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

MEN
1. Georgia (Last week's syllabus: 1)
After 122 days for their winter break, the Bulldogs finally resume their season. Senior Adam Mitchell is left back in Athens as UGa's starting five includes Brian Harman, Hudson Swafford, Harris English, Russell Henley and Michael Green.
Spring opener: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar GC (River Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 27-March 1

2. Oklahoma State (3)
The Cowboys are coming off the same 122-day layoff. OSU has won once before in Puerto Rico, taking the team title in 2003.
Spring opener: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar GC (River Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 27-March 1

3. Stanford (NR)
With Joseph Bramlett still sidelined, the Cardinal impress with 10-stroke victory at USC Collegiate. Medalist Steve Ziegler closes with 68-65, his two lowest rounds of the 2008-09 season. Meanwhile, David Chung's T-5 finish makes him fifth Stanford golfer this season to card a top-10.
Next event: Callaway Match Play Championship, The Farms GC, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., March 22-24

4. Southern California (2)
Long-term diagnosis for Jamie Lovemark and his broken finger seems good. Short term, however, the Trojans are going to miss him, as evidence by fourth-place showing at their home event this week.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 13-15

5. Florida (NR)
Two straight wins to start the spring--Golden Ocala and SunTrust Gator Invite--but U of F still needs to step up against tougher competition. Puerto Rico could be where we find out just how good Buddy Alexander's squad really is.
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar GC (River Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 27-March 1

WOMEN
1. UCLA (1)
The Bruins shake off the third-place showing at Northrup Grumman with a nine-shot victory at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational. Seriously, did you think UCLA was just going to roll over and let ASU take the No. 1 ranking?
Next event: UCF Challenge, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 8-10

2. Arizona State (2)
Bad news: The Sun Devils lose to UCLA at the Arizona Wildcat. Good news: senior Jennifer Osborn posted her best finish of the season (T-7).
Next event: UCF Challenge, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 8-10

3. USC (3)
The defending NCAA champs aren't going anywhere, finishing tied for second at the Arizona Wildcat. With co-medalist honors giving her a share of a second victory, sophomore Lizette Salas is making a bid for national player of the year.
Next event: UCF Challenge, Red Tail GC, Sorrento, Fla., March 8-10

4. Wake Forest (4)
Statistics don't measure a team's confidence, so it's hard to give you data behind why I think this group should be ranked ahead of ACC rival Virginia or Big Ten favorite Purdue. There's just something about the Demon Deacons that intrigues me so I'm going to stay on the bandwagon. 
Next event: LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic, University Club, Baton Rouge, La., March 13-15

5. Auburn (5)
The Tigers' average drop score is highest among any of the top 10 teams in the Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll (80.82) but they have the 10th toughest schedule.
Next event: UCF Challenge, Red Tail CC, Sorrento, Fla., March 8-10

STAT OF THE WEEK
30
Number of career victories for UCLA women's coach Carrie Forsyth in her 9 1/2 years since taking over the program in Westwood. Her 30th title came last Tuesday when the Bruins won the Arizona Wildcat.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* I think I was one of many people who gave the UCLA men the benefit of the doubt after a sloppy fall season. Yet the defending NCAA champions didn't seem to have all that much fire as they posted a fifth-place finish during their spring season at the USC Collegiate Invitational earlier this week. Outside of freshman Gregor Main, who finished third individually to make it four top-20 performances in four starts, no Bruin has played with any real consistency during the 2008-09 campaign. UCLA heads cross country for the General Jim Hackler event in Myrtle Beach next week, then flies all the way to Las Vegas to play less than a week later at the Southern Highlands Collegiate. Derek Freeman's group better find some magic in those two events--the Bruins are just 5-9 head-to-head against Pac-10 opponents since September--or it's going to be tough to build any real momentum before the post-season arrives.

TOURNAMENTS ON TAP
MEN
Puerto Rico Classic
Rio Mar River Course, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (Par 72, 6,902 yards)
Feb. 27-March 1
Host: Purdue
Field: Alabama, Clemson, East Tennessee State, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kent State, Michigan, Minnesota, N.C. State, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Texas, Virginia Tech
Defending champion: Alabama (10-under 854) by three strokes over Oklahoma State; Alabama's Matthew Swan (12-under 204) by five strokes over Oklahoma State's Rickie Fowler
Skinny: Six of the top 15 teams in the latest Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll are in the field, with No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Oklahoma State making their spring season debuts.

Braveheart Classic
Oak Valley GC, Beaumont, Calif.
March 2-3
Host: UC Riverside
Field: Arizona, Cal Poly, CSU Northridge, Gonzaga, Kansas State, LaVerne, Long Beach State, Loyola (Ill.), Loyola Marymount, Missouri-Kansas City, Oral Roberts, Oregon, Sacramento State, Southern Utah, Tennessee, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, Utah State
Defending champion: Cal Poly (36-over 900) by eight strokes over UC Riverside; UC Riverside's Nick Paez and Spencer Paschall (four-over 200)
Skinny: Tournament sports the strongest field in its history.

Lonnie D. Small Spring Classic
Keith Hills, Buies Creek, N.C.
March 2-3
Host: Campbell
Field: Belmont, Campbell, Charlotte, College of Charleston, Davidson, Elon, Florida Gulf Coast, Gardner-Webb, Georgetown, High Point, Longwood, Presbyterian, Queens U., Stetson
Defending champion: Campbell (seven-over 583) by one stroke over Elon; USC Upstate's Josh Gallman (three-under 141) by one stroke over Elon's Jimmy Lytle, Seton Hall's Kyle Morris and Campbell's Matt Moot
Skinny: Host Camels are looking for their eighth victory in their home event since 1985. Course will also host the Atlantic Sun Championship in April

WOMEN
Juli Inkster Spartan Invitational
Almaden CC, San Jose, Calif.
March 2-3
Host: San Jose State
Field: Boise State, California, UC Davis, UC Irvine, Colorado, Colorado State, Fresno State, Georgia State, Hawaii, Miami, Oregon, San Diego State, San Francisco, San Jose State, Stanford, Washington
Defending champion: California (35-over 899) by five strokes over San Jose State; UC Irvine's Selanee Henderson (two-over 218) by two strokes over California's Allison Goodman and Pia Halbig
Skinny: The tournament has been renamed in honor of Inkster, who won 17 college events in her career at SJSU, including this tournament in 1981.

