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Commodores Head to SEC Championships 4/13/2005 TUNICA, Miss. — Vanderbilt is the defending champion but the goals of its young golf team are different as it heads to the 2005 SEC Women’s Golf Championship in Tunica, Miss., this weekend. A year ago the veteran Commodore lineup featured three All-Americans and two strong freshmen as it cruised its way to the league title. “Our goal for this year would be to finish in the top half of this challenging tournament,” says Coach Martha Richards Freitag. “A top six finish would mean we beat at least one Top 20 team and be important in our quest to reach the NCAA Tournament.” Tough competition will be nothing new for Vanderbilt, which sports the nation’s third toughest schedule according to Golfweek. The field, which features six of the nation’s top 20-ranked teams, will participate in a practice round Thursday beginning at 8 a.m., and the three 18-hole rounds will be Friday through Sunday starting at 8:30 a.m. each day. Vanderbilt will take sophomores Chris Brady and Kristen Svicarovich along with freshmen Helen-Rose Richards, Liebelei Lawrence and Julie Bartholomew. Brady, winner of two tournaments this year and four in her young career, will be among the favorites for medalist honors. She is currently rated 26th nationally, which puts her among the top five in the conference ratings. Last year she was fourth at this event, two-over par, on LSU’s home course. “Chris has learned a lot about winning since all of her victories have come somewhat differently,” Freitag says. “She understands you don’t start tournaments thinking you will win it on Day One. She is also a good wind player and this course is out in the open, which means it could be breezy.” Freitag notes that Svicarovich and Lawrence have had several strong weeks of practice and could be peaking at just the right time. Bartholomew and Richards won the team’s qualifying play-off for the opportunity to compete. Despite the team’s rebuilding mode, Freitag says she has gotten a lot out of the year so far. “I have really enjoyed coaching this team,” she says, “and I’ve learned a lot in the process. We are very young and inexperienced but it’s a team that works very hard to improve. I’ve looked forward to every day with this group.” Ole Miss is the host school for the tournament, which is being held in Tunica for the first time and in Mississippi for only the third time in the event’s 24-year history. The 1993 championship took place in Jackson, while the 1994 tourney was staged in West Point. The championship will be held at the Tunica National Golf & Tennis Club. Admission is free. Located on Hwy 61 North in Tunica, Tunica National features a 7,210-yard, par 72, 18-hole public golf course, designed by renowned architect Mark McCumber. The facility also boasts a six-hole par-3 practice course, 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, circular driving range, and Golf Training Academy. Tunica National Golf & Tennis Club completes its first year of operation in May. Live scoring can be found on Golfstat.com. |
