March 11, 2004
THIS WEEK – The women’s golf team travels to Boerne, TX, to compete in the Baylor-Tapatio Spring Shoot-out. Competition will be at the Tapatio Springs Resort and Golf Club. The tournament will begin on Friday and conclude on Sunday. The competition will be the hardest of the season for the Hawkeyes, highlighted by Notre Dame, Arkansas State and Missouri.
LAST COMPETITION – The Hawkeyes had an impressive showing at the East/West Rio Verde Invitational. They placed fourth in the 17 team tournament. Iowa shot a 36-hole total of 610-just six shots behind the winner Kent Sate. Leading the way for the Hawkeyes was freshman Karla Murra. Murra totaled 145 shots in two rounds, which placed her in a tie for eighth place. One shot behind was junior Liz Bennett who placed tied for 12th.
QUOTING CARNEY – “I was pleased with the way we competed in The East/West Rio Verde Invitational. Our scores were especially low for the conditions of the golf course, heavy rains the night before made for some especially difficult putting. We are already starting to shoot scores that are lower than the fall, which is something that we look to build upon the rest of the season. The players are starting to build a lot of confidence. Freshman Karla Murra had a strong performance. She has an excellent psychological make-up for a competitive golfer. Shannon Fleming came back strong after a couple bad holes in the first day to have a solid round of 74. Liz Bennett worked hard on her short game over the off-season and is now on the verge of becoming a very good golfer. If she can stay consistent, I expect her to start finishing high if the remainder of our tournaments. I feel good about where we are so early in the season. The competition is going to be difficult the remainder of the season, but if we continue to get stronger I think we can compete at a high level. This week I think it would be a realistic goal to finish in the top half, and if we can get all our girls with scores below 80, I think we can possibly finish even higher.”
HEAD WOMEN’S COACH Bobbe Carney – Coach Carney is in her second year as coach of the Hawkeyes. Her resume is highlighted, most notably, by being named LPGA Midwest Section Coach of the Year in 1989. In 2001, she was named a Top 50 Instructor by Golf For Women magazine.