Within the barely contained anticipation of a new season on the
green, and an early start to competition lies the challenge of
maintaining concentration on the golf course.
From September 16-18, the women’s golf team had already
begun swinging the clubs in the Oregon State tournament in
Corvallis, sizing up their competitors. The Bruins have been
spending their summer days practicing in different country clubs,
and already are looking forward to the start of the fall
season.
And with this first opportunity, Coach Carrie Leary seizes the
opportunity to measure what courses of action she should take
throughout the year.
“I’ll have a good idea about what the course is
going to look like, and when I go to select the team at the end of
the season, I can choose the players best suited for that golf
course,” Leary said.
Many of the other teams in the Pac-10 will have participated,
including Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State and Washington. The
representation, too, is preparing the individuals of the
women’s golf team for the upcoming action.
Returning players junior Gina Umeck and sophomore Yvonne Choe
led the team last year with all-conference selections; the rest of
the set roster also contends consistent star players such as
sophomore Charlotte Mavorkas and senior Vivan Phosomran.
But the new faces are the ones that bring out higher
expectations for the 2002-2003 season. With junior Hana Kim, a
transfer from Northwestern, and what Leary calls “our secret
weapon” freshman Susie Mathews, an international student from
Australia, the coach is confident of the team’s synergy as
they officially begin to play golf.
“Mathews is the top recruit, and I think she’s going
to do really well,” Leary said. “She’s got the
ability, and she shoots the numbers that should put her as one of
the best players in the nation.”
And in examining both the members of the team and their
contributions on the field, the coach anticipates their
success.Â
“We have a lot of depth, and this season is going to be
really competitive for the team,” Leary concluded.