It doesn’t take long to notice something different as you watch Emilee Klein on the job at a college golf tournament. Take last weekend’s Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, where she could be spotted bouncing around the University of Georgia GC in Athens like she had just finished a third can of Red Bull. In her first full year as women’s coach at the University of Central Florida, the 32-year-old has eschewed the golf carts her peers use to make their way around the course, choosing instead to walk—and sometimes run—to catch up with her five players, joining them each for a few holes during the round.

“At first I didn’t do it, I sat on the par 3s and watched everyone go by,” Klein says. “But I think now, maybe with my help they can benefit.”

That’s not to say the 1994 NCAA individual champion and three-time LPGA Tour winner is taking an unconventional approach to her new profession. It’s just that when you’re looking to build a program with almost no history of success at the national level—UCF has been to the NCAA Championship just once, in 1996—you try all sorts of ideas to shake things up.

So it is that Klein has the Golden Knights playing one of the toughest schedules in women’s college golf. Six of her team’s eight tournament starts have been in events with at least one top-five team in the field (a schedule made possible in part by her name recognition as a former tour pro). Not surprisingly, Central Florida has struggled, finishing better than 10th only once and 12th or worse five times.

“It’s been tough, but we talk about it as a team,” says Klein, whose young squad has three freshmen (Sara Hurwitch, Leigh Crosby and Victoria Tomko) and a sophomore (Stephanie Connelly) in the starting lineup, all with stroke averages from 77 to 79.3. “They just have to understand that this is the only way we get better. I have such talented players who just don’t realize it. [The finishes] aren’t due to a lack of talent. They’re due to a lack of playing in tournaments like this because they’re not comfortable in them. It’s a matter of putting in the time and effort. They’ve never put in the time in the past.”

An understanding of what it takes to achieve success might be the best skill set Klein can offer since retiring after a 11-year career on the LPGA Tour (top win: the 1996 Weetabix Women’s British Open) in the fall of 2005 and starting at Central Florida in January 2006. Prior to playing professionally, she was a two-time All-American who helped Arizona State win two NCAA team titles as a freshman and sophomore (1993 and 1994) before making the early jump to the LPGA.

Upon arriving in Orlando, Klein (photo above courtesy of Central Florida) has attempted to instill a refined work ethic with her charges, getting them to “practice smarter” so that they can maximize their time while juggling life as a student-athlete. In many respects it’s more than just creating a new attitude but developing a whole new environment. 

While breaking herself in as a coach, Klein has made a call or two to her former mentor, legendary ASU coach Linda Vollstedt, for guidance. The best bit of advice? “The one thing she’s told me that I’ve found so true is that I’m going to learn more from them than they will from me,” Klein says. “And it’s so true. I sit back some times and think of certain things that happened and what you wanted to do differently, but I’m learning daily from them.”

Klein, too, admits to learning quickly the need to treat players individually as they are motivated in different ways. “I was always so focused on my own game as a player I didn’t really realize how people respond differently,” Klein says.

Not far removed from her competitive collegiate days, Klein believes she can relate to what her players are thinking and feeling. However, this has come to extend beyond just the golf course. Klein is currently taking undergraduate classes to help finish up her liberal arts degree. At one point last year she even had the same class as a couple of her players.

In taking on the challenging tournament schedule, Klein hopes it not only will improve the level of play among her current team but attract top juniors to the program. “I just need to keep having girls take the leap of faith,” Klein says. “If I can recruit hard, I believe that in the next few years we can be a very strong program.”

Working in Klein’s favor is the fact she isn’t afraid of hard work, to the point where she needs to be careful of overdoing things. In preparation for hosting the inaugural UCF Invitational earlier this month, a tournament that had nine of the top 25 schools in the most recent Golf World/NGCA coaches’ poll, she came away with walking pneumonia.

“I’m committed to getting things in order here, and when I’m committed I’m going to do everything in my power to make it happen,” Klein says. “Sometimes too much maybe.”

In the short term Klein eyes April’s Conference USA Championship as a potential proving ground to see how far the team has actually come. A victory gets the Golden Knights an automatic bid to NCAA regionals, although Klein knows her team will be the underdogs to SMU and Memphis

Long term, Klein believes the team can be contenders on the national level within five years, a new team practice area set to open next spring helping show the commitment the school is making to her and her squad. “It’s not going to be easy, I don’t mean to make it sound like that,” Klein says. “But I think we can accomplish a lot here. We’ve got no reason why we can’t be successful.”

No doubt Klein has the spirit and energy to do it. All she needs now is a good pair of running shoes.

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Stanford—The Cardinal closed with an tournament-best 283 in the final round of the Oregon Duck Invitational Tuesday, but it was too little too late to make it six wins on the season (team finish: fifth). Apparently everyone can have an off week. Next event: U.S. Intercollegiate, Stanford GC, Palo Alto, Calif., April 14-15

2. Georgia—Watching the Bulldogs practice last week back in Athens as the women’s team was hosting the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, you see how confident the squad is. Not to mention how laid back. Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., April 9-11

3. Alabama—The Crimson Tide have one more event to prove their mettle before the SEC Championship. Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., April 9-11

4. Southern California—A six-shot victory at the Oregon Duck put the Trojans into the winner’s circle at a perfect time of the year—just as NCAAs approach. Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., April 9-11

5. UCLA—The Bruins struggled in the final round in Eugene (300, the third worst score on the day). O.D. Vincent’s squad is a bit of an enigma, although it’s tough to bet against them just yet. Next event: National Invitational Tournament, Omni Tucson National, Tucson, Ariz., April 2-3

WOMEN
1. Arizona State—The Sun Devils latest accuracy figures remain impressive: 83.3 percent fairways hit; 66.9 percent greens hit in regulation. Bonus points for the fact they lead the country with 31 percent GIR average inside 15 feet. Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Course, Tempe, Ariz., March 30-April 1

2. Duke—The Blue Devils have a chance to continue flexing their muscle as they competes against nearly every major competitor east of the Mississippi in the final regular season this weekend. Next event: Bryan National Collegiate, Bryan Park Champions GC, Brown Summitt, N.C., April 6-8

3. Auburn—The Tigers carded an impressive win at last week’s Liz Murphey Collegiate (after 13 tries in Athens, Ga.). Most importantly, they showed they can be victorious on a “championship” caliber courses. Next event: Bryan National Collegiate, Bryan Park Champions GC, Brown Summitt, N.C., April 6-8

4. Pepperdine—The Waves try to anchor their position in the top five by facing a standout field in Tucson. Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Course, Tempe, Ariz., March 30-April 1

5. Georgia—A disappointing eighth-place finish at the Bulldogs home tournament creates a little doubt as to whether the squad will be ready come the postseason. Only a little, but that’s a little more than a few months ago. Next event: Bryan National Collegiate, Bryan Park Champions GC, Brown Summitt, N.C., April 6-8

GOLF WORLD PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
MEN
John Streibich, Xavier
A final-round 63 at Pasatiempo GC, including a hole-in-one on the fifth, tied the Western Intercollegiate tournament record and gave the senior a one-shot win with an 11-under 199 (also a tourney record) in the event’s 61st playing.

