Spartans Ready For Giustina Memorial Classic
9/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Sept. 26, 2009
Giustina Memorial Classic Notes
Spartanburg, S.C. - The USC Upstate women's golf team returns to the links Monday and Tuesday in the Giustina Memorial Classic played at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis, Ore. The tournament, hosted by Oregon State, is scheduled to be a 54-hole event with 10 teams playing the 6,282-yard, par-72 course. The tournament has a unique format with the men and women playing in the same groupings. Teams will be paired with two men and two women from each school playing in a foursome. For example, the No. 1 player for the Upstate women's and men's teams will be paired together with the No. 1 men's and women's players from another school.
Upstate will play its second tournament of the season after finishing 20th in the rain-shortened Great Smokies Intercollegiate last weekend. The Spartans will go with their same lineup of Jennifer Judge, Cheryl Lo, Johanna Ebenhag, Natalie Buch and Summer Wall representing Upstate in the tournament. The Spartans will compete against nine other teams: Boise State, Cal Poly, Hawai'i, Nevada, Oregon, Oregon State, Portland, Washington State and Wyoming.
Recapping The Great Smokies Intercollegiate
Jennifer Judge birdied two of her last four holes to shoot a solid 74 to lead Upstate in its season-opening tournament, the Great Smokies Intercollegiate on Sept. 19. The tournament, scheduled for 36 holes, was shortened to just the one round from Saturday due to heavy rains that made the course unplayable on Sunday. Upstate shot a 320 on Saturday and finished the tournament 20th out of 23 teams. Judge's 74 was good enough to claim a tie for 25th individually. Cheryl Lo, in her first tournament as a Spartan, finished with a 78 to give the Spartans two rounds in the 70's. Host Western Carolina and Elon finished tied for the team championship.
Looking To Close The Gap
As Upstate continues play early in the season, head coach Todd Lawton is looking to close the gap from the best scores on the team to the lower scores on the team, enabling the Spartans to move up the leaderboard. Upstate got two rounds in the 70's in the Great Smokies Intercollegiate and a third solid round by Johanna Ebenhag (81). To move up the leaderboard, Lawton is looking for lower scores out the four and five positions.
The Oregon State Connection
USC Upstate and Oregon State have a solid connection despite being on opposite ends of the country. Sandy Sandago, Upstate's Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer, served as an athletic trainer at OSU from 1984-2007, starting as an assistant athletic trainer before being promoted to head athletic trainer in 1992. In addition to Sandago, Upstate head men's basketball coach Eddie Payne was the Beavers head coach from 1995-2000.
Ebenhag Solid In First Tournament Of The Year
Johanna Ebenhag turned in a solid 81 in the first and only round of the rain-shortened Great Smokies Intercollegiate on Sept. 19. After missing most of the season last year with a nagging back injury, Ebenhag turned in the solid round, the second-lowest round of her career after a 76 in her first collegiate round at the Sea Trail Intercollegiate in 2007.
Get Lo, Get Lo
Upstate newcomer Cheryl Lo made an immediate impact in the first tournament of the year, posting a 78 in her first round as a Spartan. A transfer from Florida Atlantic this summer, the sophomore from Malaysia opened her Upstate career as the second-lowest Spartan in the tournament at the Great Smokies Intercollegiate.
Judge Continues To Show The Way
Arguably the most consistent player last spring for Upstate, junior Jennifer Judge showed in the Great Smokies Intercollegiate why she is going to be the go-to player for head coach Todd Lawton and the Spartans this season. She turned in a strong 74 to lead the Spartans and take a tie for 25th position in the rain-shortened, 18-hole tournament.
Wall Shows Improvement In First Tournament
Junior Summer Wall played in one tournament a year ago for the Spartans after transferring to Upstate from Spartanburg Methodist. In just one round last week at the Great Smokies Intercollegiate, she turned in her best career round at Upstate, shooting an 87. With more time on the course, she seems poised to continue the trend of lower scores.
Halkett A Steadying Hand
The women's golf program and head coach Todd Lawton have received a boost in the last year with the addition of assistant women's golf coach Sandy Halkett making the rounds on the course. Halkett is an LPGA teaching professional at Eagle Zone Golf Center in Greenville. Her presence on the team has helped the Spartans with course management and technique while giving Lawton a much-needed extra person to help run the program.