USA Lady Jaguar Classic
Azalea City GC, Mobile, Ala.
March 2-3
Host: South Alabama
Field: UAB, Arkansas State, Belmont, Florida International, Jackson State, Jacksonville State, Lamar, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, Middle Tennessee State, Nicholls, Sam Houston State, Samford, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Troy
Defending champion: East Tennessee State (24-over 600) by 17 strokes over Southern Mississippi; East Tennessee State's Sinead O'Sullivan (one-under 143) by three strokes over Southern Mississippi's Virginia Espejo
Skinny: Three years in the books and the tournament has only been won by teams from the state of Tennessee (Middle Tennessee in 2006, '07; ETSU in 2008).

Pinehurst Challenge
Pinehurst No. 6, Pinehurst, N.C.
March 2-3
Host: College of Charleston
Defending champion: East Carolina (46-over 910) by 10 strokes over East Tennessee State; College of Charleston's Steffi Kirchmayr (one-over 217) by five strokes over East Carolina's Emelie Lind
Skinny: As if hosting the 43-team Edwin Watts/Kiawah Classic wasn't enough work last week, C of C helps run this event in North Carolina.

Wave Invitational
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Moorpark CC, Moorpark, Calif
March 3-4
Host: Pepperdine
Field: BYU, CSU Northridge, Long Beach State, New Mexico State, Pepperdine, UNLV
Defending champion: New event
Skinny: The Wave women host their first tournament since spring 1999. The event will only be a 36-hole affair. The presidential history buff in me in jealous that players will get a tour of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library after the practice round.

What's the old saying, timing is everything?

A year ago, when Alabama's Michael Thompson broke a finger tossing a football, at least he had the decency of doing it during the fall semester. The senior eventually returned in the spring and went on to become SEC player of the year and a first-team All-American.

With word that USC's Jamie Lovemark went a little too hard to the hoop, breaking his left pinky finger playing pick-up basketball on campus Feb. 19, the only saving grace is that he's expected to be back hitting balls before the end of March. If that is actually the case, he should get in enough reps where he's could be back in full form before the Pac-10 Championship at the end of April. Still, to have arguably the best player in college golf on the DL during the meat of the spring semester isn't part of any coach's game plan.

Boys will be boys, and you can't keep college kids from being college kids while back at school. It's a shame, though, because Lovemark's injury won't just impact him but the entire Trojan squad as well, and just as the team seemed to be building momentum (two straight wins and a No. 3 ranking in the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll). In working on a story about sophomore Matt Giles for this week's issue of Golf World, we talked about how solid the 1 through 4 spots looked out in Los Angeles. Giles mentioned how even Ryan Linton was solidifying himself in the No. 5 position.

"If [Ryan] plays well this semester," Giles boasted, "I've got to be honest, I don't see a team in the country that beats us. I truly believe that."

Less than a week later, I'm not sure if he's believing it anymore. In case you didn't look this morning, USC was sitting in eighth place, 24 strokes back of leader Stanford after two rounds of their home event, the USC Intercollegiate. Aside from the Cardinal, three other Pac-10 schools (California, UCLA and Washington) are all in front of the Trojans.

Think Lovemark won't be missed, if only for a month? Think again.

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

MEN
1. Georgia (Last week's syllabus: 1)
For a team that many tout--including myself--as having so much depth, it is interesting to note that no Bulldog currently ranks inside the top 40 in the Golfstat Cup rankings. (Hudson Swafford is the top-ranked UGa player at No. 42.)
Spring opener: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar GC (River Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 27-March 1

2. USC (2)
Trojan coach Chris Zambri has four different players--Jamie Lovemark, Tom Glissmeyer, Tim Sluiter and Matt Giles--that all could win their home event this week. If three out of the four finish outside the top-15, it would shock me.
Next event: USC Collegiate Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake Village, Calif., Feb. 23-24

3. Oklahoma State (3)
Lots of speculation out there that this spring might be the last semester for Rickie Fowler in Stillwater. If that's the case, and that's still a real if, Cowboys' fans have to hope he'll stay a little more focused in his final events compared to one of their recent early departures, Pablo Martin.
Spring opener: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar GC (River Course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 27-March 1

4. Alabama (4)
The Crimson Tide are trying to defend their titles in three of their five spring tournaments, including the SEC Championship.
Spring opener: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 22-24

5. Washington (NR)
The Huskies runner-up finish at the UH Hilo Invitational, included top-three finishes from Nick Taylor, Richard Lee and Chris Killmer. The trio help make Washington the only school to have three players in the top 40 of the Golfstat Cup standings.
Next event: USC Collegiate Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake Village, Calif., Feb. 23-24

WOMEN
1. UCLA (1)
OK, the Bruins know that this spring isn't going to be any walk in the park. Says here, they step things up in Mexico and let the competition know they aren't just going to roll over themselves.
Next event: Arizona Invitational, Peninsula GC, Puerto Penasco, Mexico, Feb. 22-24

2. Arizona State (2)
NCAA champion Azahara Munoz is sitting out a second tournament to let her wrist fully heal after January surgery. You know how much it hurt the Sun Devils when she was out of the lineup at the Northrup Grumman.
Next event: Arizona Invitational, Peninsula GC, Puerto Penasco, Mexico, Feb. 22-24

3. USC (3)
The Trojans could break out in Mexico ... or they could remain the third best team in the Pac-10. Andrea Gaston needs more consistency from Belen Mozo and Stefanie Endstrasser if USC is to make a legitimate run at repeating as NCAA champions.
Next event: Arizona Invitational, Peninsula GC, Puerto Penasco, Mexico, Feb. 22-24

