Women's golf team opens strong

For the North Carolina women's golf team patience isn't just a virtue. It's a lifeline.

Coach Sally Austin said she has stressed the importance of patience from the start of the season for a Tar Heel team that didn't finish in the top three of any tournament last year.

And already it seems to be paying off.

The Tar Heels hosted the Tar Heel Invitational this past weekend and finished second a substantial improvement from last season's 11th-place finish.

Senior Lauren Hunt and rookie Catherine O'Donnell paced the team" as O'Donnell tied for first at even par and Hunt finished tied for 10th at 10 over par.

""She's doing a very good job of just playing patient and hitting one shot at a time" Austin said of Hunt.

And if she makes the shot she makes it and if she doesn't" she misses and moves on to the next hole.""

Moving into the 2008-09 season" the Tar Heels opened the season with a third-place finish in the Cougar Classic" getting three final-round 69s from senior Sydney Crane and first-years Allie White and O'Donnell.

""We've had two good freshmen join a really strong core of girls"" Austin said.

The ACC is one of the premier conferences for women's golf, featuring Virginia, North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest, all in the top 15 in Division I, according to golfweekrankings.com.

North Carolina is currently ranked 10th in the country.

(The ACC has) a number of teams that are now certainly going to be nationally competitive in the future; we've got really good young players in our conference"" said Jeff Elliott, the associate commissioner of the ACC, who attended this weekend's tournament.

Virginia, Wake Forest, N.C. State and Florida State all played at the Invitational this weekend. Wake Forest took the title, while Virginia, who led in the early days, fell to fourth by the tournament's end.

After a strong showing this weekend against conference opponents, UNC hopes to remain in the forefront of the conference and then on a national level.

If we continue to improve and have the attitude we have" I think we are going to gain confidence" Austin said. I see us going a long way and doing well. I think we're capable of great things.""

With the two young" talented first-years White and O'Donnell and the other experienced golfers on the team" the Tar Heels know what they need to do to have a successful season. Their goals are transcendent.

""I want to help this team in any way I can" bring a positive attitude to practice White said.

Individually a national championship. There's a lot I can learn from the seniors — Lauren (Hunt) Sydney (Crane)" their experience.""

The 2008-09 season looks bright for this young group.

After surpassing last year's best effort with a second-place finish at the Tar Heel Invitational" the UNC women's golf team has gotten its first taste of success.

And already it's craving more.



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.