly is anything but. He showed resolve and perseverance at every turn. When he needed to hit a key shot or make a clutch putt to ward off challengers, he did. It was quite a display of golf.
Immelman underwent surgery last December 18 to remove a non-cancerous tumor lodged beneath his ribs. He didn't touch a golf club for six weeks and then only was allowed to hit a few pitches and chips.
Now, less than four months later, he is at the pinnacle.
"I made a pretty fast recovery, got back out on tour eager to play, but my game wasn't quite there," he said. "I wasn't happy with the way I was playing. I felt I had to start from zero again. Here I am after missing the cut last week Masters Champion. It's the craziest thing I've ever heard of."
Immelman knew the conditions would be difficult, with a blowing, swirling wind.
"It was a tough day out there," Immelman said. "I knew it was going to be tough out there for us and I knew I had to stick to my game plan, play one shot at a time, and just be tough. I'm proud of myself for doing that.
"This has been the ultimate roller coaster ride and I hate roller coasters."
Two American challengers with six Masters titles between them - Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson - were poised to challenge Immelman but came up short.
They shot even-par 72 in the final round. Woods was runner-up by three shots; Mickelson finished at 286, six strokes behind the winner.
"I just didn't quite have it this week," Woods said. "I didn't make the putts I needed to make this entire week."
Mickelson, winner in 2004 and 2006, posted three rounds at par or better, including a second-round 68. His inability to play the par 3s with efficiency was costly. He made double-bogey and bogey the final two rounds at the 16th hole. He also had two bogeys each at the par-3 sixth and 12th holes.
"I hit two good shots today and made bogeys on four and 16, putting them in a tough spot and three-putting," Mickelson said. "Another three feet and the ball could have rolled down and I could have had a good opportunity (for birdie) both times. Some of it might have been play but some of it might have just been unfortunate."
Mickelson's most unfortunate break came at the par-5 eighth hole during Saturday's third round. His third shot hit the flagstick and caromed away. Instead of a short birdie putt, he three-putted. His charge had ended and try as he might, there was little he could do in the final round.
"I was hoping to make more of a run than I did," Mickelson said. "But it was a tough day and I felt like I had to fight pretty hard to keep it around par. But I certainly had some chances that could have brought it lower. It just doesn't look like it would have been enough anyway.
"I thought I struck the ball pretty well this week and it's encouraging that playing the majors I'm striking the ball better than probably I ever have. My chipping came around this week. It hasn't been where I wanted it."
Vartan Kupelian is the golf writer at The Detroit News.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Arkansas' Lewis is SEC Women's Golfer of the Week
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --Arkansas senior Stacy Lewis has been named the Southeastern Conference Women's Golfer of the Week, conference officials announced on Wednesday.
Lewis, the 2007 NCAA champion, carded a three-round score of 216 and won the Bryan National Collegiate Championship, held March 28-30, at the Bryan Park Champions Golf Course in Brown Summit, N.C.
The Woodlands, Texas, native, shot an opening round 70 and followed it up with a 69 in the second round, which was three shots better than any other golfer in the round. She fired a final round 77, battling tough conditions, to defeat Duke's Amanda Blumenherst, who is ranked the nation's top golfer by Golfweek, by one shot. The Razorbacks finished in fourth place in the event.
With the win, Lewis has now won five tournaments during the 2007-08 season and 11 during her collegiate career. This week's honor is her third SEC Golfer of the Week award this season.
For the season, Lewis has a team-best 71.88 stroke average through nine events, also leading the SEC this season. She is currently ranked second in the nation by the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.