4. Wake Forest (4)
I like the scheduling approach coach Dianne Dailey has here ... played an early spring event (doing well there was/is an added bonus) and now have a few weeks to address weaknesses before playing the bulk of their spring schedule. We'll see if it pays off for the Demon Deacons.
Next event: LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic, University Club, Baton Rouge, La., March 13-15

5. Auburn (NR)
The Tigers card their first win of the 2008-09 season with three-shot victory over LSU at the Central District Invitational. While it wasn't the finish Candace Schepperle desired (final-round 75 dropped her to second place individually), her campaign for SEC player of the year honors is only bolstered with another top-five showing. 
Next event: UCF Challenge, Red Tail CC, Heathrow, Fla., March 8-10

STAT OF THE WEEK
43
Number of schools competing in the Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic, Feb. 22-24 at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Suffice it to say, the unique event is the largest women's college tournament in the country. Each team will play one round at Cougar Point and one round at Oak Point, with a "cut" then administered after 36 holes. The top 22 teams will play Cougar Point again to decide the championship while the other 21 schools will compete at Oak Point for the flight championship.

"It will be interesting to watch teams trying to figure out the cut line," said College of Charleston women's coach Jamie Futrell. "The cutline brings and element that is unique and exciting to collegiate tournaments. Sometimes coaches seem more worried about the cutline than what their team actually shot."

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* Dan Brooks has successfully handled the "risk" of having only five players on his roster in years past--the Hall of Fame coach saw his Blue Devils squad win NCAA titles with just five in 2005 and 2006--but this time around he might not be so lucky. Back problems caused junior Alison Whitaker to sit out the last two rounds of the Central District Invitational earlier this week and forced Duke to finish the tournament with just four players competing. Whitaker rested the past couple of days in Durham, getting treatment from a chiropractor before practicing lightly Thursday. She is expected to accompany the team today on its trip to Mexico for the Arizona Wildcat Invitational that starts Sunday, but what she'll be able to contribute (or if she can even play all three rounds) isn't 100 percent uncertain. In less than two weeks Duke is off to its next event in Orlando (UCF Challenge), giving Whitaker a little more time to rest, but not much.

In defense of Brooks, who ironically won't be making the trip to Mexico himself for health reasons, he didn't think he would only have five players this spring--freshman Mina Harigae's abrupt announcement last month that she was leaving school caught everyone by surprise. His alternatives for the spring are minimal, aside from holding an open casting call on campus for the role of sixth woman. The shame of it, though, is that seniors Amanda Blumenherst and Jennie Lee undeservedly might become victims, finishing out their careers at Duke on a down note.

* I mentioned yesterday that Wake Forest, Virginia and North Carolina are all good enough to give Duke a run at the ACC Women's Championship in April. I love the attitude from the coaches at all three schools, but I'm a little concerned that the Cavaliers and Tar Heels are still a few weeks removed from playing their spring openers. Yes, taking your time to knock the rust off is important but waiting too long to get back into action (UVa opens at the LSU/Cleveland Classic, March 13-15; UNC opens at the UCF Challenge, March 8-10) could have a negative effect as well. 

"We're going to be so ready to play, but I hope we don't get past ready to play," UNC women's coach Sally Austin told me the other day. "I would like to have had a tournament at the end of February but it just didn't work out that way. We try to get into tournaments over spring break, and these two tournaments [UCF and LSU] work out so we can play on our spring break and we're able to not miss school, which is important. It is a little longer than I'd like to wait."

* I've said before that the race for Division I men's player of the year is wide open, with a handful of players from lower profile schools that had great showings in the fall still very much contenders if they can continue the strong play into the spring. With a T-19 finish Tuesday at the UTSA Oak Hills Invitational, Wichita State's Dustin Garza remains in the running but his margin for error has decreased. Garza's amazing fall (three wins, two runner-ups, 68.53 average) allows him one free pass but if he falls back any farther at this week's UCF/Rio Pinar Invitational, his candidacy might be over.

TOURNAMENTS ON TAP
MEN
John Hayt Collegiate Invitational
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (Par 72, 6,895 yards)
Feb. 22-24
Host: North Florida
Field: Alabama, UAB, Arizona State, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Furman, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, LSU, North Florida, TCU, Tennessee, Tulsa, UNC Wilmington
Defending champion: Alabama (nine-over 873) by four strokes over UCLA; Georgia State's Joel Sjoholm (seven-under 209) by five strokes over UCLA's Jason Kang, North Florida's Michael O'Neal and Florida's Will Strickler
Skinny: The golfers enjoyed last year's inaugural Players Cup, an informal three-hole event at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course where teams counted their four best scores while playing the famous closing holes, Nos. 16-18.

UCF/Rio Pinar Invitational
Rio Pinar CC, Orlando (Par 72, 6,978 yards)
Feb. 23-24
Host: UCF
Field: Akron, Augusta State, Baylor, UCF, Connecticut, East Carolina, Iowa State, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Mercer, Mississippi, UNC Greensboro, Ohio State, South Alabama, South Florida, Southern Mississippi, UT-Arlington, Vanderbilt, Virginia Commonwealth, Wichita State
Defending champion: UCF (18-under 84) by 12 strokes over Wichita State; UCF's Greg Forest and Mike Stern (11-under 205)
Skinny: Looking for an individual favorite at Rio Pinar? UCF junior Simon Ward, a transfer from Ireland, has had two straight top-five finishes. He lost in a playoff last weekend at the SunTrust Gator Invitational but is playing well enough to look like a good bet at the Knights home course.

All-American Intercollegiate
The Tradition Course at Cypresswood GC, Spring, Texas (Par 72, 7,220 yards)
Feb. 23-24
Host: Houston
Field: UALR, CSU Northridge, Houston, Jacksonville State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, North Texas, Sam Houston State, Southeastern Louisiana, Texas Southern, Texas State
Defending champion: Middle Tennessee State (27-over 891) by one stroke over UALR; UALR's Brian Whittle (five-under 211) by eight strokes over Houston's Ben Moser
Skinny: Revived four years ago after a 10-year hiatus, the tournament has had three different winners the past three seasons.