WOMEN
Leah Wigger, Virginia
The senior All-American bogeyed her last hole to force a playoff with Purdue’s Maria Hernandez (two-over 215) at the Liz Murphey Collegiate, but she made a six-foot birdie on the first sudden-death hole for her first college win after five runner-up finishes. “I felt like I was pretty close to getting everything together last week at LSU,” Wigger said last Sunday. “This week, I had the putter going. That was the difference. It’s nice to finally get a win.”

STAT OF THE WEEK
67.8
Final-round stroke average for Florida State sophomore Caroline Westrup. When the native of Sweden shot a even-par 71 in the final round of last weekend’s Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, it marked the first time in six events that she failed to break 70 over the last 18.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• It wasn’t much publicized but Georgia Tech and Georgia State used one of their days of competition last weekend to play a friendly match against each other. What was interesting/revealing, was the venue: Golden Horseshoe GC in Williamsburg, Va. For the uninitiated, that’s the site of this year’s NCAA Championship. Coincidence? I think not. The Yellow Jackets used the “event” to culminate a three-day spring break trip there. The greens had been aerated, but still yielded a 68 for Tech’s Roberto Castro and 69 for Kevin Larsen as the Tech defeated State by seven shots. Give coaches Bruce Heppler and Matt Clark credit for taking advantage of an opportunity on their schedules to get in a little homework for NCAAs.

• It was fun to get to see Arkansas women’s assistant coach Shauna Estes leading the Lady Razorbacks to a third-place finish at last weekend’s Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic. For starters, she is a former All-American with the Bulldogs and had been medalist in the event back in her playing days, giving her plenty of incentive/motivation to do well in her return trip to Athens. More interestingly, you saw someone very comfortable being in charge. This was the fourth tournament Estes has been the acting head coach this spring with head coach Kelley Hester on maternity leave (she had a baby girl two weeks ago, mom and daughter are doing well), and it was the best finish yet. She has a natural rapport with the players and is as competitive as ever. She’ll continue to lead the team at next week’s Susie Maxwell Berning event and probably the SEC Championship later in April (although Hester is expected to make an appearance at SECs). If I’m a school searching for a person to oversee my program in the next few years, one of the first calls I make is to Estes.

• As you may/may not have read, I tried a new strategy for picking my NCAA men’s hoops bracket last week by using the records of the schools’ golf teams as the criteria for who advanced and who went home. For the record, I did get two final four squads (Florida and UCLA), although my champion, Southern California, got knocked off early.


TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
MEN
Administaf Augusta State Invitational
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 30-April 1
Champions Retreat GC, Evans, Ga.
Field: Auburn, Augusta State, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Houston, Minnesota, North Carolina, N.C. State, North Florida, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC-Aiken, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Defending champion: Coastal Carolina (10-under 854); Scott Brown, USC-Aiken, (nine-under 207)
Skinny: The tournament, started by the Augusta Golf Association in 1979, will be played for a second year at Champions Retreat. The event’s timing—held the weekend prior to the Masters—allows teams to stick around and watch the Monday practice day at Augusta National. Two players in the 2007 Masters field have won the ASU event: Phil Mickelson (Arizona State, 1989) and Tim Herron (New Mexico, 1993). One coach of a team in the event has also earned medalist honors twice: John Inman, North Carolina 1982 and 1983. Inman is the only repeat winner of the tournament.

Diet Pepsi Shocker Classic
April 2-3
Wichita CC, Wichita, Kan.
Host: Wichita State

National Invitational Tournament
April 2-3
Omni Tucson National Resort, Tucson, Ariz.
Host: Arizona

Hal Sutton Intercollegiate
April 2-3
GC at Stonebridge, Bossier City, La.
Host: Centenary

Ogio Pacific Coast Invitational
April 2-3
The Alisal River Cse., Santa Barbara, Calif.
Host: UC-Santa Barbara

WOMEN
Ping/ASU Invitational
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 30-April 1
ASU Karsten Course, Tempe, Ariz. (Par 72, 6,230 yards)
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Long Beach State, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon State, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Stanford, Texas A&M, Tulsa, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington
Defending champion: UCLA (one-over 865); Adriana Zwanck. Arizona (six-under 210)
Skinny: The event, first started in 1965, has a standout field with 10 of the top 25 teams in the most recent Golf World/NGCA coaches’ poll, including six of the top 10.

Ryder Florida Women’s College Championship
March 30-April 1
Don Shula’s Golf Resort, Miami Lakes, Fla.
Host: Miami (Fla.)

John Kirk/Lady Panther Intercollegiate
April 2-3
Eagles Landing CC, Stockbridge, Ga.
Host: Georgia State
Field: Augusta State, Arkansas State, Birmingham Southern, Campbell, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, East Tennessee State, Elon, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, Mercer, Mississippi, Richmond, Western Carolina.

BYU Dixie Classic
April 3-4
Entrada at Snow Canyon, St. George, Utah
Host: BYU
Field: Arizona, BYU, California, Colorado State, Weber State

Anteater Invitational
March 26-27
Dove Canyon GC, Dove Canyon, Calif.
Host: UC-Irvine

ATHENS, GA.—When it comes to the Auburn women’s team and the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, apparently the 13th time is the charm. That’s how many appearances the Tigers had made in the tournament’s 35 years before finally coming away with the team title.

“It’s such a historic event and we’ve come so close without winning here previously … well I just think this is pretty special,” Auburn coach Kim Evans told me outside the University of Georgia GC’s clubhouse after her Tigers had posted a final-round five-over 289 and a 29-over 881 total, 11 shots ahead of runner-up Florida and 16 better than third-place Arkansas.

When Evans reflects on the win this week, there are any number of positives she can take away, beginning with the fact that all five of her starters finished in the top 20 individually (T-6, Margaret Shirley; T-10, Nicole Hage; T-12, Abigale Schepperle; T-16, Candace Schepperle; T-19, Marisa Milligan). The Tigers might not have a superstar (a la Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst or Florida State’s Caroline Westrup) but they  have arguably the deepest team in the country.

Secondly, Auburn is starting to hit its stride at a pretty advantageous time. Having opened the spring with a victory at the Lady Puerto Rico, this marks the second tourney title in three spring starts (The Tigers were third at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic). With one more regular season event (Bryan National), the team is getting sharp just in time for the postseason.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the Tigers haven’t peaked yet. “I’ve never had a team that’s worked this hard,” Evans explained Sunday afternoon. “But for this team there is more work to be done. We’ve gotten better, but we can get better still and I think everybody knows that and believes that.” That's particularly important when you consider that top-ranked Duke wasn't in the field this past week in Georgia.

Other observations from Athens:   
• Virginia “fourth year” Leah Wigger didn’t need a college title to validate an impressive collegiate career, but the fact she managed to finally break through at such a prestigious event seems fitting. The two-time All-American shot a even-par 71 in the final round, including a bogey on her final hole, to finish at two-over 215 and in a tie with Purdue sophomore Maria Hernandez. On the first playoff hole, both golfers were in perfect position in the fairway. Hernandez, winner last week at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational, hit her approach on the par-4, 397-yard hole over the green right while Wigger stiffed a 8-iron from 140 yards to six feet. Hernandez chipped to five feet, but it became academic when Wigger rolled in her putt.

