The Red and Black

Issue date: 3/26/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: SAM STEINBERG Senior Whitney Wade plays her last Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic round Sunday. Georgia's loss in the tournament was its first in the last four years.

In sweltering Georgia heat, the Lady Bulldog golf team had a chance to extend its three-year winning streak at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic and notch its first team victory of the spring season, but not even the home course could give Georgia the victory.

For the third straight tournament, the team had a poor first round, placing seventh afterward.

Unlike the first two tournaments, the team was unable to recover and finished eighth in the 18-team field, easily its worst finish of the spring season.

Senior Whitney Wade, playing in her final home tournament, suffered her first ever team loss in the Liz Murphey tournament and was understandably upset with the outcome.

"It's disappointing," Wade said. "I expected a lot more out of us. It was heartbreaking. We were expected to win. I can't even explain what happened. None of us played up to par."

SEC foe Auburn, who placed second in last year's tournament, won by 11 strokes. Florida and Arkansas finished second and third respectively.

Leah Wigger of Virginia won the individual title, beating Maria Hernandez of Purdue in a playoff.

Sophomore Mallory Hetzel was Georgia's top showing as she tied for 19th, while fellow sophomore Alina Lee finished 28th. Wade and junior Garrett Phillips were tied for 33rd.

Head coach Todd McCorkle also was perplexed as to what caused the team's flat effort.

"We just never got into a rhythm," McCorkle said. "We just did not play well. To have your worst tournament of the year at home is disappointing, but at the same time, I feel that we will learn from it."

With just one tournament before the SEC Championships, the team hopes that this experience serves as a learning experience that can help it get back on track and play up to its potential that had it ranked as the number one team in the nation at the start of the season.

"It can only get better," Wade said.

The team's next competition is the Bryan Intercollegiate in Greensboro, N.C., in two weeks.

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