USC Collegiate Invitational
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
North Ranch CC, Westlake Village, Calif. (Par 71, 6,869 yards)
Feb. 23-24
Host: USC
Field: BYU, Cal, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, Oregon State, Pepperdine, San Diego State, Stanford, UC Irvine, UCLA, USC, Washington
Defending champion: USC (33-over 885) by four strokes over Tennessee; USC's Tim Sluiter (five-over 218) by one stroke over Matthew Giles
Skinny: If the Trojans defend their title this week, it will be the first time USC has been a repeat champion in its own event. Also, since the tournament's inception in 1978, there's never been a repeat individual champion. UCLA's Corey Pavin and UTEP's Dave Bishop are the only players to win it twice (1978, 1981).

WOMEN
Arizona Wildcat Invitational
Peninsula GC, Puerto Penasco, Mexico (Par 72, 6,146 yards)
Feb. 22-24
Host: Arizona
Field: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Chattanooga, Denver, Duke, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Stanford, Tennessee, Tulsa, Tulane, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Washington
Defending champion: Oklahoma State (32-over 884) by two strokes over Duke and USC; Duke's Amanda Blumenherst (even-par 213) by three over USC's Belen Mozo and Oklahoma State's Jaclyn Sweeney
Skinny: Nine of the top 25 teams in the Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll--including the top four--are making the trip south of the border.

Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Oak Point GC and Cougar Point, Kiawah Island, S.C.
Feb. 22-24
Host: College of Charleston
Field: Augusta State, Ball State, Bradley, Bucknell, Central Arkansas, College of Charleston, Charleston Southern, Cincinnati, The Citadel, East Tennessee State, Elon, Florida, Illinois State, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Kentucky, Longwood, Marshall, Maryland, Mercer, Miami (Fla.), Middle Tennessee State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri State, Nebraska, Old Dominion, Oral Roberts, Oregon, Oregon State, Richmond, South Florida, Southern Illinois, SMU, Texas State, Toledo, UCF, UNC Wilmington, USC Upstate, Western Carolina, Winthrop, William & Mary, Wofford
Defending champion: New Event
Skinny: Fun idea for an event ... just have to hope the weather cooperates.

Fresno State Lexus Classic
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Copper River CC, Fresno, Calif. (Par 72, 6,072 yards)
Feb. 23-24
Host: Fresno State
Field: Boise State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Hawaii, Long Beach State, Nevada, Portland State, Sacramento State, San Diego State, San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Davis, UC Irvine
Defending champion: Tulsa (14-over 590) by three strokes over UC Davis; Fresno State's Taylor Siebert (even-par 144) by one strokes over Hawaii's Corie Hou, Kansas' Emily Powers and UC Davis' Jee Park
Skinny: The host Bulldogs have won the event twice in its four-year history.

In the Feb. 23 issue of Golf World, my Amateur Spotlight story explored how Duke's streak of consecutive ACC women's titles might be coming to an end this April at 13. As I wrote in the magazine, it's not so much that the Blue Devils have fallen on hard times--although if the back problems that forced Alison Whitaker to sit out the last two rounds of this week's Central District Invitational persist, leaving Duke with just four healthy golfers, there will be definite issues in Durham, N.C.

No, it's the improved play of the rest of the conference's programs, most notably Virginia, Wake Forest and North Carolina, that suggests Duke's superiority is no longer a complex for the rest of the league. All three schools are ranked in the top 13 in the Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll and all have the depth to at least challenge, if not win, the ACC crown.

In talking to the coaches at each school, they all were quick to point out that Duke's benchmark has been what has pushed their programs to improve. "And a lot of those times in those years [Duke] was No. 1 in the country," said Wake Forest women's coach Dianne Dailey. "That's a pretty high standard. But we always kept trying to get there."

I'm particularly intrigued with the story out of Winston-Salem, N.C., and the Demon Deacons. At the start of the fall season, it looked like Wake Forest was anything but a serious national contender, finishing ninth at the NCAA Preview and 14th at the Mason Rudolph Championship. "We were not managing the course very well," Dailey, in her 21st year coaching at Wake, admitted. "We were making a lot of mental mistakes, a lot of bad decisions on the golf course."

After the Mason Rudolph, Dailey held a team meeting to address the issue, a discussion that became a turning point in the season; afterward the Demon Deacons proceeded to win the Lady Tar Heel Invitational and Landfall Tradition to close out the fall. They then started the spring by flying across the country and posting an impressive second-place finish at the Northrup Grumman Regionals Challenge in California.

Five Wake players--seniors Nannette Hill and Jean Chua, junior Dolores White, sophomore Natalie Sheary and freshman Cheyenne Woods--have had top-10 finishes in 2008-09, with Allie Bodemann also pushing for a starting spot.

According to Dailey, practices have been fun but more competitive than in recent years. A key reason for that increased energy has been the addition of assistant coach Robin Walton. You could make the argument that Walton, an assistant at Florida from 2000 to 2008, was the biggest off-season recruit Dailey landed.

"She's added a lot of new ideas [to practices]," Dailey said of Walton. "She has 20 years of playing experience and eight years of coaching experience. She's by far the most experienced assistant that I've had. She brings a lot of enthusiasm and imagination and creativity to practices. She's been a very important addition to our team."

Best of all is listening to Dailey herself. The Hall of Fame coach sounds very excited by her group, and by the prospect of coaching in the future. While some of her colleagues have decided to get out of the field, citing the longer hours necessarily on the recruiting trail, Dailey says she has never been more committed.

"I think I'm going to be doing this for a while," Dailey said. "I don't have any plans to leave any time soon. You know you work hard to build a team and a foundation that you can just keep building on. And I think we're at that point now, where we can just add one or two students every year that really want to be here, really want to work. It's taken me a while to get to that point . . . I'm a little bit of a slow learner here. But it's been fun."

