Troy University Athletics
Monday, October 10
Bradenton, Fla.
Troy University
vs
University of South Florida
Women’s Golf Set For Play at South Florida
10/9/2011 8:00:00 AM | Golf (W)
The Troy University Women's Golf team will look to post consecutive tournament victories when the Trojans open play on Monday at the USF-Waterlefe Invitational in Bradenton, Fla.
Troy posted a victory at the ULM/Fred Marx Invitational two weeks ago and Troy coach Matt Terry said he expects his squad to be in the mix again at this event.
“I am really excited about getting the first win,” Terry said. “Hopefully we can continue that kind of play going into play on Monday. It is a really good golf course that sets up well. For us to have a shot to win, we will have to do some good stuff on Monday. We have to play well for the entire 36-hole day to get ourselves in the mix going into Tuesday.”
This will be the fourth consecutive year for the Trojans to play in the event, which is held at the Waterlefe Golf and River Club. Troy posted a 12th place finish (of 16 teams) in a weather-shortened 2008 tournament. The Trojans finished seventh (17) in 2009, a performance that included the first sub-300 round (298) in more than 10 years. Last year Troy finished 12th (19).
The 2011 Waterlefe includes only eight teams, but the competition will still be stiff. The field includes Daytona Beach Community College, which won the 2010 tournament by eight shots by posting scores of 296, 299 and 289.
Terry said he expects the host team from South Florida to also be very good.
“South Florida, of all the teams in the field, will be the strongest. Southern Miss is another team that should be pretty good. We want to play well and get into that final group on Tuesday, no matter who is in it.”
The Trojans will continue to rely on young players to play well, but will again have senior Haley Lawrence and junior Sofia Bjorkman to go with freshment Langley Vannoy, Taylor McGraw and Sydney Conrad, as well as junior Sara Fennvik playing as an individual.
Vannoy tied for the top individual honors at ULM two weeks ago, but lost the medalist trophy in a playoff.
“Langley is a freshman, and you always have to expect some drop off, but she is playing really well,” Terry said. “I am so excited after seeing her do so well so early in her career. She has had solid scores over her last four rounds of golf.
“I want her to expect and to know that she can play that well from now on. She will probably have some fall off at some point in time, but hopefully that will not be this weekend. She knows that she can post those numbers and she needs to strive for that with her work in practice and in competition.”
Lawrence, the senior, is an unexpected addition for the Trojans this week. An athletic training major who is working with the Troy football team this fall, she is being allowed to travel with the golf team while the Troy football team was on the road at UL Lafayette.
“It is going to be good having Haley with us,” Terry said. “She is rusty, and you can see that in her game. She is piecing together practice time on her own. She has to limit her expectations, and I think that will help her.
“She played so well in the first round of the last event (70) because she just went out there and played. When she posted that two-under you could see her go 'Here we go.' She played solid from there on out and helped us to win that golf tournament.”
Both Lawrence and Bjorkman were hurt by one poor shot in their previous outings this year. If they are able to avoid making that one mistake, both could be in the running for an individual title.
“Sofia is continuing to play well,” Terry said. “Except for one swing in each of the first two tournaments, she would probably have been in a playoff at the end. The same goes for Haley. She had one poor swing on a layup shot on a par five, made a double and lost by two.”
Terry also said that McGraw is carrying some momentum into this tournament.
“Taylor had her first under par round for us in the last round at ULM,” Terry said. “I think it was good for her to see Langley and Haley and Sofia coming through because she wants to make sure they know that she can play too.”
The rest of the field for the USF-Waterlefe Invitational includes South Alabama, Houston Baptist, Florida Atlantic and Florida Gulf Coast.
“It is going to be interesting to see if these girls can get back into the race this week, knowing that they can win,” Terry said. “I think they are playing with a little swagger right now and, hopefully, that will carry over into this week.”
Troy posted a victory at the ULM/Fred Marx Invitational two weeks ago and Troy coach Matt Terry said he expects his squad to be in the mix again at this event.
“I am really excited about getting the first win,” Terry said. “Hopefully we can continue that kind of play going into play on Monday. It is a really good golf course that sets up well. For us to have a shot to win, we will have to do some good stuff on Monday. We have to play well for the entire 36-hole day to get ourselves in the mix going into Tuesday.”
This will be the fourth consecutive year for the Trojans to play in the event, which is held at the Waterlefe Golf and River Club. Troy posted a 12th place finish (of 16 teams) in a weather-shortened 2008 tournament. The Trojans finished seventh (17) in 2009, a performance that included the first sub-300 round (298) in more than 10 years. Last year Troy finished 12th (19).
The 2011 Waterlefe includes only eight teams, but the competition will still be stiff. The field includes Daytona Beach Community College, which won the 2010 tournament by eight shots by posting scores of 296, 299 and 289.
Terry said he expects the host team from South Florida to also be very good.
“South Florida, of all the teams in the field, will be the strongest. Southern Miss is another team that should be pretty good. We want to play well and get into that final group on Tuesday, no matter who is in it.”
The Trojans will continue to rely on young players to play well, but will again have senior Haley Lawrence and junior Sofia Bjorkman to go with freshment Langley Vannoy, Taylor McGraw and Sydney Conrad, as well as junior Sara Fennvik playing as an individual.
Vannoy tied for the top individual honors at ULM two weeks ago, but lost the medalist trophy in a playoff.
“Langley is a freshman, and you always have to expect some drop off, but she is playing really well,” Terry said. “I am so excited after seeing her do so well so early in her career. She has had solid scores over her last four rounds of golf.
“I want her to expect and to know that she can play that well from now on. She will probably have some fall off at some point in time, but hopefully that will not be this weekend. She knows that she can post those numbers and she needs to strive for that with her work in practice and in competition.”
Lawrence, the senior, is an unexpected addition for the Trojans this week. An athletic training major who is working with the Troy football team this fall, she is being allowed to travel with the golf team while the Troy football team was on the road at UL Lafayette.
“It is going to be good having Haley with us,” Terry said. “She is rusty, and you can see that in her game. She is piecing together practice time on her own. She has to limit her expectations, and I think that will help her.
“She played so well in the first round of the last event (70) because she just went out there and played. When she posted that two-under you could see her go 'Here we go.' She played solid from there on out and helped us to win that golf tournament.”
Both Lawrence and Bjorkman were hurt by one poor shot in their previous outings this year. If they are able to avoid making that one mistake, both could be in the running for an individual title.
“Sofia is continuing to play well,” Terry said. “Except for one swing in each of the first two tournaments, she would probably have been in a playoff at the end. The same goes for Haley. She had one poor swing on a layup shot on a par five, made a double and lost by two.”
Terry also said that McGraw is carrying some momentum into this tournament.
“Taylor had her first under par round for us in the last round at ULM,” Terry said. “I think it was good for her to see Langley and Haley and Sofia coming through because she wants to make sure they know that she can play too.”
The rest of the field for the USF-Waterlefe Invitational includes South Alabama, Houston Baptist, Florida Atlantic and Florida Gulf Coast.
“It is going to be interesting to see if these girls can get back into the race this week, knowing that they can win,” Terry said. “I think they are playing with a little swagger right now and, hopefully, that will carry over into this week.”
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