May 12, 2004
BERKELEY, Calif. -
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CAL VIES FOR NCAA TITLE: Building on the momentum of runner-up finishes at the Pac-10 Championships and NCAA West Regional, No. 3 California travels to the NCAA Championships Tuesday-Friday, May 18-21 at the Grand National Lake Course in Opelika, Ala. The 24-team field will play 72 holes - 18 each day - at the par 72, 6215-yard course. Practice rounds are slated for Sunday and Monday, and Cal will begin championship play on Tuesday at 1:20 p.m. CT from the first tee. Wednesday, the Golden Bears return to the links at 8:50 a.m. CT from the 10th tee. Tee times for the final two rounds will be determined by teams places after Wednesday's play.
A LOOK AT THE FIELD: Three regional competitions were held May 6-8 to determine this year's NCAA Championships field. Seven of the teams are from the Pac-10. No. 3 Cal is joined at the Auburn-hosted tournament by (Golfweek ranking listed): No. 1 Duke, No. 2 UCLA, No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 New Mexico, No. 7 USC (defending champion), No. 8 Georgia, No. 9 Arizona, No. 10 Oklahoma State, No. 12 Washington, No. 13 Wake Forest, No. 14 UNLV, No. 16 Texas, No. 17 North Carolina, No. 18 Stanford, No. 19 Michigan State, No. 21 Tennessee, No. 24 Furman, No. 28 Arizona State, No. 29 Florida State, No. 32 Texas A&M, No. 33 Baylor, No. 38 Purdue.
BEARS' NCAA LINEUP: Four of the five golfers in Cal's lineup have competed in every round for the Bears this season. Sophomore Sofie Andersson has teed it up in 26 of her team's 30 rounds. The lineup, which includes two Top 20 players in Sarah Huarte and Sophia Sheridan, is listed in playing order below. Anna Temple and Anderson will be competing at the NCAA Championships for the first time. Huarte, Sheridan and Claire Dury were part of Cal's 2003 NCAA lineup.
Player YR 03-04 RNDS STROKES AVG LOW TOP FINISH Nat'l Rank
Sarah Huarte+ Sr. 30 2232 74.4 68 T2nd 16
Sophia Sheridan+So. 30 2241 74.7 69 2nd 20
Sofie Andersson+So. 26 1963 75.5 69 T7th 56
Anna Temple Sr. 30 2282 76.1 70 T3rd 59
Claire Dury+ Sr. 30 2301 76.7 71 T8th 95
+national team members for different countries
DEPTH A KEY FOR BEARS: All five members of Cal's starting five have led the team in at least one tournament this year.
Sarah Huarte and
Sophia Sheridan have held top honors three times, followed by
Anna Temple (two), and
Claire Dury and
Sofie Andersson (one).
CAL'S POSTSEASON HISTORY: Cal earned its fifth consecutive NCAA regional selection this season and is now making its fourth straight NCAA Championships appearance. Last season, Cal finished in a disappointing tie for 14th (program best) at nationals after entering the tournament with a No. 2 national ranking, according to Golfstat. In 2002, Cal placed 15th, and in its inaugural trip to NCAAs in 2001, the Bears took 19th. Cal first fielded a women's golf team in 1995-96 and received its first NCAA regional bid in 2000. Ria Quiazon and Vikki Laing, who have graduated and are now playing professional golf, led the Bears at the 2003 NCAA Championships. Quiazon tied for 28th, while Laing tied for 36th. Sophia Sheridan, who tied for 66th (312), is Cal's best returner from last year.
NCAA Regionals NCAA Championships
2000 22nd - West Did not advance
2001 8th - Central 19th (1234)
2002 3rd - West 15th (1193)
2003 1st - Central T14th (1242)
2004 2nd - West ?
BEARS ON PACE FOR TEAM STROKE RECORD: Cal enters the NCAA Championships with a school record 298.8 team stroke average, marking the third straight year the Bears have boasted an average under 300. The 2001-02 squad set the previous record of 299.2. Cal also established new 36 (577) and 54 (868) hole team records this year.
