The Penn State women's golf team kicked off its spring 2002 season this past Monday and Tuesday with a solid showing at the Carolina Collegiate Classic, finishing fifth overall in the 22-team field.
The Nittany Lions weren't at their best on the opening day of the tournament as a team, with their five starters combing to shoot a 317. While junior Keri Dugan and sophomore Rosemarie Fuster turned in opening rounds of 77 and 79, respectively, junior Katie Futcher had some trouble out of the gate, shooting an 80 on day one in Pinehurst, N.C.
"We were pleased with our finish, but at the same time, I felt that we could've won the tournament," Penn State coach Denise St. Pierre said. "Overall, we made some strides for this being the first tournament of the year. This was definitely a step in the right direction, but we still have a lot of room for improvement."
Futcher rebounded on the second day of the competition, shooting an eye-opening 75 and helping the Texas native tie for 15th overall, with a combined score of 155. Dugan and Fuster fared well also, each totaling 158 for the tournament to tie for 28th overall.
Junior Megan Mull placed in a tie for 34th with a 160 combined score during the two days. Sophomore Susan Oliver shot a 169 to round out the Nittany Lion lineup, as Penn State finished the day with a combined total of 314 and ended the tournament with a score of 631.
"Keri was excellent the first day with a 77 and displayed a lot of leadership," St. Pierre said. "I was pleased with the way Katie responded the second day with a 75 after struggling the first day with an 80."
Had Futcher been a bit more consistent on the first day of the tournament, she may very well have finished near the top of the leaderboard. Four players tied for the individual lead with scores of 150 apiece, only five strokes ahead of Futcher's pace.
Memphis took first place over the course of the two-day event, with a combined score of 610. They finished one stroke ahead of UNC-Greensboro and two shots ahead of Charleston Southern.
Penn State will be back in action next week as they head to Monterey, Ca., for the 18-team Spartan Invitational, which will be hosted by San Jose State University.
"We'll be flying out Friday night and getting some practice in on Saturday and Sunday before the tournament gets underway on Monday," St. Pierre said.
This field will be filled with some excellent squads as the Lions look to improve upon last year's ninth-place finish at the Spartan. St. Pierre knows that San Jose State, Oregon State, and UCLA, among others will make that task as difficult as possible.
Said St. Pierre: "Like always, we'll be going up against some outstanding competition."
