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Women’s Golf to Stanford-Pepsi Invitational 10-14-04 10/14/2004 Vanderbilt’s women’s golf team has flown to California for this weekend’s annual Stanford-Pepsi Invitational. It is a major west coast tournament that saw the Commodores set a school record several years ago and struggle a year ago. “We are going to see many Pac-10 teams and some strong teams from the southwest,” says Coach Martha Richards Freitag. “Competing here has become an annual opportunity for us to test ourselves against some top teams that we don’t necessarily see every week.” The 54-hole event begins Friday and concludes Sunday over the par 72 Stanford Golf Course. Vanderbilt has entered sophomores Chris Brady and Kristen Svicarovich along with freshmen Liebelei Lawrence, Helen-Rose Richards and Julie Bartholomew. One of Vanderbilt’s best weapons this fall has been Svicarovich, who hails from Glencoe, Oregon. Kristen has recorded the team’s best scoring average after excellent outings at the NCAA Preview (played in Oregon) and the Mason Rudolph Championships. She has no problem putting her finger on reasons for her improved performance this fall. “I played in the United States Amateur near the end of the summer,” she says. “I played well there after not being sure how I would stack up against the competition. That performance gave me a good feel to my game and a huge boost of confidence. I am playing with a lot of confidence.” Svicarovich has another, more tangible reason, for lower scores. “I have worked a lot on my putting,” she continues. “I have a putting track in my room and try to putt 15-20 minutes a night. I’m making a lot more birdies. Kristen says Vanderbilt has an advantage at the Stanford event, where Coach Freitag played as an undergraduate. “Coach has a wealth of knowledge about the course; she’s a big asset for us. There are some tricky holes but if you are hitting the fairways and especially the greens you should score well there.” Freitag has been very impressed with Svicarovich’s play. “Kristen has played very solid this fall,” Freitag notes. “Her scoring average (73.5) is more than four shots lower than last year and I look for her to have a good week. She loves to come west. “I couldn’t be more proud of both she and Chris (Brady), especially how they have stepped up to lead our freshmen. And, most importantly, I’m pleased with how they have stepped up and played good golf.” Oregon, Oregon St., Washington, Washington State, Arizona State, UCLA, Vanderbilt, New Mexico, Pepperdine, Arizona, San Jose St., Tulsa, New Mexico St., Texas, Texas Tech, UNLV, Southern California and host Stanford comprise the tournament field. |
