Feb. 17, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Just a few days after returning from its season-opening competition, the 23rd-ranked New Mexico women’s golf team is back at it next week, playing in the Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Ariz. The University of Arizona is the host.
The two-day tournament will be played at the par-72, 6,134-yard Arizona National Golf Club. The teams will play 36 holes on Monday and the final 18 holes on Tuesday. Live stats are available at www.golfstat.com.
UNM BACK TO FULL STRENGTH: The Lobos will have the full complement of five golfers competing in Tucson. Freshman sensation Mikaela Backstedt did not participate at the Regional Challenge last week while recovering from a broken left thumb suffered before Christmas. Backstedt, ranked 22nd nationally with a rating of 71.6 and a team-best scoring average of 72.42, was hurt after dropping a weight on her thumb in a Pilates class. She had three pins inserted. Backstedt shot even par for nine holes in a practice round last week at the UNM Championship Course.
As will be the case the rest of the season, Lobo head coach Jackie Booth will take the same five, very young golfers to Arizona: two sophomores in Giselle Claux and Alexandra Phelps and three freshmen in Backstedt, Py Bengtsson and Morgan Grantham.
THE WILDCAT INVITE FIELD: The competitive 16-team field features 14 ranked teams, including five of the top-six schools in the country: No. 1 Duke, No. 2 UCLA, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Pepperdine and No. 6 Auburn, plus No. 18 Arizona, No. 9 Arizona State, Nevada, New Mexico State, No. 16 Stanford, No. 14 Tennessee, No. 12 UNLV, No. 8 Southern Cal, No. 10 Vanderbilt and No. 15 Washington.
UCLA is the defending team champion (864) while Arizona State’s Louise Stahle (7-under 209) took the individual title in 2005.
LOBOS AT THE WILDCAT INVITATIONAL: The Lobos are playing at the Wildcat Invitational for the first time since 2002 when they finished 14th in the 18-team field. UNM attended every year from 1999-02.
DON CHALMERS CLINICS START NEXT WEEK: The Don Chalmers “Golf Clinics for Women” series is one of the opportunities the Lobos have to say thanks to a very generous community.
This spring’s clinics, which are free and held at the UNM Championship Course, will be Saturday, Feb. 25, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Saturday, March 4 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., and Sunday, March 5 from 10-11 a.m. The world famous Lobo sidewalk sale will be held on the last clinic (March 5) from 9-10 a.m., and 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Since the program’s inception, the Lobo players and coaches have taught over 400 of Albuquerque’s growing community of women golfers. Call 505/925-4554 for more information.
REGIONAL CHALLENGE REVIEW: UNM made a nice rally in the final round of the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge last week in Palos Verdes, Calif. The Lobos, competing short-handed with just four players in the first tournament of the spring season, shot a 23-over 307 to finish in 13th place. The 14-team field featured 13 ranked teams.
New Mexico competed without freshman Mikaela Backstedt, who was sidelined with a broken left thumb.
UNM began the final round 19 shots behind 13th-place Washington, but edged the Huskies by two shots, who soared to a 44-over 328. The Lobos improved their team score by 16 strokes from the previous low round of the tournament.
No. 9 Arizona State took team honors with a 40-over 892, edging No. 7 Southern California by one shot. The individual medalist was USC’s Irene Cho at 1-over 214.
New Mexico sophomore Giselle Claux tied her career-low round with a 1-over 72 on the final day. She finished in a tie for 22nd place – her best place of the season – after starting the day in 47th.
Py Bengtsson tied for 41st at 22-over 235. Alexandra Phelps was all alone in 56th place at 25-over 238 while Morgan Grantham was at 44-over 257, good for 72nd place.