Oct. 23, 2008
AUBURN, Ala. – The Kentucky women’s golf team will make their fourth and final appearance of the fall 2008 season at the Derby Invitational on Oct. 24-26 at the Auburn University Club at Yarbrough Farms.
“We will face another outstanding field at Auburn, and the team is looking forward to the challenge,” head coach Myra Blackwelder said. “Last week was spent primarily in light practice, due to the fact that the team was catching up on make-up work and tests. We will have a long practice day on Thursday with the goal to refocus ourselves and make last-minute adjustments to their games if necessary. The girls are confident that the preparation they have done over the long months before this tournament will prepare them for our final competition of the fall season.”
No. 49 Kentucky will face 16-ranked teams including six top-15 teams – No. 2 Arizona State, No. 4 Georgia, No.7 Alabama, No. 8 Virginia, No. 12 Auburn and No. 13 LSU. The Wildcats will once again see Furman, Tulane and Florida State, all of whom Kentucky has previously outplayed this season. Completing the field are squads from Chattanooga, UCF, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kansas and Coastal Carolina.
“My assistant, Brendan Ryan, left yesterday to go to Auburn and chart the course for us,” Blackwelder said. “Auburn was not on our schedule last year, and 80 percent of our team has not played the course. Ryan’s advance preparation will allow us to give full attention to helping the team become familiar with the greens surfaces, turf conditions and general course management when we see the lay out for the first time on Thursday.”
Being the only freshman to contend in every tournament of this season, Ashlee Rose will take the field with Alyssa Randolph, Kristin Vincent, Erica Still and Mallory Blackwelder. Still has led the Wildcats for two consecutive tournaments and looks to be the hot hitter for this tournament. After mending a loose grip on her putter, Blackwelder anticipates a good showing at the 2008 Derby Invite.
The three-day tournament will take place at the par-72, 6,301-yard Auburn UniversityClub at Yarbrough Farms. Friday’s tee time will be Shotgun style beginning at 11 a.m. ET off the Nos. 1 & 10 tees. Live scoring is available on www.auburntigers.com or www.golfstat.com.
