Arkansas Golf Fact Sheet #7
GREAT EXPECTATIONS: The University of Arkansas opened the 2005-06 golf season with high expectations and lived up to their billing with a solid fall campaign. February begins the spring season with six events heading up to the NCAA Championship hosted by Ohio State May 17-20.
NEWCOMER JOINS TEAM: Arkansas welcomed the addition of freshman Tanica van As to the roster at the semester. Van As just graduated from high school in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and will vie for playing time right away.
ARKANSAS AT NORTHROP: Arkansas made it’s first appearance at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif., to open the spring. The Lady’Backs faced a top-flight field and a challenging course finishing ninth overall.
THIS WEEK: Arkansas travels to the 2006 Lady Puerto Rico this week hosted by Purdue University. The event takes place at the Cocoa Beach Golf Course, a par-72, 6,000-yard course in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Auburn’s Diana Ramage won the annual event last year as the Tigers captured the team title.
THIS YEAR’S FIELD: This year, the field includes 16 teams. They are Arkansas, East Tennessee State, Florida, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Purdue, South Carolina, TCU, Texas A&M, Tulsa and Wisconsin.
MORE ABOUT THE FIELD: Arkansas enters the tournament as the second highest ranked team in the field. The Lady’Backs are ranked ninth in both the Golfworld and Golfstat polls trailing only host Purdue who is third in the Golfworld poll and fourth in the Golfstat poll. The only other team in the top 20 is Texas A&M who is 18 and 17, respectively.
SPEAKING OF RANKING: This week’s Golfworld rankings list Arkansas senior Amanda McCurdy at No. 23 in the country. McCurdy has a 71.83 average and a 320-65-7 record. Sophomore Stacy Lewis is currently ranked 30th with a 72.23 rating and a 313-70-9 record while senior Courtney Mahon rounds out Lady’Backs in the top 50. Mahon is ranked 37th overall with a 72.48 rating and a 306-78-8 record this year.
ARKANSAS’ NUMBERS GOOD EARLY: The Lady Razorbacks have posted some impressive numbers early in the season. Arkansas’ 876 at their home Tyson/Embassy Suites Invitational was a then-program best and the first time the team has played under par for the tournament. The Lady’Backs single round 286 on the final day was also a program best. Arkansas carded an 882 at Las Vegas, a mark that currently stands as the program’s lowest round.
THE STARTING FIVE: This week’s traveling five include Amanda McCurdy, Courtney Mahon, Stacy Lewis, Lindsey Hinshaw and Lucy Nunn.
ABOUT MCCURDY: Arkansas senior Amanda McCurdy has played in every event since joining the Lady’Backs as a freshman. This year, the El Dorado, Ark., native has competed in five tournaments and played 15 rounds with a 73.53 team average. She has won win under her belt (Mercedes) and two top five finishes this year. Her low round of the year was a 213 – a mark that is also a school record.
ABOUT MAHON: Senior Courtney Mahon has also competed in all five events and played 15 rounds this year. The Topeka, Kan., native has a 74.20 stroke average and three top 15 finishes including a second-place showing at the Tyson/Embassy Suites Invitational.
ABOUT LEWIS: Sophomore Stacy Lewis exploded onto the Arkansas golf scene winning last year’s SEC Championship individual title. She has also played in all five events and has 15 competitive rounds under her belt this year. Lewis has a 73.93 stroke average and two top six finishes including a second-place showing at the Tyson/Embassy Suites Invitational.
ABOUT HINSHAW: Senior Lindsey Hinshaw has made the lineup for the sixth time in six events and has played 15 rounds this year. Hinshaw has a 77.67 average this year and has consistently been around the 230 mark.
ABOUT NUNN: Freshman Lucy Nunn has competed twice this year, once as an individual at the Tyson/Embassy Suites Invitational. Nunn has a 77.83 average and her best finish was a tie for 26th at the Mason Rudolph.
ABOUT THE POLL: Arkansas is currently ranked ninth in this week’s GolfWeek Top 50. The Lady’Backs were ranked as high as second early in the year which is the highest ranking in the Golfweek poll ever for the golf program. In addition, the golf team becomes the third-highest ranked women’s team at the University behind cross country and indoor track, both of whom have been No. 1.
YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY: Head coach Kelley Hester took over the Lady Razorback golf program in 2002-03. In the final poll prior to Hester taking over, the Lady Razorbacks were ranked 82nd in the Golfweek poll. Arkansas is eighth in that poll this week.
HESTER’S FIRST SENIOR CLASS: That’s right, head coach Kelley Hester has her first senior class at Arkansas. That class consists of Lindsey Hinshaw, Amanda McCurdy, Courtney Mahon and Sarah Trew.
SECOND IN THE DISTRICT: Women’s collegiate golf is divided into three districts; East, West and Central, with the Lady Razorbacks residing in the Central. Arkansas finished the fall ranked second and begins the spring in that same position.
CENTRAL REGION
1. Purdue
2. Arkansas
3. Texas A&M
4. Ohio State
5. Michigan State
6. Kent State
7. SMU
8. Baylor
9. Missouri
10. Oklahoma State
11. Notre Dame
12. Northwestern
13. TCU
14. Nebraska
15. Tulsa
16. Toledo
17. Illinois State
18. Texas
19. Michigan
20. Kansas State
21. Kansas
22. Iowa
23. Texas Tech
24. Oklahoma
25. Illinois
26. Western Michigan
27. Bradley
28. Wisconsin
29. Indiana
30. Eastern Mich.
31. Oral Roberts
32. Texas El Paso
33. Iowa State
34. Minnesota
35. Cincinnati
36. Butler
37. Arkansas-Little Rock
38. TX A&M-Corpus Christi
39. Southern Illinois
40. North Texas
41. Ohio
42. Missouri State
43. Xavier
44. Arkansas State
45. Texas State
46. Texas-Pan American
47. Wichita State
48. Northern Iowa
49. Lamar
50. Ball State
51. Oakland University
52. Creighton
53. Northern Illinois
54. Sam Houston State
55. Bowling Green
56. Youngstown State
57. Eastern Illinois
58. Texas-San Antonio
59. Loyola University
60. Western Illinois
61. Missouri-Kansas City
62. Cleveland State
63. IUPUI
64. Detroit
65. Saint Louis
66. IPFW
67. Evansville
68. Dayton
69. Tennessee State
70. Chicago State