• It was nice to see Arkansas junior Stacy Lewis in the lineup for the Razorbacks this weekend, despite the fact she is going to be teeing it up at the LPGA's Kraft Nabisco Championship come Thursday. Lewis, who finished T-10, was scheduled to return to campus with her teammates this evening, then leave on a early A.M. flight to Palm Springs, Calif., Monday morning. This is in contrast to Georgia sophomore Taylor Leon, who also is in the field at the Kraft Nabisco but chose to fly out to California today and thus skipped playing in the Liz Murphey altogether. No doubt the Bulldogs could have used Leon's help as they finished in eighth place overall, 26 back of the victorious Tigers. It was the first time all year Georgia didn't finish either first, second or third. I appreciate the Kraft Nabisco is an important event and you want to be as best prepared as you can when you play in it, but it's also important not to let down your team in such situations.

•  Re-opened last December after a six-month renovation done by Davis Love III’s firm, the University of Georgia GC proved to be an impressive test of golf and will be a challenging site for the women’s East Regional schedule for here in 2008. The greens, despite being only three-months old, were pure if a little slow, and much more undulating than in previous years. Golfers played lift, clean and place through the greens because of fairways still growing in, but when the course is overseeded for regionals, watch out.

• Granted, the course played tough (average score: 77.63) but pace of play throughout the week was horrendous. Sunday’s shotgun start took nearly 5½ hours to complete, which was about the pace for most groups during Friday and Saturday’s play as well. I’m sorry, but a round of golf shouldn’t take as long as it does to fly from Los Angeles to Atlanta. It’s not even that things took so long to finish up this past weekend … it’s that the players have almost grown accustom to this speed of play. Come NCAAs, however, they will be forced to play faster, and if they don’t, they will be accessed penalty shots. Slow play now might cost players come the post-season.

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Stanford—Four of the Cardinal’s starting five ranks have posted scores of 67 or better this season (Zack Miller, 63; Joseph Bramlett, 64; Rob Grube, 64; Matt Savage, 67). Next event: Oregon Duck Invitational, Eugene CC, Eugene, Ore., March 26-27

2. Georgia —Any fears Bulldog coach Chris Haack had last fall after his team went winless have been calmed as UGa took its second title in the last three starts at the Schenkel in Statesboro. Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., April 9-11

3. Alabama —Got to like the charge the Crimson Tide made in the final round of the Schenkel to put a little fear into Georgia. Alabama isn’t going away. Next event: U.S. Collegiate, GC of Georgia, Alpharetta, Ga., April 9-11

4. UCLA—Sophomore Lucas Lee has finished no worse than T-10 this spring, with wins at CS Bakersfield and the Southern Collegiate Championship. Next event: Oregon Duck Invitational, Eugene CC, Eugene, Ore., March 26-27

5. Oklahoma State —Soon-to-be-departed Pablo Martin is out of the lineup for Austin, going to Europe to play in a pair of pro events. Scary part is maybe it's not the worst thing, after his T-42 in Las Vegas, the second lowest finish of his college career (2005 NCAA Championship, T-47). Next event: Morris Williams Invitational, Austin CC, Austin, Texas, March 26-27

WOMEN
1. Arizona State—The Sun Devils enjoy a nice two-week break before hosting home tournament where they have won eight times since 1982 years. Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Course, Tempe, Ariz., March 30-April 1

2. Duke—Another win at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic, and Amanda Blumenherst looks unbeatable after taking her third straight individual title, this one by eight shot. Next event: Bryan National Collegiate, Bryan Park Champions GC, Brown Summitt, N.C., April 6-8

3. Georgia —Still searching for win No. 2 on the year, although they are the favorites to win this weekend when they play on their home course in Athens, even without Taylor Leon in the line-up (she's off at the LPGA's Kraft Nabisco Championship). Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 23-25

4. Auburn—Third-place finish at LSU isn’t bad for Tigers considering they were on seven back of Duke. Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 23-25

5. Pepperdine—Five of Laurie Gibbs’ six players have posted top-10 finishes this season. Meanwhile, Waves have collectively hit 78.6 percent of their fairways. Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Course, Tempe, Ariz., March 30-April 1

GOLF WORLD PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
MEN
Roberto Diaz, USC-Aiken
The sophomore overcame an opening-round 76 with a 65-67 finish to win the individual title at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate with a two-under 208. He also helped push the Division II Pacers to the team title on the final day, beating Virginia Tech by six shots and nine other Division I schools after posting a final-round 280 at Palmetto GC in Aiken, S.C.

WOMEN
Jennifer Shipley, Fresno State
A final-round 64 at the UNLV Spring Invitational put the 19-year-old sophomore into a playoff with Idaho’s Kelly Nakashima for medalist honors at 11-under 205. She then chipped in for a par on the third sudden-death hole to claim her first college victory. “It was really exciting to win one, and shooting the lowest round of my life to do it was fun,” Shipley said.

STAT OF THE WEEK
1, 1
Number of schools in the top 25 of the Golf World/Nike Golf men’s coaches’ poll (Wake Forest, 45-47-3) and the Golf World/NGCA women’s coaches’ poll (Arkansas, 42-53-1), respectively, that have losing overall records this year. In the 2007-08 season on the men’s side, teams with sub-.500 records will not be eligible for at-large bids into NCAA regionals.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• Kansas senior Gary Woodland struggled at this week's Western Intercollegiate, finishing T-61, his worst finish as a collegian, but after working on a profile on him for Golf World that ran this week, I think the 22-year-old senior will bounce back and make a run at the Big 12 Championship title at the least before the end of the season. The kid has way too much talent and too good a head on his shoulders not to recover. Woodland is still raw—remember he's only been solely focused on golf for three years now—but his physical skills are unlike most any player that's come out of college. As his swing coach, Randy Smith, noted: "I just haven't seen anybody physically hit the ball as far as he hits it with a regular golf swing. [I've seen] a lot of jump-out-of-your-shoes, falling-down-break-your-back type of swings. But this is a real-life golf swing, beautifully paced."

• A foursome of current collegians (USC's Dewi-Claire Schreefel, Duke's Jennie Lee, Georgia's Taylor Leon, Arkansas' Stacy Lewis), one fall enrollee (Esther Choe at Arizona) and a precocious high schooler (U.S. Women's Amateur champion Kimberly Kim) will get to see how their games stack up with the LPGA's best when they compete at next week's Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first women's professional major of 2007. It's a talented group, all capable of making the cut at the least. Given their recent play, however, I think the players to keep an eye out for are Leon, Lewis and Choe. Leon has  played in three U.S. Women's Opens, missing the cut in all, but hasn't finished worse than T-8 in any college tournament this season. Lewis is playing in her first major, but finished second in last week's Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational. Choe has qualified for two Women's Opens, also not making the cut, but the unflappable 17-year-old seems primed to have a breakout performance in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

• Not for nothing, but if Duke's Amanda Blumenherst had gotten a sponsor's exemption into next week's major (and seeing as she was the college player of the year in 2006, it seems a little surprising she didn't), I think she would not only have made the cut but would be in contention for the title the way she's playing of late. Remember, she did finish T-10 at the U.S. Women's Open last year.

TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
MEN
Morris Williams Intercollegiate
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 26-27
Austin CC, Austin, Texas (Par 72, 6,906 yards)
Field: Auburn. BYU, Kent State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Purdue, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tulsa, UNLV
Defending champion: Oklahoma State (14-under 850); Oscar Alvarez, BYU, (seven-under 209)
Skinny: The namesake for one of the top college events of the year was a Austin native who became the city’s youngest junior champion at age 13 and dominated the local golf scene. Williams went on to play for Texas from 1947-50, leading the Longhorns to three Southwest Conference titles and finishing runner-up at the 1950 NCAA Championship. He joined the Air Force upon graduation and posted an undefeated record in service golf tournaments. Shortly after his victory in the 1953 Worldwide Air Force Golf Championship, Williams was killed in a jet plane crash. This is the event’s 41st playing with such top name winners as Ben Crenshaw (Texas, 1972, 1973), Payne Stewart (SMU, 1979), Fred Couples (Houston, 1980), Phil Mickelson (Arizona State, 1991) and Justin Leonard (Texas, 1993).

Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 25-27
Bulls Bay GC, Awendaw, S.C.
Host: College of Charleston/South Carolina
Field: Arkansas, Augusta State, Baylor, Central Florida, College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Florida State, Kentucky, LSU, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest

Furman Intercollegiate
March 23-25
Furman University GC, Greenville, S.C.
Host: Furman

Colorado Stevinson Ranch Invitational
March 26-27
Stevinson Ranch, Stevinson, Calif. (Par 72, 7,206 yards)
Host: Colorado
Field: Air Force, UC-Davis, UC-Santa Barbara, CSU-Stanislaus, Colorado, Drake, Hawaii-Hilo, Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, Missouri-Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Wichita State

Oregon Duck Invitational
March 26-27
Eugene CC, Eugene, Ore. (Par 72, 7,033 yards)
Host: Oregon
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Pacific, San Diego State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State

WOMEN
Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 23-25
University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga. (Par 72, 6,228 yards)
Field: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Augusta State, Central Florida, Florida, Florida State, Furman, Georgia, Georgia State, Kent State, LSU, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Purdue, South Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Georgia (39-over 903); Caroline Westrup, Florida State (five-over 221)
Skinny: The tournament is marking its 35th anniversary this weekend with the Bulldogs hoping to continue to play the role of bad hosts, having won the team title in six of the last 10 years. First called the Georgia Invitational in 1973 before becoming the Women’s Southern Intercollegiate from 1977-94, it was renamed in honor of former UGa coach Liz Murphey in 1995. Individual winners have included Beth Daniel (Furman, 1977), Juli Inkster (San Jose State, 1982), Jody Rosenthal (Tulsa, 1983, 1984, 1985), current ASU coach Melissa Luellen (nee McNamara, Tulsa, 1987), Vicki Goetze (Georgia, 1992) and current Duke assistant Kalen Anderson (Duke, 2001).

Mountain View Classic
March 24-25
Mountain View GC, Tucson, Ariz. (Par 72, 6,178 yards)
Host: Colorado
Field: Baylor, College of Charleston, Denver, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Arizona, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Wisconsin

Lady Seahawk Invitational
March 26-27
River Landing CC, Wallace, N.C.
Host: UNC Wilmington

Oregon Duck Invitational
March 26-27
Shadow Hills CC, Junction City, Ore.
Host: Oregon

Anteater Invitational
March 26-27
Dove Canyon GC, Dove Canyon, Calif.
Host: UC-Irvine

As most anyone who knows me can tell you, my love of college sports isn’t exclusive to college golf. So it was with great anticipation that I filled out my NCAA men’s basketball bracket last week, hoping that my hoops knowledge would help me win bragging rights among my former University of Michigan classmates who try to outsmart each other March.

Four days of basketball later, this much is clear: there will be no bragging this year. On the contrary, there will probably need to be a little groveling so as not to be the butt of jokes for the next six months, even if I do have all my Final Four picks still alive.

My busted brackets got me thinking, however, that there must be a better system to pick teams for the basketball tourney. What if, say, instead of trying to predict winners of the games based on how good I thought their hoops teams are, I tried to predict winners based on how good their men’s golf teams are? Sounds a little outlandish, I agree, but is it any more preposterous than somebody picking games based on their favorite colors? Or those who simply flip a coin for each game? (FYI: somebody did that in the pool I entered and is ahead of me by one point).

To test my theory, I’ve decided to go through this year’s brackets from the Sweet 16 on, picking each of the remaining games based strictly on how the schools’ golf teams have done head-to-head in tournaments they’ve played against each other to see if this might be my new method to March Madness. If the schools haven’t faced each other in a common tournament, I’ll use their overall win-loss records on the season, the better winning percentage advancing. If the schools have played against each other, but they have a tied record, I'll use stroke differential to break the tie.

So here goes ...

EAST REGION
Sweet 16
North Carolina vs. USC
    The Tar Heels won their opening tournament of the season (International Collegiate) and have four top-five finishes in six starts with an overall record of 57-22-3 (.813).
    The Trojans won the their opening tournament of the season (Inverness Intercollegiate) and have seven top-fives in seven starts with an overall record of 89-13-1 (.869).
     Winner: USC

Vanderbilt vs. Georgetown
    The Commodores have not won this season, but have four top-fives in seven starts with an overall record of 58-33-3 (.633).
    The Hoyas won their last tournament of the fall (Hoya Invitational) and have three top-fives in five starts with an overall record of 37-32-1 (.536).
   Winner: Vanderbilt

Elite 8
USC vs. Vanderbilt
    Again, the two teams haven’t played in the same tournament this season, so using winning percentages we have …
    Winner: USC

SOUTH REGION
Sweet 16
Ohio State vs. Tennessee
    Yes … a match-up where the two schools have “battled” on the links, both teams playing in last weekend’s Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational. The Volunteers finished 10 out of 18 teams, but bested the Buckeyes by 13 shots (OSU finishing 15th).
    Winner: Tennessee

Texas A&M vs. Memphis
    The Aggies have not won this season, but have six top-fives in nine starts with an overall record of 93-29 (.762).
    The Tigers have not won this season, but have three top-fives in eight starts with an overall record of 51-58-2 (.468).
    Winner: Texas A&M

Elite 8
Tennessee vs. Texas A&M
    The Volunteers and Aggies have played in two tournaments together, the Isleworth-UCF Collegiate in October (Aggies finished third; Vols finished T-8) and last weekend’s Schenkel (Aggies finished sixth; Vols 10th).
    Winner: Texas A&M

MIDWEST REGION
Sweet 16
Florida vs. Butler
    The Gators have two wins (Ping/Golfweek Preview, SunTrust Gator Invitational) and seven top-five finishes with an overall record of 94-28-1 (.768).
    The Bulldogs have two top-five finishes in six starts with an overall record of 12-43 (.218).
    Winner: Florida

Oregon vs. UNLV
    The Ducks and Rebels faced off against each other at the Ping-Arizona Intercollegiate in January, with Oregon finishing in ninth place, 33 shots back of the champion Rebels.
    Winner: UNLV

Elite 8
Florida vs. UNLV
    The Gators and Rebels, both top-10 programs in the most recent Golf World/Nike Golf coaches’ poll, have played in four events together this season:
    Inverness Intercollegiate: Florida third; UNLV sixth
    Ping/Golfweek Preview: Florida win; UNLV fourth
    Callaway Match Play Championship: Florida fourth; UNLV ninth
    Southern Highlands Collegiate: UNLV fourth, Florida 10th
For the curious, the Gators in head-to-head stroke play match ups are seven shots up on the Rebels.
    Winner: Florida

