Opening day

Women's golf begins spring season in Florida

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There are more questions than answers for the SIU women's golf team as it heads into the Golden Panther Championship, its first tournament of the spring season, which takes place today and Tuesday in Miami.

The competition isn't completely known.

Head coach Diane Daugherty will decide, upon surveying the course, which one of the six golfers traveling with the team will compete in the individual event. The remaining five will play in the team event.

The six golfers representing the Salukis will be Megan Tarrolly, Tiffany Fritsche, Amy Rankin, Stefanie Pate, Abbigail Johnson and Jennifer Shutt.

Shutt's play is important to her team's success, according to Daugherty. The top five players from the last tournament usually travel, but Daugherty had already purchased Shutt's plane ticket before the lone senior on the roster only completed one tournament in the fall.

"We're going to be a stronger team once she gets back into the lineup with her experience and her ability," Daugherty said. "I hope Jen steps up to the plate. This is her last semester. I know she wants to. She's really worked pretty hard in the weight room in the off-season."

Shutt didn't travel to some tournaments last semester, so this forced a different Saluki to step up - and Megan Tarrolly did that.

"She's really taken on a lot of leadership responsibilities when Jen unexpectedly didn't travel," Daugherty said. "Megan filled those shoes. If we can get Jen and Megan in there as a one-two punch, I think we could be a force to be reckoned with in our conference."

But even though there's no clear leader on the team that could be an advantage, as all of the players at about the same level, according to team No. 2 Rankin.

And it will take a team effort if the team is to achieve its objective for the tournament.

"My goal is to definitely break 320 both days if the weather's not horrendous," Daugherty said. "If we break 320 both days and put forth a good effort, then to me that's a successful tournament whether we finish first or middle of the pack or bottom of the pack."

Regardless of their finish, the team is going to use this experience down the road.

"We don't have any control over the other teams there," Daugherty said. "Our finish in the field may not sound great, but I think it's going to help us when it comes to playing in our conference championship against Northern Iowa and Bradley if we've gone up against UCLA."

And the Salukis should enjoy themselves win or lose. They'll be playing on what Daugherty called one of the nicest courses in the nation, the Doral Country Club.

The warm weather could also prove detrimental to SIU's finish, as its opponents hailing from Florida have had much more good weather during the winter to practice in.

"We'll be at a little bit of a disadvantage just because of that," Rankin said. "We've haven't been out as much as those teams will have team since it's about 75 to 80 degrees there, but we've gotten to practice a few times already. I think we'll be fine."

Reporter Ethan Erickson can be reached at eerickson@dailyegyptian.com