Lady Paldins Begin Quest for National Championship on Tuesday

May 16, 2005

SUNRIVER, Ore. -

Furman's Lady Paladin golf team played its second and final practice round prior to the start of the NCAA Division I women's golf championships, Monday at the 6,300-yard, par 71 Meadows Course at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore.

High winds and scattered showers during Monday's round prepared the 24 teams and six individuals on hand for the remainder of the week, in which weather officials are calling for rain, wind, and chilly temperatures.

Furman will open play in its 15^th NCAA Championship, with a 1:30 p.m. tee time on Tuesday.  The Lady Paladins will begin teeing off No. 10, and will be paired with Missouri and California, the three seeds from the central and west regions.

The 2005 Lady Paladins have finished in the top 10 in eight of 10 tournaments this season, with victories in the Lady Paladin and Southern Conference Championships.  The 15^th-ranked Lady Paladins posted a third place finish at the NCAA East Regional, May 5-7, in Gainesville, Fla.

Sophomore Jenny Suh has paced Furman so far this season, recording a 73.80 season stroke average with individual victories in the Lady Gamecock and the Southern Conference Championships.  Theresa Paik's 76.20 stroke average ranks second on the team, with Monique Gesualdi third at 76.47, Connor Atkinson fourth at 76.57, and freshman Sarah Sturm fifth at 78.63. 

Furman's last top 10 finish in the NCAA Championships came in 1995, with a sixth place showing at the Landfall Club of Wilmington, N.C.'s Dye Course.  Furman took 15^th at last year's national championship, which was hosted by Auburn University at the Grand National Golf Course in Auburn, Ala.