Badgers Continue to Gain Experience at NCAA National Championship
May 22, 2003 | Women's Golf
Wisconsin had the best conditions of any day at the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship, but still shot a 323 to move to last in the 24-team field. Purdue 's Kampen Golf Course in West Lafayette, Ind., presented too many problems for the Badgers who have a three-day total 340-316-323'979.
But the value of this Badger team making its first national championship as a team won't be measured in how they finish this year, but rather how they play when they `return' another year. Wisconsin redshirt freshman Jackie Obermueller talked about her tournament experience.
'It's amazing. I wasn't expecting this. I didn't really realize as a freshman what a big deal this tournament was. It is a big deal and it's very exciting. I'm not playing great, but it's awesome to be here and play with some good girls.
'It's very motivational. Obviously the goal is to get here every year. Now that you did it once, you never want your goal to be any less. So the goal is to get back here every year from here on out because this is the big tournament. This is what everybody plays for.'
Obermueller, who shot an 81 today and is at 90-80-81'251 for the tournament talked about her play. 'Overall I played pretty good. I had three or four doubles which killed me. I lipped out a lot of putts and I hit the ball pretty good. 81 probably should have been 75, but that's the way it goes here. You can 't get great breaks.'
Junior Malinda Johnson led all Badger scores with a three-over par 75 which ties her at 25th in the field with a 79-76-75'230. Playing in her final collegiate event, senior Katie Connelly had an 82 to tie at 102nd with her 54-hole total 84-78-83'245.
Freshman Lindsay McMillen had a 93-82-84'259. Senior Carli Gregorin is also closing out her college career at this tournament with an 87-94-84 '265.
When asked if the event was intimidating his team Badger Coach Dennis Tiziani responded, 'No. You've got a golf course here that demands a lot of discipline to play. We don't play in a lot of events like this. The Big Ten is a big event. But the rest of them don't have the magnitude nor the competition, nor is the golf course set up like this. And this is a course where you have to play patience, you are going to make some bogey's. Our people are accustomed to shooting in that 72-76 range and all of the sudden it's just a little bit harder and they are reacting to thinking you are playing bad at 78. If you take an average of 78 here, you'd be playing pretty good. But again, that's experience. '
With a 37-over par 305-303 and tourney low 293, Southern California distanced itself from the field with a 901 three-day total. Pepperdine moved into second with a 295 today and 908 total. Oklahoma State dropped from second to third with a 912. The Women of Troy are seeking their first national championship.
Florida's Andrea VanderLende took advantage of the nice weather to shoot a tournament low 69 and tie Southern Cal's Mikaela Pamlid who fired a two under 70 today to tie for the individual lead with 220. Annie Thurman of Oklahoma State was two over today and is a stroke back of the leaders with a five-over par 73-74-74'221.
Play concludes with 18 holes Friday with the Badgers teeing off at 8 a.m.
For complete results go to Web at:
http://www.golfstatresults.com/public/index.cfm 'tournament_id=308