WEST REGION
Sweet 16
Kansas vs. Southern Illinois
    The Jayhawks have two wins (Kansas Invitational, The All-American) and five top-fives in eight starts with an overall record of 64-37-2 (.631).
    The Salukis have three top-fives in nine starts with an overall record of 53-54-1 (.495).
    Winner: Kansas

Pittsburgh vs. UCLA
    The Panthers don’t have a varsity men’s golf team.
    The Bruins have three wins and six top-fives in eight varsity starts, with an overall record of 74-13-4 (.835).
    Winner: UCLA

Elite 8
Kansas vs. UCLA
    The Jayhawks and Bruins have compete in the same tournament once this season, at the Prestige at PGA West last October. The Jayhawks’ T-5 finish was solid, but they needed 26 shots to catch the Bruins, who finished in second place.
    Winner: UCLA

FINAL FOUR
USC vs. Texas A&M
     The Trojans and Aggies did square off back in September at the Inverness Intercollegiate. Unfortunately for the crew from College Station, A&M finished in seventh place, 18 shots back of victorious USC.
   Winner: USC

Florida vs. UCLA
    The Gators and Bruins played in two common events: the Callaway Match Play and Southern Highlands Collegiate. Florida finished fourth in the match play to UCLA’s T-7, but the Bruins victory in Las Vegas trumps the Gators’ 10th-place showing. A match of strokes gives UCLA a 24-shot edge.
    Winner: UCLA

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
USC vs. UCLA
    The battle of Tinseltown is a good one, as the Trojans and Bruins have played in four common events:
    The Prestige: UCLA second (13 under); USC T-5 (13 over)—UCLA up 26 shots
    Big Ten/Pac-10 Challenge: UCLA win (33 over); USC second (38 over)—UCLA up 31 shots
    CordeValle Collegiate: USC second (28 under); UCLA T-7 (4 under)—UCLA up 7 shots
    USC Collegiate: USC second (1 over); UCLA fourth (18 over)—USC up 10 shots

And there you have it … you heard it here first … the winner of the 2007 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be the University of Southern California …

Thanks, of course, to the school's golf team.

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Stanford—Team scoring average for the Cardinal in 2005-06: 292.0. Team scoring average in 2006-07 thus far: 280.5. Next event: Oregon Duck Invitational, Eugene CC, Eugene, Ore., March 26-27

2. Georgia —Backed up win at Puerto Rico with second place showing at last week’s Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas. Next event: E-Z-Go Schenkel Invitational, Forest Heights CC, Statesboro, Ga., March 17-18

3. Alabama —After three weeks off, Crimson Tide face seven conference rivals in Georgia this weekend in a good tune-up for next month’s SEC Championship. Next event: E-Z-Go Schenkel Invitational, Forest Heights CC, Statesboro, Ga., March 17-18

4. Oklahoma State —Cowboys look to rebound after sixth-place showing in Las Vegas, where for the first time this season they didn’t have an individual finish at least in the top 20. Next event: Morris Williams Invitational, Austin CC, Austin, Texas, March 26-27

5. UCLA —Impressive final-round comeback in Las Vegas (one-under 287) gives Bruins their third win of the 2006-07 season, but first since October. Next event: Oregon Duck Invitational, Eugene CC, Eugene, Ore., March 26-27

WOMEN
1. Arizona State—The Sun Devils continue to roll with 11-shot win at the Texas A&M “Mo”Morial. Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Course, Tempe, Ariz., March 30-April 1

2. Duke —Blue Devils lead the country in par-4 scoring (4.14) and are fourth in par-5 scoring (4.98). Next event: LSU/Cleveland Classic, The University Club, Baton Rouge, La., March 16-18

3. Georgia —If the Bulldogs could avoid any more first-round stumbles, win No. 2 on the season isn’t far away. Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 23-25

4. Auburn —Tigers looking to take inspiration after school’s women’s swimming team captured its fifth NCAA title in six years. Next event: LSU/Cleveland Classic, The University Club, Baton Rouge, La., March 16-18

5. Pepperdine—This is the time of year that senior Eileen Vargas starts to shine. Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, ASU Karsten Course, Tempe, Ariz., March 30-April 1

GOLF WORLD COLLEGE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
MEN
Lucas Lee , UCLA
The sophomore birdied the last hole at the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas to take the title with a final-round 72 and three-under 213. Lee also helped the Bruins post a one-under 287 Sunday to beat Georgia by three shots.

WOMEN
Amanda Blumenherst, Duke
A career-low 65 in the second round of the UCF Invitational propelled the sophomore to a 12-shot victory, her second straight wire-to-wire win. Her 11-under 205 was 27.98 strokes better than the 54-hole average of the 73-player field.

STAT OF THE WEEK
66.75
Final-round scoring average of Stanford junior Rob Grube in his last four starts, shooting a 65 at the CordeValle Classic, 64 at the University of Hawaii-Hilo Invitational, 69 at the Puerto Rico Classic and a 69 at the USC Invitational.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• If there is any team I can’t seem to figure out in men’s college golf this season it’s the Clemson Tigers. Coach Larry Penley has a young but talented squad. At the start of the year, I figured you could put the emphasis on talented, but of late they’re looking young, having finished better than fifth in only two tournaments. While most every other school in the “contender” category for the national championship has stepped up this fall, Clemson continues to spin its wheel. Which is why I expect the Tigers to come up big at the Augusta State Invitational in two weeks. The season is slowly winding down, and Penley knows how to inspire his troops.

• Thanks to a withdrawl from Michelle Wie, still recovering from a wrist injury, incoming Pepperdine recruit Taylore Karle has been given a sponsor's exemption into next week's LPGA Safeway International near Phoenix. Don't be surprised if the talented teen plays well at Superstition Mountain G&CC's Prospectors Course; in her last six competitive rounds on the course (dating back to a qualifier there for the Safeway event, which she finished second, and an AJGA event there she is 18 under par. UCLA freshman Sydnee Michaels also will be in field at the LPGA event.

TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
MEN
Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 17-18
Forest Heights CC, Statesboro, Ga. (par 72, 7,510 yards)
Field: Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Augusta State, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan State, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, N.C. State, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M
Defending champion: North Carolina (seven-under 857); Matt Harmon, Michigan State, (nine-under 207)
Skinny: One of the historic events in college golf has another strong field, with three of the top five teams in the latest Golf World/Nike Golf coaches’ poll set to play in the tournament. Ironically, host Georgia Southern has never won the tournament in its 28-year history.

