The Great Shake-Up

Top-rated Fowler leads an Oklahoma State squad that placed five Cowboys in Golf World's preseason Top 50; Mozo (below) was a Women's Amateur semifinalist. Photo: Todd Bennett

No. 2 Oklahoma State and No. 3 Georgia, meanwhile, haven't lost of their starting fives, plus each brings in at least two blue-chip recruits to provide greater depth. No. 5 Stanford, which missed winning back-to-back NCAA titles last spring by one shot, could be even better if a healthy Joseph Bramlett is back in the mix. No. 6 Clemson and No. 10 Georgia Tech return everyone as well and have the potential/experience to contend nationally.

"The level of play this year could be as strong as it's been since maybe the late- 1990s," Penley says. "It's going to be fun to watch."

3. If Duke isn't the favorite on the women's side, who is?

After failing to win a record fourth straight national title last May, the Blue Devils aren't losing ground (U.S. Curtis Cupper Mina Harigae joins All-Americans Amanda Blumenherst and Jennie Lee this fall) so much as everyone else is catching up. Anchored by NCAA runner-up and U.S. Women's Public Links champion Tiffany Joh, UCLA returns all five starters while having AJGA All-Americans Stephanie Kono and Brianna Do join its roster. Arizona State will add international standouts Carlota Ciganda and Giulia Molinaro in January, giving the Sun Devils the depth they have missed the past few years.

Photo: Darren Carroll

Defending champion USC shouldn't be forgotten, either. The Trojans, who earned the top spot in the Golf World/NGCA preseason coaches' poll, have Spanish sensation Belen Mozo leading them and Jennifer Song, low amateur at the 2007 U.S. Women's Open, arriving to help offset the graduation of All-Americans Dewi Schreefel and Paola Moreno.

4. How will the World Team Amateur in Australia this October impact the start of the season?

With international players occupying top spots on several teams, particularly in the women's game, some schools have had to adjust schedules to accommodate players going AWOL this fall. "It's going to be a tale of two semesters, really," says Arizona State coach Melissa Luellen, whose squad will play only three tournaments during the first half of the season, since Ciganda and Molinaro (as well as defending NCAA individual champ Azahara Munoz, Anna Nordqvist and Juliana Murcia) will be competing for their countries. "You're going to have to wait until the spring to see where everybody really stands."

5. Is Amanda Blumenherst a lock to win a fourth straight POY?

For all the confidence the Duke senior has after claiming the U.S. Women's Amateur title earlier this month, Blumenherst actually faces the toughest challenge yet to her No. 1 ranking. Aside from having Munoz, Nordqvist, Mozo and Joh to contend with, seniors Pernilla Lindberg (Oklahoma State) and Maria Hernandez (Purdue) hope to finish their college careers in style.

"There are some players out there who really want to knock her off," Luellen says. "Call it a rivalry or a lot of competition. I think you're really going to get it this year."

And what does Blumenherst think of all this? "I'm just trying to keep it going," she says. "It would be great to go out with a bang and play well. We'll see what happens."

6. Can Rickie Fowler avoid the dreaded sophomore slump?

While having as impressive a freshman season as any Cowboy in school history, the 19-year-old from Murrieta, Calif., insists there is room in his game for improvement. "It's not any one area, but kind of everything [that can get better]," Fowler says. "But I feel as though I can go out and top the year I had."