University of Tennessee Athletics
TENNESSEE GOLFERS FINISH IN THIRD AT SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
April 21, 2002 | Women's Golf
April 21, 2002
ATHENS, Ga.
Coming in to the 2002 Southeastern Conference Championships, University of Tennessee head women's golf coach Judi Pavon was not sure what to expect from her team after they had struggled during the later part of the spring. By the time senior Young-A Yang (Tae-Gu City, South Korea) rolled in her birdie putt on 18, Pavon was more than proud of her team's effort as the five members of the Orange and White combined to shoot a 1-over 289 and finish the three-day affair with an 866, 19 strokes better than the school record they set at the 2001 Sun Trust Lady Gator. Although the Big Orange blazed the par 72, 6,104-yard University of Georgia Golf Course, the University of South Carolina and Auburn University were just a little bit better as they finished ahead of UT. The Lady Gamecocks captured their first SEC Title in golf with a tournament record 861, while Lady Tigers placed second with an 864, matching the second-lowest total in tournament history.
"We played incredibly well all three rounds," stated Pavon. "Going into the event we would have thought that this score would have been good enough to win, so we can't be disappointed. We got beat by two teams playing awesome golf, so we can't feel bad about how we did. I am just excited about the way Young-A, Tina and Mary Jan finished under par for the event. We feel great about regionals coming up in two weeks, and this tournament gives us a lot of confidence as we enter the final part of our season."
The Lady Vols placed three players in the top five, the most out of any school, while Auburn was the only other school to have three in the top 10. The All-American Yang again paced the Orange and White as she fired a 1-under 71 to finish her final SEC Tournament tied for third with a 212, matching the career-low she set at last year's GolfWorld Invitational. Her rounds of 69, 72 and 71 marked the first time in her career that she has carded a score of par or better in each round of an event. Yang now has eight rounds of par or better on the season and 35 for her career, the school record. South Carolina's Kristy McPherson won her second straight SEC Tournament with a 7-under 209.
"The team and I are both shocked that we didn't win, despite that we played so well," commented Yang "I think this was a good turning point for our team and for myself. I am looking forward to playing in the last two tournaments of my collegiate career and I have full confidence in my team and myself that we will do well."
The other two Tennessee players in the top five were senior Tina Schneeberger (WR-Neustadt, Austria) and sophomore Mary Jan Fernandez. (Henderson, Nev.). Schneeberger completed her last SEC Championships with a third-round score of 1-over 73 to finish tied for fifth with a 215 (71-71-73). The fifth-place finish was the senior's best at the SECs and the 215 was the second-best total of her career, with the best coming earlier this spring when she carded a 212 at the Arizona Invitational.
"I am proud of how we played today, but I am also disappointed because we were so close," said Schneeberger "Before the tournament if you would have asked me if I would have taken my scores of 71, 71, and 73, I would have, but looking back I realized that I did leave some shots out there. This was an important tournament for us to get on track for regionals. If we continue to play like this, it should make us one of the favorites to win the National Championship."
Also in fifth place was Fernandez, who recorded her second straight round of par or better to finish with a 215. The sophomore transfer followed her course-record setting 66 with an even-par 72 to establish a new career low. Her finish was also a career-best and gives her two top-10s this season.
"I am just proud of how all of us played this weekend and how we battled back after the beginning of the season. I am happy with my play today, but at the same time I am upset that I missed some easy putts. After today, I think we all have the confidence to do well at regionals."
Freshman Jessica Shepley (Oakville, Ont.) recorded her second straight 1-over 73 after firing an 82 on Friday. Her total of 228 put her in 29th, 23 spots higher than where she was on day one. Sophomore Tai Perry (Unionville, Pa.) rebounded from a day-two 82, to card a 4-over 76 and finish in 41st with a 236. For the first time all weekend, Perry was finally healthy and feeling fine.
Pavon and her team will now wait and see where the NCAA sends them to play in the NCAA Regionals, May 9-11. The three sites are Baton Rouge, La. (East Regional), East Lansing, Mich. (Central Regional) and Palo Alto, Calif. (West Regional). The top eight teams and two best individuals not attached to a team from each region will play in the NCAA Championships May 22-25, in Auburn, Wash.
| TEAM STANDINGS | ||
| TEAM STANDINGS | ||
| 1. | South Carolina | 289-282-290=861 |
| 2. | Auburn | 280-291-293=864 |
| 3. | TENNESSEE | 295-282-289=866 |
| 4. | Vanderbilt | 300-294-281=875 |
| 5. | Georgia | 298-302-288=888 |
| 6. | Florida | 298-295-304=897 |
| 7. | Alabama | 305-306-307=918 |
| 8. | Louisiana St. | 303-313-305=921 |
| 9. | Mississippi St. | 317-310-302=929 |
| Mississippi | 310-314-305=929 | |
| 11. | Arkansas | 320-301-313=934 |
| 12. | Kentucky | 312-317-315=944 |
| INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS | ||
| 1. | Kristy McPherson, S. Carolina | 69-69-71=209 |
| t3. | Young-A Yang | 69-72-71=212 |
| t5. | Tina Schneeberger | 71-71-73=215 |
| t5. | Mary Jan Fernandez | 77-66-72=215 |
| 29. | Jessica Shepley | 82-73-73=228 |
| t41. | Tai Perry | 78-82-76=236 |