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

MEN
1. Georgia (Last syllabus: 1)
I'd like to see the Bulldogs play once in the spring before I give up the top spot to another school.
Spring opener: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar GC (River course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 27-March 1

2. USC (2)
That said, if the Trojans put up another 'W' at home in a few weeks like they did to start the spring in Hawaii, I'm going to have no choice put to put them ahead of Georgia.
Next event: USC Collegiate Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake Village, Calif., Feb. 23-24

3. Oklahoma State (3)
Freshman Morgan Hoffmann might have let the Jones Cup slip away from his last weekend, but he played awfully well the first 51 holes at Ocean Forest GC. Shows you the depth on the Cowboys' roster when this guy actually didn't crack their line-up in the fall opener.
Spring opener: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar GC (River course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 27-March 1

4. Alabama (4)
A pair of Crimson Tide golfers--senior Matthew Swan and freshman Bud Cauley--appear on the watch list for the 2009 Ben Hogan Award.
Spring opener: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 22-24

5. Illinois (5)
Fighting Illini have had all winter break to hear about their rise from nowhere into the national rankings. Time to see if they're still hungry for more.
Spring opener: Big Ten Match Play Championship, Heron Bay GC, Coral Springs, Fla., Feb. 13-14

WOMEN
1. UCLA (1)
Hard to imagine anyone being disappointed at a third-place performance at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, but that's likely the case with the Bruins. Still, they had five players finish in the top 13 individually, so things aren't all bad in Westwood.
Next event: Arizona Invitational, Peninsula GC, Puerto Penasco, Mexico, Feb. 22-24

2. Arizona State (2)
On paper, of course, the Sun Devils looked to be a much deeper squad, but you never know until you actually see them on the course. Well, after an impressive victory at the Northrop Grumman, without the NCAA champ in the line-up, now we all know.
Next event: Arizona Invitational, Peninsula GC, Puerto Penasco, Mexico, Feb. 22-24

3. USC (3)
Defending NCAA champs, fourth at the Northrop Grumman, are still going to be a factor this spring, keeping UCLA and ASU honest in the Pac-10 if nothing else. Lizette Salas (T-4) continued her strong showing from last fall at Palos Verdes, as did Jennifer Song (T-2).
Next event: Arizona Invitational, Peninsula GC, Puerto Penasco, Mexico, Feb. 22-24

4. Wake Forest (5)
Demon Deacons posted the low score in the final round at the Northrop Grumman to grab second place out of UCLA's hands. The ACC Championship is going to be pretty interesting come April.
Next event: LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic, University Club, Baton Rouge, La., March 13-15

5. Purdue (NR)
A 21-stroke triumph at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic gets the Boilermakers off to a nice start this fall. Four golfers, including co-medalist Maria Hernandez, card top-10 finishes.
Next event: Central District Invitational, River Wilderness CC, Parrish, Fla., Feb. 16-17⿿

STAT OF THE WEEK, Part I
73.00
Lowest stroke average by any player on the TCU men's squad this season

STAT OF THE WEEK, Part II
73.33
Lowest stroke average by any player on the TCU men's squad that's played more than three rounds

STAT OF THE WEEK, Part III
70-6
The 19th ranked Horned Frogs overall head-to-head record, having posted two wins and five top-fives in five starts this season

You can read into these numbers a couple ways:
1) TCU's schedule has been light on marque tournaments (despite the high stroke averages, weaker competition has led to a strong overall record).
2) Coach Bill Montigel is getting an awful lot out of his squad (Horned Frogs beat five top-25 programs with their third-place finish at the UH Hilo Invitational last week)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* The Purdue women are back in my Fab Five this week, thanks to their romp in Puerto Rico. What particularly caught my attention was Germany's Thea Hoffmeister, a redshirt freshman who made a nice splash in her collegiate debut, finishing tied for seventh at seven-over 223. The Boilermakers started the 2008-09 season lamenting about All-American Christel Boeljon leaving school early rather than playing her senior year. They didn't seem to suffer too much, with two team wins to close the fall, but Hoffmeister appears to give Devon Brouse's squad a fourth reliable counter (joining Hernandez, Maude Aimee Leblanc and Junthima Gulyamamitta) come the spring. If nothing else, the Big Ten title has gotten that much tougher for any team outside of West Lafayette, Ind., to win this April.

* Among the schools playing their first event of the spring this weekend at the SunTrust Gator Invitational is Duke, where Jamie Green is set to make his coaching debut with the Blue Devils. "Our guys are eager to get the spring tournament season started down at the Gator Invitational," said Green in press release. You've got to think there's a bit of excitement (if not relief) for Green, too. Finally, the spring season will be underway after what's been a crazy couple of months coming from Charlotte to Duke. There's a reason Green was such an attractive candidate for Duke--he is able to get his players to get the most out of themselves--and I think that will be evident early this spring as the Blue Devils make a run at the ACC title.

* Come the end of the spring season, when people are handing out post-season laurels, here's hoping that Pepperdine freshman Lisa McCloskey's performance at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge won't be held against her too much. Only a little more than a month removed from emergency appendectomy surgery, McCloskey hadn't played an 18-hole round until less than a week before the tournament, explaining in part the 48-over 261 she shot at Palos Verdes GC this week (course conditions, bad weather also are factors). Of course, it's a far cry from the NCAA 54-hole record 17-under 199 she posted at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown in October; in fact her season stroke average jumped from 70.78 to 74.83 after the first spring tournament. Given additional time to heal from her injury, I think we'll see more of the player in Vegas than the one at Palos Verdes.

* There are some signs of life out of the Tennessee women's program, after a second-place finish at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. Yes, the Lady Vols finished 21 strokes behind Purdue, but considering that in four fall events their best showing was eighth place at their home tournament, this was the kind of start Judi Pavon's team needed if it was going to be considered any sort of factor nationally this spring. Particularly encouraging had to be the fact that Tennessee's final-round 297 boosted them from fifth after 36 holes to the second. Of course, as Pavon noted herself in her post-tournament comments, "We have to score better on our bad days. It was difficult to recover from shooting a 312 on the first day."

TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
MEN
Big Ten Match Play Championship
Heron Bay GC, Coral Springs, Fla.
Feb. 13-14
Field: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Defending champion: New Event
Skinny: Conference schools, looking for a better way to knock the winter rust off, worked together to create this tournament (see my story in Golf World). Top five seeds (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan and Iowa) get byes into quarterfinals. Added benefit, of course, is getting a little team match-play experience in before the NCAA Championship. Other conferences are already interested in copying the format next season.

SunTrust Gator Invitational
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Mark Bostick GC at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. (Par 70, 6,701 yards)
Feb. 14-15
Host: Florida
Field: UAB, UCF, Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Florida, Wake Forest
Defending champion: Florida (20-under 820) by 12 strokes over Florida State; Duke's Michael Schachner and UAB's Zack Sucher (seven-under 203)
Skinny: Having held the event for 31 years, the Gators have often been ungracious hosts. Last time they didn't finish either first or second in the tournament was 1988, winning 17 of the past 20 years. Suchar, meanwhile, can become the third golfer to win the tournament more than once, joining Mississippi's Dave Peege (1984, 1985) and Florida's Chris Couch (1994, 1995).

Jacksonville Invitational
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
TPC Sawgrass (Valley Course), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (Par 72, 6,864 yards)
Feb. 16-17
Host: Jacksonville
Field: Bethune Cookman, Charleston Southern, Florida Atlantic, Jacksonville, Jacksonville State, Kentucky, Lamar, Loyola College, Stetson, USC Upstate
Defending champion: New Event
Skinny: Dolphins began practicing at TPC facility last spring and hope to hold the event on the Stadium Course in future years.

Rice Intercollegiate
Westwood GC, Houston (Par 72, 7,184 yards)
Feb. 16-17
Host: Rice
Field: UConn, Houston, Houston Baptist, Louisiana-Lafayette, Liberty, Missouri State, Nebraska, N.C. State, Northern Colorado, Pacific, Rice, San Francisco, Texas Southern, William & Mary, Winthrop
Defending champion: Baylor (14-over 878) by two strokes over UC Davis; La. Tech's Amrith de Soysa (one-over 217) by one stroke over Winthrop's Kelly Manders and Southern Utah's Matt McArthur
Skinny: Tournament being held for the ninth time and with no school that's previous won the event in the field, it's guaranteed a ninth different winner.

UTSA Invitational
   (For live results, link here to Golfstat)
Oak Hills GC, San Antonio (Par 71, 6,691 yards)
Feb. 16-17
Host: UT San Antonio
Field: Air Force, Central Arkansas, DePaul, Illinois State, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, Oklahoma, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas Tech, Texas State, UT Arlington, UT San Antonio and Wichita State
Defending champion: Mississippi State (12-over 864) by nine strokes over Texas Tech; Mississippi State's Noah Goldman (one-under 212) by one stroke over Texas Tech's Garrett Merrell, Oklahoma's Phillip Bryan and Wichita State's Ryan Spears
Skinny: It's been an up-and-down year for the Roadrunners and rookie coach John Knauer on the course, but he's slowly starting to change the culture in San Antonio.

John A. Burns Intercollegiate
Leiehua GC, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii (Par 72, 6,916 yards)
Feb. 16-17
Host: Hawaii
Field: Arkansas, Arizona, Auburn, BYU, Colorado State, Denver, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, San Diego, San Jose State, SMU, Texas A&M, UC Santa Barbara, UNLV, UTEP
Defending champion: Auburn (44-under 820) by 11 strokes over Texas A&M; Cal's Stephen Hale (15-under 201) by two strokes over Texas A&M's Bronson Burgoon and UTEP's Herbert Day
Skinny: So you want to earn medalist honors in this tournament? Well, you better not shoot any rounds in the 70s; the past five individual champions shot all three rounds in the 60s, with their average score in any round being 66.87. Since the event moved to Leiehua in 2000, winners have posted only three rounds in the 70s and just one round over par (San Diego State's Lars Johansson opened with a 74 in 2003)

WOMEN
Qdoba Invitational
Don Shula's Golf Resort, Miami Lakes, Fla.
Feb. 15-17
Host: Miami (Fla.)
Defending champion: East Carolina (23-over 887) by 14 strokes over Louisville; East Carolina's Abby Bools (two-over 218) by two strokes over San Jose State's Erica Moston, Miami's Jessica Steward and Kentucky's Mallory Blackwelder

Central District Invitational
   (For live results, link here to Golfstat)
River Wilderness CC, Parrish, Fla. (Par 72, 6,099 yards)
Feb. 16-17
Host: Michigan State
Field: Auburn, Duke, Iowa State, Kansas, Kent State, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, South Carolina, TCU, Texas
Defending champion: Michigan State (28-over 892) by 10 strokes over Texas A&M; Michigan State's Sara Brown (four-under 212) by seven strokes over Missouri's Julia Potter
Skinny: Six schools from the final fall Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll make their way to the Sunshine State for the ninth edition of the event.

Aztec Spring Invitational
   (For live results, link here to Golfstat)
Salt Creek GC, Chula Vista, Calif. (Par 72, 6,187 yards)
Feb. 16-17
Host: San Diego State
Field: Arkansas-Little Rock, Colorado, Colorado State, East Tennessee State, Hawaii, Long Beach State, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico State, Sacramento State, San Francisco, San Jose State, Santa Clara, Texas Tech, UC Irvine, UTEP, Wyoming
Skinny: SDSU revives its spring tournament for the first time since 2003. Lady Red Raiders are the "defending" champions, having won six years ago.

Just a couple early observations following today's finish of the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge, where Arizona State beat Wake Forest by 18 shots at Palos Verdes (Calif.) GC, with UCLA finishing 19 strokes back and USC coming in 21 behind (for complete results, click here):

1.) The spring ASU roster is significantly better than the fall roster. 
It's amazing to think that when the Sun Devils lost arguably the best player in college golf through the fall, Anna Nordqvist. Still, without NCAA individual champion Azahara Munoz in the starting five (recovering from having a cyst removed from her wrist), the Sun Devils dusted a field that included 11 top-25 teams in the final fall Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll and five of the top-10.

