Lady golfers try to shake rough start

The season is young, but early season disappointment is already growing old for members of the Penn State women's golf team.

But despite somewhat disappointing finishes in its first two events of the season, several team members insist their current level of play is no indication of what lies ahead.

"In the fall we were more confident than we are now," sophomore Sara Doell said. "We've had two months off and we're a little rusty. Going down to Arizona, we hadn't played in two months and I think we took it for granted."

The shakiness continued into the Lions' next tournament, the Peggy Kirk Bell, which was held from March 9-10 in Orlando, Fla. The team struggled to a disappointing sixth-place finish (318-322-640), but Hammond again posted impressive individual numbers to finish in third with a tournament total of 150 (73-77).

"We're frustrated with how we've been playing," Hammond said. "In Florida we never really got ourselves together, and that hurt our chances as far as (the NCAA Eastern) Regionals go."

Despite the 28-stroke difference in the first two tournaments, the Lions remain optimistic going into this weekend's Bryan Cup Invitational hosted by Wake Forest and North Carolina-Greensboro in Greensboro, N.C. The tournament will feature 18 of the most competitive teams the golfers have seen so far, including Big Ten rival Ohio State.

"We need to be a little more consistent," sophomore Lisa Francisco said. "This is a three-day tournament, and we need (consistency)."

According to the latest Mastercard Collegiate Women's Golf Rankings, Penn State is ranked 45th. At one point in the season, the team was No. 22. This tournament presents the opportunity to improve in rank with a strong performance, as well as making a bid for the regionals (May 7-9).

"This weekend will be the toughest competition we've seen so far," senior Emily Marron said. "Our main goal is to win the Big Tens, and that's what we're focused on. It's not about where we were, it's about where we are and where we're going."

The season is still young, and Lion coach Denise St. Pierre said she hopes to see the team become more consistent this weekend and throughout the rest of the season.

"This weekend is a big opportunity," she said. "We've had some ups and downs, but that is expected. We don't want to make that a precedent, or an excuse for (our earlier play)."