Lady'Back golf takes part in Hooters Match Play Championship

FAYETTEVILLE — The 22nd-ranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team tees it up at the 2006 Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championship in Orlando, Fla., in the final event of the fall season this weekend. Arkansas has had a solid fall with four stroke play events under their belt. The most recent highlight for the young squad came at the Peg Barnard Invitational hosted by Stanford when Arkansas junior Stacy Lewis captured medalist honors with a school record 207 in the three round event. Arkansas looks to continue that strong start in the final event of the fall Friday-Sunday at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. This week’s event breaks from the traditional collegiate format featuring stroke play instead pairing 16 teams for a double-elimination match play event. "It’s hard to believe it’s the last event of the fall," said Arkansas head coach Kelley Hester. "We go into the event at the nine-seed and I think that’s about right. The first match should be a pretty good match and the winner gets Georgia. That’s exciting." Arkansas’ number nine seed is based on the team’s final NCAA finish last year along with results from the first events of the fall of 2006. The Lady’Backs square off against eight-seed Purdue, a team Arkansas has split with in two previous meetings this year. The winner faced top seed and number one-ranked Georgia in the second round. "This should really be a fun event," Hester continued. "Stacy is the number one-ranked amateur in the country largely based on her match play performances last summer. I’d put our top four up against anyone else’s in the country. It’ll be fun to see what we do." In addition to Lewis, Hester will travel junior Ashley Medders, sophomore Lucy Nunn and freshman Alex Schulte. Junior Whitney Sylvan and freshman Tiffany Phelps are also going as the Lady’Backs travel six to this event. The event, sponsored by Hooters and co-hosted by the National Golf Coaches Association and the Central Florida Sports Commission, features 16 of the top teams in the country. First round matches include top-ranked and top seeded Georgia against 16 seed Nebraska, No. 8 Purdue vs. No. 9 Arkansas, No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 13 SMU, No. 5 Wake Forest vs. No. 12 LSU, NO. 3 Auburn vs. No. 14 Alabama, No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 11 Michigan State, No. 7 Florida State vs. No. 10 Florida and No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 South Carolina. For more information about Arkansas golf, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.