Border Olympics
March 16-17
Laredo CC, Laredo, Texas
Host: Houston

Pinehurst Invitational
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 18-20
Pinehurst No. 8, The Centennial Course, Pinehurst, N.C. (72, 6,923 yards)
Host: East Carolina/Indiana
Field: Ball State, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Marquette, Marshall, Michigan, Mississippi, North Florida, UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Wilmington, Northern Illinois, Penn State, SMU, Toledo, VCU, Western Illinois, Wisconsin

Western Intercollegiate
March 19-20
Pasatiempo GC, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Host: San Jose State

Ron Moore Invitational
March 19-20
Palm Valley GC, Goodyear, Ariz.
Host: Denver

WOMEN
Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 16-18
University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas (Par 72, 6,323 yards)
Field: Arkansas, Baylor, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Purdue, SMU, TCU, Texas.
Defending champion: Duke (43-over 907); Amanda Blumenherst, Duke (two-over 218)
Skinny: Longhorns are holding the event, named after the 1950 UT graduate who became one of history’s most prolific golfers, for the 34th time. The tournament was renamed in Betsy Rawls honor in 1977. Past individual winners have included Vicki Goetze (Georgia, 1992), Annika Sorenstam (Arizona, 1992), Marisa Baena (Arizona, 1996) and Marcy Newton (North Carolina, 1997)

LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 16-18
The University Club, Baton Rouge, La. (Par 72, 6,338 yards)
Host: LSU
Field: Alabama, Augusta State, Birmingham-Southern, Charleston, Duke, Furman, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Memphis, Mississippi, Mississippi State, UNC-Wilmington, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest

Waterlefe/USF Invitational
March 19-20
Waterlefe GC, Brandenton, Fla.
Host: South Florida

Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational
March 20-21
Kaneohe Klipper GC, Honolulu
Host: Hawaii

Perhaps this is all you need to know about how talented Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst is: after posting three top-10 finishes in three tournaments this fall, there were some who suggested the reigning college player of the year was in the midst of a sophomore slump. The logic? Well, she had broken par only twice in nine rounds and carried a weighty 72.5 stroke average, almost a full shot higher than her nation’s best 71.62 mark as a freshman.

As it turns out, Blumenherst’s “poor” performance wasn’t for a lack of effort. Rather, it was a lack of rest. In the months prior to the end of the fall season, the 20-year-old from Scottsdale, Ariz., had competed for select U.S. teams overseas in Japan (U.S.-Japan matches) and South African (Women’s World Amateur Team Championship) as well as for the U.S. Curtis Cup team at Oregon’s Bandon Dunes, in addition to a normal college/amateur schedule.

“It just got to the point by our last tournament I was ready for the season to be over,” admits Blumenherst (photo supplied by Duke Photography). “I was excited I had some time off.”

So it is then that a sleeping giant has arisen in Durham, N.C. With two stirring victories in eight days, Blumenherst has silenced those who might have been uttering the “S” word, replacing it instead with talk of becoming the first golfer since Arizona’s Lorena Ochoa in 2001-02 to repeat as national player of the year.

In his first spring start, Blumenherst posted rounds of 70-69-71 to cruise to a four-shot individual triumph at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational, her fourth career collegiate title but her first since last April’s ACC Championship. Still, the wire-to-wire win at Arizona National GC in Tucson seemed like a close call compared to her demolition of the field at this week’s UCF Invitational. Blumenherst’s 11-under 205—including a collegiate-best 65 in the second round at Orlando’s Grand Cypress Resort—was 12 strokes clear of runner-up Jacqui Concolino from Vanderbilt.

Of course, if being more refreshed was the key to victory, college coaches would be calling off 7 a.m. workouts and replacing them with mandatory afternoon naps. In Blumenherst’s case the resurgence also has something to do with extra work put in on the practice green.

“I really felt like I didn’t putt all that great my freshman year,” says Blumenherst, despite finishing no worse than a tie for ninth in any tournament during the 2005-06 season. “The tournaments that I won, most of the putts were falling, but really my putting wasn’t where I wanted to be.”

Enter Stan Utley, the former PGA Tour player turned short-game guru, who Blumenherst first met last August and who she visited again in Scottsdale during the winter break. After their initial session, Utley suggested Blumenherst switch putters, going away from a mallet-style club to a blade-style Scotty Cameron model. This winter, the two worked on tempo, keeping Blumenherst’s body still over the ball in hopes of making more solid contact.

No doubt, the extra effort around the greens was much appreciated by Duke women’s coach Dan Brooks, who already had determined his entire squad needed to focus more on short-game practice after a fall season that saw the two-time defending NCAA champions look somewhat mortal, winning just two of five fall events. Since coming back from winter break in January, Brooks and his assistant, Kalen Anderson, have been putting the team through their paces with an up-and-down competition at the end of each practice. Not so coincidentally, the Blue Devils finished second in Tucson (eight shots off Arizona State’s winning pace) and then ran away from the field in Orlando (winning by 26 strokes over No. 1-ranked Georgia) to put themselves very much in the mix for a three-peat.

Saying Blumenherst’s game is the best it has been since entering college might be a stretch, she contends, as her ball striking is off somewhat from a year ago. That too was something she keyed on with her long-time swing instructor, Mike LaBauve, during the break. “My hands were getting too far away from my body at take away,” Blumenherst says. “So we’re just trying to make [the swing] get more compact. I can still get better here.”

Suffice it to say, the work put in by his star-player hasn't been lost on Brooks. “Amanda is really fun to watch,” he says. “She has all the physical parts, has a great attitude, plays with a lot of energy and great passion.”

As her game continues to impress, she will be forced to address the question posed to all elite college golfers: Will you be leaving school early to turn professional? Blumenherst remains adamant she’ll be a Blue Devil for the duration. “Coach is stuck with me for another two years,” she told Campus Insider two days ago. “I’m absolutely loving school, having friends, the whole college experience. The [LPGA] tour is always going to be there. I feel like I’m improving even now from last year. So if college is helping me prepare for the tour, I might as well stay.”

Blumenherst’s victory at the UCF Invitational comes with a sponsor’s exemption into the LPGA’s Sybase Classic in May, a tournament that falls the week between NCAA regionals and nationals. While hoping to take advantage of the perk, if there’s a possibility of being worn out for the NCAA Championship, she'll skip the event, trying instead to get exemptions into a few other LPGA tournaments to go along with the spot in the U.S. Women’s Open she secured last year by virtue of her T-10 finish in the 2006 event.

That said Blumenherst already has penciled in three off weeks during the summer to be sure to prevent a repeat of last year’s late-season drain. "Throughout junior golf I gave myself three weeks off, practiced maybe an hour a day [during that time] and spent the rest of the day at the lake," she said. "I'm going to make sure I do that [this year]."

After all, she wouldn't want to suffer through another "slump."

