University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Women's Golfers Open At Preview
September 06, 2008 | Women's Golf
Owings Mill, Md. --- The Georgia women's golf team hopes to christen its 2008-09 season on Sunday when it's slated to open play at the Duramed Fall Preview at Caves Valley Golf Course. The Bulldogs are among an elite field competing on the same layout set host the 2009 NCAA Championships next May.
Tropical Storm Hanna forced the cancellation of Saturday's practice round, with teams only afforded the opportunity to walk the course. Tournament officials were hopeful play would begin on schedule on Sunday, however.
Georgia is ranked No. 6 and No. 9 in the preseason Golfweek and Golf World polls. The Bulldogs tied for 10th at last year's NCAA Championships, their ninth top-10 effort in the last 11 years.
Of the 15 teams in the Preview, 14 are included in the top 20 of at least one preseason ranking. Southern Cal, which is ranked No. 1 by Golf World and No. 4 by Golfweek, headlines the field which also includes Arizona State (No. 2 Golfweek, No. 4 Golf World), Alabama (No. 10/No. 10), Arkansas (No. 24/No. 15), Auburn (No. 16/No. 9), Denver (No. 6/No. 11), Duke (No. 3/No. 3), Florida (No. 11/No. 8), Oklahoma State (No. 5/No. 5), Purdue (No. 7/No. 7), Texas A&M (No. 18/No. 18), Virginia No. 14/No. 14) and Wake Forest (No. 12/No. 12). Tournament host Georgetown rounds out the competing squads.
Head coach Kelley Hester says her team has enjoyed solid practices since the semester began and is eager to compete.
"I think that it's the fact that you have endless opportunities at the beginning of the season that makes it so exciting every year," Hester said. "The field at the Preview is outstanding so we'll know here pretty soon in the fall season where we stand nationally."
Georgia's lineup will include senior Mallory Hetzel, juniors Carolina Andrade and Leigh Crosby, sophomore Krystle Caithness and freshman Marta Silva. The Bulldogs' qualifying was extremely competitive, with the top four spots separated by just four shots.
The Preview will feature 36 holes of play on Sunday, with the final 18 slated for Monday.
"The 36-18 format is one we typically avoid; however, if the Preview is run that way, that's your only option," Hester said. "I do believe that we're one of the more fit teams in the country so I see it only as a positive for us."
That conditioning also will could into play as Georgia returns to the course next week for the Cougar Classic in Charleston, S.C.
"This fall is a little funny in that we have two early events, then a big break and then two more," Hester said. "I like that because we'll have a pretty good indicator of where we stand and then we'll have some time to work on stuff we need to concentrate on before we go back out to Auburn and the match play."
Live scoring for the tournament can be found here.