J-frosh Carlota Ciganda had an impressive debut, finishing T-2 and looking as if she's having few problems adjusting to school, while transfer Jaclyn Sweeney also pulled down a top-20 finish. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Juliana Murcia (right) shows up with a standout performance, shooting one-over 214 to claim medalist honors by eight strokes. (Her total was almost 25 strokes better than the average 54-hole score for the tournament.)

"It's pretty amazing that we were able to come out on top and win by such a large margin without Aza and Anna," ASU coach Melissa Luellen said afterward. "It just shows that we've got some new depth and we're a new team."

2.) UCLA is still pretty darn good.
When my "Fab Five" comes out later this week, I'm still going to have the Bruins No. 1. It's no disrespect to ASU, but if you look at UCLA's performance you see that the team had five players finish in the top 13, including two in the top-seven (Ryann O'Toole and Tiffany Joh). Only problem was that O'Toole was playing as an individual, and Sydnee Michaels, a standout player in the fall, struggled to a T-34 showing. Swap out O'Toole and Michaels, and UCLA gets 11 strokes back. (Yeah, I know ... the Bruins still lose then by eight shots, but they lose because Murcia played out of her mind.)

3.) There's plenty of time to debate this.
As of now, ASU and UCLA are 1-1 head-to-head. Better yet, they will be in the same field in four more tournaments this spring before NCAA regionals.

Game on!!

Photo: Courtesy of Arizona State Sports Information

Chesapeake Energy, in association with Colonial CC, The Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America, announced the watch list for the 2009 Ben Hogan Award, given annually to the top men’s college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during a 12-month period.

As I referenced on Campus Insider the other day, no real surprises from the Division I ranks. Last year's winner, Rickie Fowler of Oklahoma State, is on the list, along with 21 other candidates (that said, omission from this list doesn't mean you are no longer eligible for the award).

Ten semifinalists will be announced April 16 with three finalists named May 7 and invited to Colonial CC in Fort Worth for the Hogan Award presentation on May 22.

Bronson Burgoon, Texas A&M
Jorge Campillo, Indiana
Bud Cauley, Alabama
Sam Cyr, Point Loma Nazarene
Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State
Dustin Garza, Wichita State
Matt Giles, Southern California
Russell Henley, Georgia
Billy Horschel, Florida
Sihwan Kim, Stanford
Trent Leon, Oklahoma State
Jamie Lovemark, Southern California
Adam Mitchell, Georgia
Eddie Olson, UNLV
Kyle Stanley, Clemson
Zack Sucher, UAB
Hudson Swafford, Georgia
Matthew Swan, Alabama
Nick Taylor, Washington
Jarin Todd, Sonoma State
Cameron Tringale, Georgia Tech
Mike Van Sickle, Marquette

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

MEN
1. Georgia (Last syllabus: 1)
Adam Mitchell had a nice chance to hob-knob with U.S. Walker Cup captain Buddy Marucci, playing in the same threesome during yesterday's first round of the Jones Cup Invitational. "Yes Mr. Marucci, Merion is the most underrated course on the East Coast."
Spring opener: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar GC (River course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 27-March 1

2. USC (3)
Trojans start the spring like they ended the fall, carding a 13-shot victory at the UH Hilo Intercollegiate. Four players card top-20 finishes, led by Jamie Lovemark's runner-up showing, his fourth top-10 of the season.
Next event: USC Collegiate Invitational, North Ranch CC, Westlake Village, Calif., Feb. 23-24

3. Oklahoma State (2)
Not sure he needed it, but Rickie Fowler had to have gotten a nice boost of confidence after making the cut and finishing T-58 at the PGA Tour's FBR Open last weekend.
Spring opener: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar GC (River course), Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 27-March 1

4. Alabama (4)
In 116 college rounds, senior Matthew Swan has only failed to have his score count for the Crimson Tide 16 times.
Spring opener: John Hayt Collegiate Invitational, Sawgrass CC, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 22-24

5. Illinois (5)
Fighting Illini grab the top seed in the Big Ten's new match-play event.
Spring opener: Big Ten Match Play Championship, Coral Springs, Fla., Feb. 13-14

WOMEN
1. UCLA (1)
Bruins collected three wins in the fall while playing the country's third toughest scheduled.
Spring opener: Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes, Calif., Feb. 9-11

2. Arizona State (2)
With all the comings and goings on the Sun Devils roster since their final fall start, might be helpful to check out the new team picture on the ASU website.
Spring opener: Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes, Calif., Feb. 9-11

3. USC (3)
Both Lizette Salas (70.82) and Jennifer Song (71.18) both are currently on pace to break the Trojans' single-season scoring average record of 72.06, set by Irene Cho in 2005-06.
Spring opener: Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes, Calif., Feb. 9-11

4. Oklahoma State (4)
Cowgirl freshmen Caroline Hedwall and Caroline Masson have combined average of 71.83, best in the country for an freshmen class.
Spring opener: Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Peninsula GC, Puerto Penasco, Mexico, Feb. 22-24

5. Wake Forest (5)
Demon Deacons make the cross-country trek for spring opener. Will early spring start be good or bad?
Spring opener: Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes, Calif., Feb. 9-11

STAT OF THE WEEK
Between 10th and 11th
The average finish the past two seasons for Big Ten men's teams in their first tournament of the spring. As I wrote in the magazine last week, a slow start in the spring is something the conference coaches hope can be fixed with the creation of the new Big Ten Match Play Championship, set for Feb. 13-14 at Heron Bay GC in Coral Springs, Fla. By getting out of the cold of the Midwest and banging heads against each other, the hope is that the schools will shake the rust off and be more prepared for the run to the postseason.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* The three-shot victory by the Pepperdine men this past week at the Arizona Intercollegiate, the school's first win since October 2007, was particularly impressive considering how the final round shook out. The Waves' top player, Andrew Putnam, had me five eagles during the first two rounds and was in second place individually heading into the final 18, but shot an uncharacteristic 77. Yet fellow sophomore Chad Vivolo (right) picked him and the rest of his Wave teammates up with a closing 65 at Arizona National GC in Tucson. "This was great for Chad, just a great confidence-booster for him," Pepperdine coach John Geiberger said afterward. "Getting a 65 out there on a calm day would be great, but with today's windy conditions and the challenging hole locations, it was really impressive." Two things here: Don't expect Putnam to shoot a whole lot more final-round 77s; he's got too much talent. Meanwhile, if Vivolo can step up like that throughout the spring, Pepperdine is looking at a return to the top 25 in the near future.