CAL RUNNER-UP AT NCAA WEST REGIONAL: No. 3 Cal carded a 54-hole school record of 868 to place second at the NCAA West Regional May 6-8 at Stanford Golf Course. With the Golden Bears second straight runner-up finish, they earned one of eight bids from the regional to the NCAA Championships. No. 2 UCLA claimed the team title with a score of minus-three 861. UCLA's Hannah Jun took top honors at seven-under-par 209, two shots ahead of Ohio State's Allison Hanna. Cal senior Anna Temple tallied a career-best score of 214 to tie the Bruins' Charlotte Mayorkas for third place. Temple, a Berkeley product, capped her best collegiate showing with a one-under 71. Also placing in the top 15 for the Bears were Sarah Huarte (6th, 216), Sophia Sheridan (T8th, 218) and Sofie Andersson (T11th, 220-career best).
BEARS TAKE 2ND AT PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS: After grabbing second at the Pac-10 Championships April 19-21 at Saticoy Country Club, Cal remained in pursuit of its first tournament title this spring. The Bears, who won their first conference title in 2003, posted a 54-hole score of 920 (+56) this year, while No. 2 UCLA claimed the crown with a 902. Sofie Andersson led Cal, placing ninth at 227 (+16). Cal opened the 2003-04 season with a victory at The Topy Cup in Japan in September. Last season, the Bears won an NCAA-best seven tournaments.
THREE CAL GOLFERS NAMED ALL-PAC-10: With senior Sarah Huarte's selection to the first team All-Pac-10 squad, she became the first Cal women's golfer to ever be a three-time first team all-conference pick. Sophomore Sophia Sheridan garnered second team honors, while Sofie Andersson received honorable mention accolades. Huarte was selected Cal's team MVP, and Sheridan earned the Most Improved Player award. After averaging 76.2 as a freshman, the Guadalajara, Mexico product is averaging 74.7 this season.
HUARTE DOES IT ALL: Sarah Huarte will graduate from Cal in December with an American studies degree and as one of the best golfers in school history. The Shingle Springs, Calif., product holds or shares every major Cal record, including for 18 (68), 36 (140), 54 (212) and 72 holes (296). Sophia Sheridan shares the Cal 36 and 54-hole marks. Huarte's current stroke average of 74.4 is nearing Vikki Laing's Cal record of 74.3, set last season. Huarte is one of four Bears to ever win a tournament, claiming the 2003 Bay Area Classic. This June, Huarte will be one of eight golfers to represent the United States at the Curtis Cup in England.
BEARS IN THE RANKINGS: Cal has been ranked in the Top 10 nationally all season, according to both Golfweek and Golfstat. Golfweek, which has had the Bears tabbed in its Top 5 throughout the spring, has them at an all-time high of No. 3. Golfstat currently has Cal ranked No. 4. All five Cal starters are listed in the Top 100 by Golfweek. For the first time in school history, the Bears have two golfers in the Top 20 - Sarah Huarte at No. 16 and Sophia Sheridan at No. 20. Sheridan is the youngest Cal golfer to ever break into the Top 20.
STATS LEADERS: Cal is among the nation's best in par 4 scoring (5th, 4.29) and putts on GIR (6th, 1.916). Sarah Huarte is 10th for total short game (.599).
FUN FACTS ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BEARS: Sarah Huarte, a 2004 U.S. Curtis Cup member, comes from a long line of athletes - her father, Jim, played football at Saint Mary's, her mother, Judy, is a runner, her sister, Laura, is on the track team at Notre Dame and her uncle, John, won the 1964 Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at Notre Dame...Anna Temple, a Berkeley product, played on the Collegiate Asian Tour last summer, is a fourth generation Golden Bear and was born on the 4th of July...Sophia Sheridan, who turned 20 on April 30, has been a competitve golfer for only five years and grew up playing golf with LPGA golfer Lorena Ochoa...Sheridan's father has also promised her a BMW MINI Cooper after she wins her first collegiate tournament - she has finished second twice this year and carries a picture of the car in her golf bag...four of Cal's seven golfers have ties to different national teams (Huarte - U.S., Sheridan - Mexico, Sofie Andersson - Sweden and Claire Dury - New Zealand).