THE FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN
1. Stanford—The Cardinal victory train is full steam ahead with win No. 5 on the season coming in the form of a five-shot triumph over host Southern California at USC Invitational last Tuesday. Next event: Oregon Duck Invitational, Eugene CC, Eugene, Ore., March 26-27

2. Alabama—Secret to the Crimson Tide’s success? They the lead country in eagles (15) and birdies (365), plus Alabama has an impressive 29-percent birdie conversion rate. Next event: E-Z-Go Schenkel Invitational, Forest Heights CC, Statesboro, Ga., March 17-18

3. Florida —Gators looking to bounce back from poor showing in Puerto Rico. “It’s excusable to not be at your best every now and then,” says coach Buddy Alexander of the team’s recent ninth-place finish, “but it’s imperative to play well your next time out.” Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands CC, Las Vegas, March 9-11

4. Oklahoma State—This weekend in Las Vegas, the Cowboys are expected to have both  and Pablo MartinJonathan Moore in the lineup together for only the second time since the Ping Preview in October. Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands CC, Las Vegas, March 9-11

5. Georgia—The Bulldogs are searching for back-to-back victories (after Puerto Rico win) for the third time in 12 months. Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate, Southern Highlands CC, Las Vegas, March 9-11

WOMEN
1. Arizona State —The Sun Devils benefit from having three players with sub-73 stroke averages: Anna Nordqvist (72.27), Jennifer Osborn (72.67) and Azahara Munoz (72.73). Each is among the top 11 in the Golfstat Cup ranking. Next event: Texas A&M “Mo”Morial, The Traditions Club, College Station, Texas, March 9-11

2. Duke —Two-time defending NCAA champs romp in Orlando with 26-shot win at UCF Invitational, while Amanda Blumenherst posts a tidy 12-shot pasting individually for her second straight wire-to-wire victory. Next event: LSU/Cleveland Classic, The University Club, Baton Rouge, La., March 16-18

3. Georgia—Another slow start results in another runner-up finish. Good news for Bulldogs is they were still 12 shots better than third-place Pepperdine and Vanderbilt in Orlando. Better news: sophomore Alina Lee (age 16) backs up share of Lady Puerto Rico title with third at Grand Cypress Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 23-25

4. Auburn —The Tigers continue to have the lowest average drop score (76.97) of any team in the country by more than half a shot. Next event: LSU/Cleveland Classic, The University Club, Baton Rouge, La., March 16-18

5. Pepperdine—Played Vanderbilt to a draw at Grand Cypress (the two tied for third place), but passes the Commodores into the top five by virtue of win at the Northrup Grumman. Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, The Karsten Course at ASU, Tempe, Ariz., March 30-April 1

GOLF WORLD COLLEGE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
MEN
Mike Van Sickle, Marquette
Five days after being the only player to shoot under par (three-under 213) en route to a five-shot win at the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate in South Carolina, the 20-year-old sophomore earned his second career college victory last Sunday, a one-shot triumph at the Ron Smith/USF Invitational. In posting three straight 71s at Lake Jovita (Fla.) G&CC, Van Sickle was the lone golfer to break par all three rounds. “He’s just playing really well right now,” Marquette men’s coach Tim Grogan said. “He’s a very consistent golfer and that showed in this tournament.” Van Sickle is one win shy of the individual season win record held by Tom Uutala who won three times in the 1996-97 season.

WOMEN
Caroline Westrup, Florida State
The sophomore from Sweden claimed the Chrysler Challenge title by seven shots, posting a two-over 218 at Baytowne GC in Destin, Fla. Her final-round 68 was three strokes lower than the next best 18-hole score for the entire tournament and 10 strokes lower than the final-round average. It was her seventh top-10 finish in 10 career starts with the Seminoles, who also claimed the team title by 24 shots over North Carolina. It was also Westrup’s third career college win.

STAT OF THE WEEK
27.95
Difference between Duke sophomore Amanda Blumenherst’s winning score at the UCF Invitational (11-under 205) and the average 54-hole score for the entire 73-player field.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• It’s been nearly five years since the Florida Southern women won their last Division II NCAA title. Yet the Lady Mocs look like they’re ready to knock off four-time defending champion Rollins this season, having won their home tournament, the Lady Moc Classic, last week. It marked the fifth time in six starts the team had finish in at least a share for first place. Only one other Division II squad—Lynn University at the Nova Southeastern Invitational last October—has beaten the Mocs, and that came in a playoff. Key to Florida Southern’s success has been Kim Ulander, a freshman from Sweden who has one win and six top-10s, and Heather Burgner, a sophomore from Lakeland, Fla., with four top-10 finishes in 2006-07.

• Looking for a dark-horse candidate for first-team All-American honors? Consider San Diego State’s Aaron Goldberg. The 21-year-old junior has won just once, but he has five top-five finishes in seven starts after a T-4 at this week’s Callaway Golf Invitational in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. In the process of posting scores of 72-69-71 for a four-under 212, Goldberg has now broken par in 15 of 21 rounds on the season.

TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
MEN
Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 9-11
Southern Highland GC, Las Vegas (par 72, 7,510 yards)
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, UNLV, Wake Forest, Washington
Defending champion: UNLV (15-over 879); Matt Kinsinger, UNLV, (two-under 214)
Skinny: The Las Vegas Founders have another primo field for the 32nd edition of the tournament, with six of the participating schools ranked Golf World/Nike Golf’s coaches’ poll top-10 (and 14 of the 15 ranked in the top-25). Many individual winners have gone on to win on the PGA Tour, including Jay Don Blake (Utah State, 1978), Billy Mayfair (Arizona State, 1987), Phil Mickelson (Arizona State, 1991), Stewart Cink and David Duval (Georgia Tech, 1992), David Gossett (Texas, 1999), D.J. Trahan (Clemson, 2000) and Troy Matteson (Georgia Tech, 2002).

General Jim Hackler Invitational
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 10-11
TPC Myrtle Beach, Murrells, S.C. (Par 72, 6,950 yards)
Host: Coastal Carolina
Field: Augusta State, Baylor, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Duke, Georgia Southern, Kent State, Lamar, New Mexico, UNC-Wilmington, North Florida, Oklahoma, Pepperdine, Purdue, Southern California, Tulsa

Mission Inn Collegiate Invitational
March 10-11
El Campeon GC, Howie-in-the-Hills, Fla. (72, 6,923 yards)
Host: Xavier
Field: Akron, Charleston Southern, Eastern Michigan, George Mason, Iowa, Iowa state, Liberty, Louisville, Marquette, Marshall, Missouri, UNC-Greensboro, Ohio, Old Dominion, Rhode Island, Wichita State, Xavier

USF Triumph at Pauma Valley
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 11-13
Pauma Valley CC, San Diego
Host: San Francisco
Field: Air Force, Cal Poly, CSU-Monterey Bay, Campbell, Hartford, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Notre Dame, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, St. Mary’s (Calif.), UC-Santa Barbara, Weber State, Wisconsin

Fresno State Lexus Golf Classic
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 12-13
Sunnyside CC, Fresno, Calif.
Host: Fresno State
Field: Boise State, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Northridge, UC Irvine, Fresno State, Hawaii, Kansas State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Oregon, Pacific, San Diego State, San Jose State, UTEP, Wyoming

Cleveland Golf Palmetto Invitational
March 12-13
Palmetto GC, Aiken, S.C.
Host: USC-Aiken
Field: Belmont Abbey, College of Charleston, Davidson, East Carolina, Elon, Francis Marion, Furman, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State, Presbyterian, St. John’s, USC Aiken, Virginia Commonwealth, Virginia Tech

WOMEN
Texas A&M “Mo”Morial
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 9-11
The Traditions Club, Bryan, Texas (Par 72, 6,255 yards)
Field: Arizona State, Denver, Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Princeton, Redlands CC, South Carolina, Southern California, Tulsa, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, UTEP
Defending champion: Texas A&M (59-over 923, defeated Arkansas in playoff); Ashley Knoll, Texas A&M (two-over 218)
Skinny: Before defeating Arkansas in a sudden-death playoff last year, it had been eight years since the Aggies had won their home event. This season, the 14-year-old event—named after former A&M standout Monica Welsh, who died in a car accident in 1992—has arguably its best field ever, with seven of the 16 teams in ranked in the top 25 of the most recent Golf World/NGCA coaches’ poll. Meanwhile, Texas A&M senior Ashley Knoll has a chance to become the third player to win the individual title twice, and the first to claim the honor in back-to-back seasons.