* UCLA freshman Gregor Main made the cut at the PGA Tour's Buick Invitational by two shots, sitting one-over 145 for 36 holes after Monday qualifying to play in the event. As was the case for Fowler, the confidence boost this has to give Main likely will carry into a successful spring season for the first-year player out of Danville, Calif.

* The watch list for the Ben Hogan Award comes out next Monday. Not many surprises to speak of--I'm on the committee that helps with the selections--but I think the most interesting thing we found in this first stage of the process is how few players have really separated themselves from the pack. Bottom line: as many as a dozen guys are real contenders for the national player of the year awards. ⿿

TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
MEN
Mardi Gras Invitational
TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La. (Par 72, 7,000 yards)
Feb. 9-10
Host: New Orleans
Field: Campbell, Kennesaw State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, Mercer, New Orleans, Nicholls State, Santa Clara, Southeastern Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, St. Mary's (Calif.), Texas-San Antonio, Troy, West Florida
Defending champion: New Event
Skinny: Not only are the Pirates hosting the first college tournament in the New Orleans area since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but their playing it at the host course for the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic of New Orleans

WOMEN
Lady Puerto Rico Classic
Coco Beach G&CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (Par 72, 6,219 yards)
Feb. 8-10
Host: Purdue
Field: Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, N.C. State, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Purdue, TCU, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Wisconsin
Defending champion: Alabama (16-over 880) by three strokes over LSU; Stacy Lewis, Arkansas (eight-under 208) by four strokes over Purdue's Maude Aimee Leblanc
Skinny: Crimson Tide entered final round in fourth place before rallying for the victory a year ago.

Braveheart Classic
Oak Valley GC, Beaumont, Calif. (Par 72, 6,050 yards)
Feb. 9-10
Host: UC Riverside
Field: Cal Baptist, Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Northridge, CSU San Marco, UC Riverside, Drake, Eastern Michigan, Nova Southeastern, Portland, Santa Clara, Southern Utah, Utah Valley
Defending champion: Cal Poly (53-over 629) by three strokes over San Diego State; Stacy Lewis, Arkansas (seven-over 151) by one stroke over Cal Baptist's Adriana Niclotti and British Colombia's Kaitlin Troop⿿Skinny: State schools in California get chance to test themselves against each other.

Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge
   (For live scoring, link here to Golfstat)
Palos Verdes GC, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. (Par 71, 5,912 yards)
Feb. 9-11
Host: Ohio State
Field: Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, California, Denver, East Carolina, Florida, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pepperdine, Stanford, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Wake Forest
Defending champion: UCLA (24-over 876) by seven strokes over Florida; Natalie Sheary, Wake Forest (two-over 215) by one stroke over five golfers
Skinny: Tough venue to open the spring season at as Palos Verdes' slick greens put a premium on putting. Only three times in 13 years has the individual medalist broken par, the last being in 2004.

When the Pepperdine women, ranked 10th in the final Golf World/NGCA fall coaches' poll, tee it up next Monday out at Palos Verdes GC for the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, they'll play their spring opener without the newest member of their squad, Ayaka Kaneko. The 19-year-old from Honolulu, the 2007 U.S. Girls' Junior runner-up, has been nursing a sore left wrist since enrolling at the Malibu school last month. An MRI recently revealed Kaneko has a cyst, although doctors told her Wednesday the pain was unrelated, the result instead of a strain in the wrist.

"The good news is she's not going to need surgery," said Pepperdine women's coach Laurie Gibbs. "She just needs rest and to go through some treatment." Among the remedies doctors are using is acupuncture.

Initially Kaneko's problem sounded very similar to the one Arizona State's Azahara Munoz had recently suffered; the NCAA champion had a cyst removed from her wrist that had been causing her discomfort, which will cause her to miss the Northrop Grumman tournament as well.

Pepperdine's medical woes haven't been limited to Kaneko. Freshman Lisa McCloskey, who set the NCAA 54-hole scoring record last October at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, suffered an appendicitis while with her family in Abu Dhabi during the winter vacation. The illness required that she have emergency surgery there just after Christmas. McCloskey has made a full recovery, but didn't begin to practicing until the past few weeks. Finally cleared two days ago by doctors to compete in the spring opener, McCloskey played her first full round of golf since the surgery on Wednesday.

Said Gibbs, with a sarcastic laugh: "I haven't been to the trainer this much in 15 years."

Seems hard to believe an amateur would pass up an invitation to a major championship, but a year after Stacy Lewis turned down a spot in the LPGA's Kraft Nabisco Championship, Amanda Blumenherst has done the same.

Like for Lewis in 2008, there is a reasonable explanation to Blumenherst's decision: The Duke senior intends to turn professional after the school year ends in May and wants to hold on to all the sponsor's exemptions she's allowed to take as a non-member of the LPGA Tour--six--until then. That way, Blumenherst has the best shot at possibly earning an LPGA card for 2010 without having to go to Q-School, hoping that she can make $137,542 (or the equivalent of No. 80 on last year's LPGA money list) in those six 2009 starts.

"Although very disappointed that Amanda will not be back at Mission Hills this year, we understand her decision and wish her the best," said Kraft Nabisco tournament director Gabe Codding.

Only four amateurs are now set to play in the event--Azahara Munoz, Tiffany Joh, Candace Schepperle and Alexis Thompson. In previous years as many as six or seven amateurs have competed in the tournament. Codding, however, said there has been no determination on whether it might invite any other amateurs to play in this year's event.

Photo credit: Duke photography