Women vie for third straight

Staff Report

No team has ever won the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational three straight times, but that's exactly what the UNM women's golf team will be trying to do this weekend.

A home-course advantage will be one factor weighing heavily in the Lobos' favor - the tournament, now in its 25th year, will be played at the UNM Championship Course Thursday through Sunday.

"We're really excited," head coach Jackie Booth said. "We love playing at home, and we'll be really disappointed if we don't win."

Another check in the UNM column is that the team features six returning players from last year's Mountain West Conference championship squad.

Booth said the eight players on her team would be slugging it out at the Championship Course all week for five spots on the varsity roster.

"The girls are going to have three very competitive qualifying rounds on our course before the tournament," she said. "That should give us a real edge."

Possible starters include junior Kailin Downs, who finished fifth at last year's McGuire, 2003 MWC individual champ Katrina Leckovic and freshman Ashley Rollins, who made quite a splash in her Lobo debut, finishing 15th at the NCAA Fall Preview.

Traditionally, Lobo players not on the varsity squad have competed in the tournament as individuals. Their scores do not count toward the final team score.

The Championship Course, 6,069 yards of nerve-racking, accuracy-demanding excitement playing to a par of 73, will provide the 17-team field with a stern test.

The Lobos, ranked 25th in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index, will have to get by No. 13 Oklahoma State University, which should present the strongest challenge.

Also coming to the Duke City for a shot at glory are No. 20 UNLV, Arizona State University and conference foe Brigham Young University.

Last time out, the Lobos posted the third best score in the final round of the NCAA Fall Preview to jump five spots into a 9th place finish.

Tee times for the McGuire start at 8:30 Thursday morning.