Rio Verde Invitational
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 9-11
Quail Run at Rio Verde CC, Rio Verde, Ariz.
Host: Western Michigan
Field: Arkansas-Little Rock, Ball State, Baylor, Bowling Green State, Bradley, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Illinois State, Minnesota, Missouri State, Ohio, Southern Illinois, Texas Tech, Toledo, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Xavier

Lady Gator Invitational
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 10-11
University of Florida GC, Gainesville, Fla.
Host: Florida
Field: Central Florida, Florida, Florida International, Florida State, Georgia State, Kent State, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, UNC-Greensboro, South Florida, TCU, Tennessee

Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational
March 12-13
Tuscawilla CC, West Springs, Fla.
Host: Rollins College
Field: Barry, CSU-San Marcos, Daytona Beach CC, Florida Southern, Kentucky, Lynn, Marshall, Methodist, Nebraska-Omaha, Northern Illinois, Nova Southeastern, Rollins, Saint Leo

UNLV Spring Invitational
    (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
March 12-14
Boulder Creek GC, Boulder City, Nev. (Par 72, 6,153 yards)
Host: UNLV
Field: Boise State, BYU, Campbell, Eastern Washington, Fresno State, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Long Beach State, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Notre Dame, San Diego State, San Francisco, Texas Tech, Washington State, UNLV

Some more interesting stories on the Internet regarding the college golf (and one junior note to follow):

• Making headlines this past weekend were a couple stories about Duke sophomore Andrew Giuliani that appeared in the New York Times and New York Daily News. Each touched on Giuliani's strained relationship with his father, 2008 presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. Andrew said he would not be participating in his father's campaign, instead focusing on his golf game—he is a member of the Blue Devils golf team—with the goal of being a professional golfer. The stories were also picked up by some national news services (ABC.com) and Andrew also spoke on ABC's Good Morning America. When asked about his son's comments, Rudy Giuliani hoped for privacy as he tried to mend their relationship.

• Golf World reported earlier this year that Division II's West Texas A&M made a curious hire for its men's golf coach position—former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf. Jason Sobel, the golf editor at ESPN.com, had a interesting Q&A with him.

• I made mention of it last week, but here is the release about the new Nationwide Tour event that's going to be played this summer at Ohio State's Scarlet Course. Among the exempt players in the field will be all the members of the GCAA's first-team All-American squad. Got to give a lot of credit to the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour for finding the space for these players. They're likely going to take some heat from tour members upset that the college guys are taking up spots, but this is a great reward for the top college players and in many cases the only chance they might have to get a sponsor's exemption into a pro event.

• Bob Gillespie does a nice job of cover the South Carolina and Clemson golf teams for The State out of Columbia, S.C. Here is his story regarding the recent bus accident that the Gamecock's men's team was in after returning home from the John Hayt tournament in Florida.

• From the giving back department, the Alabama men's golf team recently participated in "Read Across America" program where players from the No. X ranked squad went to a local elementary school in Tuscaloosa.

• This is a column from the Albuquerque (N.M.) Tribune about the University of New Mexico's North Course, where neighbors are concerned that the land might be turned into a development and the course potentially eliminated.

• Officials at the AJGA announced last week that one of their premier events, the Polo Golf Junior Classic, is moving from Sea Island, Ga., back to Orlando, where it will be played at the Ginn Reunion Resort over Thanksgiving weekend.

It wasn’t hard to spot Auburn’s Kim Evans last Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. All you had to do is look for the woman’s golf coach with the Cheshire-cat grin on her face after the Tigers had won by five shots over top-ranked Georgia and Oklahoma State. For the second straight tournament the least experienced player on her roster suddenly began channeling her inner Annika, turning the heads of many in the college golf world, not the least of which being Evans herself.

In only her second start of the season, sophomore Mariana Macias (right) grabbed a share of medalist honors at Coco Beach GC in Rio Grande, P.R., this after redshirt freshman Marisa Milligan won The Derby last November in her second ever start. On a team already talented at the top of the line-up with former SEC player of the year Nicole Hage, Margaret Shirley and Abigale and Candace Schepperle, suddenly the Supremes have stolen the microphone from Diana Ross—and given reason to believe maybe this just might finally be the year for Auburn to walk away with a national title.

Of course, it’s too early to get too excited, Evans noted, the NCAA Championship still 12 weeks away. At the same time the 13-year coach who has won five SEC titles and three SEC coach-of-the-year honors wasn’t afraid to throw out one superlative regarding her current squad, ranked fifth in the most recent Golf World coaches’ poll.

“I’ve never had a team that’s worked this hard,” she contends. “What’s that term for kids who like hanging around the gym and shooting baskets? Gym rats? I think I’ve got some golf rats. They’ll be out practicing wedges an hour before practice [officially] starts. If they’re not playing, they’re practicing. I can’t articulate it. It’s just like … when I get to practice they’re all there. They’re ready to go.”

Macias and Milligan are no exceptions. The former hails from Madrid and was just 17 when she came  to the U.S. in the fall of 2005. Evans anticipated it taking some time for Macias to get acclimated, but noticed upon her return to school in January a renewed energy. “I can’t remember a time since we've been back that I drove by the course and didn’t see Marianna there,” Evans said. “She had worked hard during the break back home in Spain, and I think she was chomping at the bit to finally prove herself.”

Evans liked the spirit Milligan (right) also has showed from the day she said she wanted to come to Auburn as a walk on after winning the Illinois Women's Amateur in 2005. “Whenever a player calls you and says ‘I want to go to your school because I want to try to go to one of the best schools in the country because I want to get better.’ You’ve got to figure with that kind of mind set there she’s going to get better.

“You knew Marissa had some play in her,” Evans continued. “It was a matter of gaining some confidence and working a lot on her short game. just playing last year and being able to practice in a different setting. But you could just really see her come around when she returned this fall.”

It wasn’t like the Tigers were doing poorly before Macias and Milligan emerged from anonymity. The team was in the hunt at the NCAA Fall Preview in September only to post a disappointing final-round score that dropped them to fourth, the same scenario that occurred at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate in October, where Auburn finished third. At no point, however, did Evans panic.

“I don’t think we were rusty,” she said, “but I just felt like we could have been a little better. I thought we have room to improve and we can improve and we can get better than this.”

If nothing else the emergence of Macias and Milligan means more competition back home to get a spot in the lineup and a little less pressure on the upperclassmen to carry the load during tournaments, both factors that can only bolster Auburn's collective confidence.

Her peers will tell you Evans is among the best women’s coaches in the country yet to have won a national title, her Tigers finishing sixth or better at NCAAs four of the past seven seasons. Whether this group will be the one to finally get her the ultimate prize remains to be seen, but Evans is excited to let things play out.

“We’ve had some really polished players in this program,” she said. “Right now we have two that have won that nobody has really heard of. I don’t know what to make of it. All I know is this team has a way of kind of hanging around the leader board and that’s a great trait to have.

"We’re going to have a great time trying to see how good we can be, and I think this squad will leave it all out there. They’ll leave 110 percent out there and that’s what I’m most pleased about.”