Arkansas will next play in the SEC Championships on April 18-20 at the Tennessee National Golf Course in Louden, Tenn.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Arkansas Golfers Head to Oregon for Duck Invitational
Junior Andrew Landry has played in each of
Like Landry, sophomore David Lingmerth has competed in all eight of the Razorbacks’ events heading into the Duck Invitational. He is second on the team with a 73.04 scoring average and two top-10 finishes. In his first season at
In the fourth event of his Razorback career, Sam Chavez tied for second place at the Border Olympics, a career-best result. The freshman from
Along with Landry, Lingmerth and Chavez, the Razorback lineup in the previous two events has included Will Osborne and Jason Turner. Osborne, a junior from
In the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index,
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Arkansas Women Ranked #10
Adjusted Avg. Rank
Division Scoring Drop Versus# of
Team *Record Average Score Top 25 Sced Wins@
1 Duke University 233- 0 72.45 77.25 20- 0 2 3
2 UCLA 232- 1 72.99 77.68 20- 1 13 3
3 Southern California 230- 3 73.23 78.02 18- 3 14 1
4 Arizona State 230- 3 73.52 80.26 16- 3 8 1
5 Florida, U. of 230- 3 73.48 78.00 20- 3 19 2
6 Arizona, U. of 227- 6 74.50 79.73 15- 6 11 0
7 Purdue University 227- 6 73.52 81.31 15- 6 6 0
8 Auburn University 225- 8 74.25 79.26 16- 8 5 0
9 Wake Forest Univ. 223- 10 74.35 79.67 10-10 12 1
10 Arkansas, U. of 223- 10 74.33 79.71 13- 9 24 1
11 Alabama, U. of 222- 11 74.08 79.46 11- 9 26 2
12 Denver, Univ. of 222- 11 74.84 80.53 9-10 35 2
13 Kent State 221- 12 74.97 79.89 9- 7 39 1
14 Georgia, U. of 221- 12 74.03 78.33 10-11 7 0
15 Oklahoma State Univ. 221- 12 74.23 79.28 11-12 3 1
16 California, U. of 217- 16 74.86 80.21 3- 9 42 2
17 Pepperdine 217- 16 75.10 80.56 6-16 9 0
18 Tennessee, U. of 216- 17 73.98 79.93 6-15 16 0
19 Louisiana State U. 215- 18 74.66 79.83 6-17 15 0
20 Vanderbilt Univ. 213- 20 75.45 82.78 2-18 1 0
21 Michigan State U. 213- 20 75.47 80.98 3-17 36 3
22 Notre Dame, U. of 212- 21 74.84 79.11 3- 6 53 4
23 Stanford University 211- 22 76.00 80.99 3-16 4 0
24 Virginia, Univ. of 209- 24 75.05 80.08 2-14 21 0
25 Texas A&M University 208- 25 75.84 81.63 0-21 32 0
Monday, March 17, 2008
UCA SECOND IN UALR TOURNEY
LITTLE ROCK _ The University of Central Arkansas men's golf team, led by senior Ryan Lecuyer, is in second place after the first two rounds of the UALR/First Tee Collegiate being played at Chenal Country Club.
Lecuyer, a senior from Edmonton, Alberta playing his first tournament of the spring, shot rounds of 72-73 for a 145 and is tied for second place overall. UCA carded rounds of 302-298_600 and is in second place behind Sam Houston State.
Oral Roberts is third (603), followed by UMKC (607), UALR (609), ULM and Missouri State (611), Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State (618), Northern Illinois (620), Stephen F. Austin (621), UA-Fort Smith (632), UTSA (636), Northern Colorado (638) and Centenary College (676).
Freshman Gideon Pienaar is tied for seventh place after shooting 75-73_148. Senior Scotty Campbell shot 77-73_150 and is tied for 12th place, while sophomore Drew Richards is tied for 55th place at 78-83_161. Freshman Jad Sinclair shot 86-79_165 and is tied for 68th.
Sam Houston's Beau Willis is the overall leader at 72-71_143. Lecuyer is tied with Oral Roberts' Austin Hannah at 145.
Lecuyer, a senior from Edmonton, Alberta playing his first tournament of the spring, shot rounds of 72-73 for a 145 and is tied for second place overall. UCA carded rounds of 302-298_600 and is in second place behind Sam Houston State.
Oral Roberts is third (603), followed by UMKC (607), UALR (609), ULM and Missouri State (611), Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State (618), Northern Illinois (620), Stephen F. Austin (621), UA-Fort Smith (632), UTSA (636), Northern Colorado (638) and Centenary College (676).
Freshman Gideon Pienaar is tied for seventh place after shooting 75-73_148. Senior Scotty Campbell shot 77-73_150 and is tied for 12th place, while sophomore Drew Richards is tied for 55th place at 78-83_161. Freshman Jad Sinclair shot 86-79_165 and is tied for 68th.
Sam Houston's Beau Willis is the overall leader at 72-71_143. Lecuyer is tied with Oral Roberts' Austin Hannah at 145.
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