Jayhawks finish third overall
Women’s golf team starts off rough in tournament, but ends strong
Kansas struggled in the first rounds in Norman, Okla., but improve four spots by the end of the tournament.
Thursday, April 10th, 2008
From struggling in the first rounds to finishing seventh on day one of the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic, the women’s golf team still believed it could finish strong. And they proved it by finishing third in the tournament on Monday in Norman, Okla.
Sophomore Emily Powers led the Jayhawks with a score of 223, tying for 14th place. Freshman Meghna Bal had a strong final round to place second on the team with a tie for 17th place overall and a score of 225.
“The two of them were playing steady,” Coach Erin O’Neil said. “But everyone played so well that last round as well.”
The team showed some gust and so did the wind, which picked up during the weekend. But senior Annie Giangrosso said the winds weren’t a problem for the team.
“We’ve definitely played in worse winds before,” Giangrosso, who finished with a score of 230, said. “Being from Kansas, the wind and bad weather doesn’t affect us as much as other teams, so it’s an advantage for us actually.”
With the Big 12 Championship looming, O’Neil was relieved that her team finally found a way to play up to its talents.
“This is a great confidence boost,” O’Neil said. “It shows that they can do it when they need to.”
O’Neil said the team will need to start off strong in the Big 12 Championship, instead of waiting till the final round. She said the Big 12 would be the most daunting course the Jayhawks will face.
“I’m glad we got back on track for that final round,” O’Neil said. “But we’ve had a rough winter, with the lack of playing time.”
Once again O’Neil relied on the teams’ motto of ‘no expectations.’ She said with such a young team that hasn’t been able to practice, setting expectations could be a little too much to handle.
“We just want to go out there and play,” O’Neil said. “Don’t look ahead or worry about the past.”
But not only does this final round show the Jayhawk’s ability and talent, it also displays the type of character these players have.
“This did a lot, it shows a lot of character,” Giangrosso said. “We’re playing the most difficult course we’ll play all year, and we have capable players to pull it off.”
The golf team can possibly gain some inspiration from the basketball team’s recent national championship victory. O’Neil said the women were able to witness the madness as the Jayhawks defeated the Tigers and gained its fifth national title.
“We flew in around seven, so we got back just in time,” O’Neil said.
The Jayhawks hope, as the Big 12 tournaments approach, they will play as well in the first rounds as they do in the last rounds.
— Edited by Mandy Earles
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