Lady’Back linksters finish fourth at Liz Murphey Classic
Posted on Monday, March 24, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Sports/63466/
ATHENS, Ga. — The sixthranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team held on for a fourth-place finish at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Athens, Ga., Sunday.
Arkansas carded a finalround 306 finishing with a three-round 916 (305-305-306 ) on the par 72, 6, 335 yard UGA Golf Course. Tenthranked Georgia played a two-hole playoff to edge No. 8 Purdue for the team title. Both the Bulldogs and Boilermakers finished with 900. Number 17 Alabama was third at 912 (302-307-303 ) followed by Arkansas in fourth place.
“ Overall I was really pleased with our play this weekend, ” said Shauna Estes-Taylor, Lady’Back golf coach. “ Our goal is to be in a position to win every tournament we play in and I think we did that. We had one of the lower rounds on the day but just couldn’t catch Georgia on their home course or Purdue who really played well in the final round.
“ We see little things we want to work on each week and I think it will be good to get home and get a couple days in on the practice tees before we head east for our next tournament. We play to win each tournament but also to prepare for the post season and that is just around the corner. ”
Arkansas’ team finish was a solid one in the 18-program field. The Lady Razorbacks were two strokes better then top-ranked Duke (314-300-304 ) and No. 12 Kent State (303-307-308 ), who tied for fifth with 918. In addition, Arkansas bettered Southeastern Conference rival and ninth-ranked Auburn who was seventh with a 922 (303-311-308 ). Fifteenth-ranked Wake Forest (309-312-306 = 927 ), No. 26 LSU (297-316-315 = 928 ) and No. 23 Virginia (314-310-307 = 931 ) rounded out the top 10. Arkansas also finished better than SEC foes Tennessee, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, who were also in the field.
Lady Razorback senior Stacy Lewis continues to lead Arkansas. Lewis finished tied for 10 th overall with a 225 (75-74-76 ). Freshman Kelli Shean turned in another solid tournament performance in her first season of collegiate golf, tying for 18 th overall with a 230 (80-74-76 ).
Arkansas returns to the links next weekend at Browns Summit, N. C., for the Bryan National before preparing for the SEC Championship in two weeks.