Experience breeds expectations for Oregon golf squads
Both the Oregon men
and women hope to
return to the NCAAs
By Joel Hood
Oregon Daily Emerald
Rene Baumgartner knows what
pressure is all about.
Two seasons ago, the Oregon
women’s golf team established a
new benchmark for success with
a seventh-place showing at the
NCAA Championships — the
highest national ranking in the
history of the program.
"Last year we felt a ton of pres
sure after our break-through year
in 1996,” said Baumgartner, who
enters her 10th year as head
coach of the Ducks. “That’s not
something I’m going to miss.”
After a disappointing 14th
place finish at the NCAAs last
season, and after losing it’s scor
ing leader to graduation, Ore
gon’s preseason expectations
have come down a little in the
eyes of the national media.
But not in the eyes of its coach.
“It’s just a different season for
us,” Baumgartner said. “Talent
wise we’ve got just as much or
more as we’ve had the last two
seasons. I feel very good about
our chances this year.”
So do her players.
“We’ve all got high individual
hopes for the season,” Pam Sow
den said. "I feel good about
where this team is at. We’re all
excited to get the season started.”
One big reason for the team’s
optimism is the addition of
Claire Hunter, who begins her
first season of Division 1-A com
petition after capturing the first
ever junior college national
championship a year ago.
"Everything is really new to
me,” said Hunter, who is a native
of Scotland. “My only real goal is
to qualify for the traveling team
and play my best. I know that the
competition is a lot higher than
what I’m used to, but I feel like
I’m ready for the jump.”
With Hunter and a talented
veteran corp of returning players
that includes Jerilyn White,
Karen Bristow, Sowden and
GOLF
sophomore
Dawn Berry,
Baumgartner
said the Ducks’
preseason No. 10
national ranking
is a fair one.
“We lost a great player in Paula
[Patterson],” Baumgartner said.
“But I think we’ve got a chance
for a couple more All-Americans
on this team. Arizona, Arizona
State and Stanford look like the
Pac-10 front runners at this point,
but I’d say we’re right in there
with them.”
The women begin tournament
play on Sept. 28 at the Universi
ty of Portland Invitational in Alo
ha, Ore. The Ducks have also
been invited to attend the presti
gious National Intercollegiate
Match Play Championships Oct.
31 through Nov. 2 in Vero Beach,
Fla. It will mark the second
straight year Oregon will be
among the eight-team field that
this year includes No. 1 Duke,
No. 2 Arizona, No. 5 Southern
California and five other nation
ally ranked schools.
The men’s golf team finds it
self in an unfamiliar role — one
of the early season favorites to
challenge traditional Pac-10
powerhouses Arizona, Arizona
State and UCLA for the confer
ence title.
“I think it might be a surprise
to others who don’t know much
about our program,” redshirt-se
nior Jeff Barney said. "We’re as
good as any team in the confer
ence. If we played in seven-per
son tournaments we could prob
ably win every one.”
Barney returns after redshirt
ing last season and is one of four
key veterans that head coach
Steve Nosier said he hopes can
lead this team into the postsea
son.
Along with Barney, Oregon re
turns its scoring leader in senior
Ben Crane, and veterans Derek
Croskrey and Ryan Lavoie, each
of whom competed at the NCAA
Championships last June. Lavoie
received second-team All-Pac-10
honors after registering a 73.6
scoring average during the regu
lar season.
“We’ve had pretty deep teams
the last couple of years,” Nosier
said. “But this one looks like it
could be one of our best. With
the people we have returning, I
think that we have the potential
to be very good.”
Oregon begins its fall season
on Sept. 21 at the Pacific Invita
tional in Copperopolis, Calif. The
Ducks also host a tournament at
Eugene Country Club later this
winter, the Oregon Duck Invita
tional on March 22.
The Pac-10 Championships
will be held in Seattle at Broad
moor Country Club on April 26.
tMtHALU
Senior Ben Crane leads a veteran group of golfers into the season.
Men’s Fall golf schedule (tentative)
Sept. 21-22 Pacific Invitational
Sept. 28-29 Husky Invi.
Oct. 5-6 Nike Invitational
Oct. 12-13 Nevada Wolfpack Classic
Women’s Fall golf schedule (tentative)
Sept. 28-29 University of Portland Inv.
Oct. 5-7 NCAA Fall Preview
Oct. 12-13 Northwest Invitational
Oct. 23-25 Stanford Invitational
Oct 31-Nov. 2 Rolex Match-Play Champ.
Copperopolis, Calif.
Bremerton, Wash.
Corvallis, Ore.
Reno, Nev.
Aloha, Ore.
Tulsa,Okla.
Corvallis, Ore.
Stanford,Calif.
Vero Beach, Fla.
003983
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