The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Women's Golf Ready For C-USA Championships
4/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 17, 2005
GERMANTOWN, Tenn. - UAB's women's golf team returns to the course Monday through Wednesday this week in the 2005 Conference USA Women's Golf Championships at the Germantown Country Club outside Memphis. The Blazers face an uphill battle for the league title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Golf Regionals in early May.
Tulane is the favorite headed into the three day, 54-hole event. The Green Wave are ranked 13th in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Ratings. They are led by Alison Walshe, who is ranked 15th nationally among individuals.
"Tulane and TCU are right up there," UAB head coach Kim Wilcox said. "But the thing about the conference championship is that it really is anybody's tournament. Just like the NCAA basketball tournament, upsets can and do happen. We've been a break or two from the top of the leaderboard for the last few tournaments and certainly have a shot at this if we play well."
UAB senior Brooke Mangan will not only attempt to record her fourth straight top-10 finish at the C-USA Championships, but can also secure an individual invitation to the NCAA East Regional next month with a strong tournament. Three players not on regional teams are invited to compete as individuals. Mangan is one of the top contenders for a spot should UAB not win the league's automatic team bid.
Mangan, who was recently named to the 10-person Conference USA All-Decade Team, tied for seventh at last year's league tournament. She finished tied for fourth in 2003 and for eighth in her freshman season in 2002.
Janey Deimling, who has played career-best golf this spring, will be counted on for UAB, as will senior Liz Schweihs, who tied a career-low round in her last outing, and sophomores Martha Hudson and Lois Jones. Hudson, who has missed a pair of tournaments with a shoulder injury, has been cleared to play in the championships, which will likely buoy UAB's spirits.
"Having Martha back gives us the fifth golfer we need to be competitive," Wilcox said. "With her on the sideline, one player has a bad round and the team suffers. This way, we have the option of dropping the high score. It takes a little bit of pressure off everyone in an event where there's enough pressure already."
The tournament will consist of one 18-hole round each day, Monday through Wednesday on the Germantown County Club course. It will play at par-71, 6,068 yards. Tulane is the defending champion. UAB finished tied for sixth in last year's championships.
