Indiana University Athletics
Women's Golf Travels to Puerto Rico
2/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Feb. 5, 2010
Indiana at Lady Puerto Rico Classic - Tournament Notes 
LADY PUERTO RICO CLASSIC
February 7-9, 2010
Coco Beach Golf Course - Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Tournament Field: Indiana, Alabama, Baylor, Florida State, Georgia, Kent State, Iowa State, Michigan, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Purdue, SMU, Wisconsin, Texas Tech
Course Information: Coco Beach Golf Club • Par 72 • 6,219 Yards
Results: IUHOOSIERS.com (post-match results)
SETTING THE SCENE
• Indiana opens its spring season against some of the top teams in the nation at the 54-hole Lady Puerto Rico Classic at the Coco Beach Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
• Senior Laura Nochta is the defending individual champion, while host Purdue is the defending team champion.
• The Hoosiers are coming off a 9.5-8.5 win over Wisconsin in match play competition in Phoenix, Ariz.
THE LINEUP
• Senior Laura Nochta
• Senior Kellye Belcher
• Junior Cecilia Orevik
• Freshman Jacqueline Yanch
• Freshman Kate Coons
WALLMAN'S THOUGHTS
What improvements did you see in the team in their first spring outing?:
• "A lot of the girls played over the winter break and it was really evident as they came out of the box pretty well. Those were the lowest scores we have ever had at the Westlake Cup for the two days. The girls worked hard, took advantage of the break time and came out strong."
On facing a strong field in Puerto Rico:
• "It is a heavy-hitter field. We can compete in any field we play in. We just need to learn to do so. It is just you against the golf course, and that is what I tell the ladies. If they are mindful of what they are trying to do, play their games and do what they do well, then we are going to have a good tournament, regardless of who is in the field."
On the strengths of the Coco Beach course:
• "I like the fact that we are familiar with it. I like the fact that it has a lot of room on it in spots. It is fairly wide. I like the fact that it is scorable. The greens are very big.
"But on the flip side, it has holes that you really have to pay attention to. The greens are big, but the wind is always a factor down there. Ball placement and being good around the greens is going to be key."
On Laura Nochta going in as the defending individual champion:
• "I think she is really looking forward to this. She had a good weekend last week in Arizona in preparation for this tournament. Sometimes it is really hard to go back to a tournament after you have won it. What we have talked about is trying to put it in perspective. That was last year, this is a brand new year and everyone is tied when you start the tournament. With that being said, having won there in the past and knowing you can play that golf course gives you a lot of confidence."
Scores aside, what would be a successful weekend in your mind?:
• "There are some really good things we took away from last weekend. One of them was the team atmosphere was remarkable. They had a great trip and really bonded. This semester I have really seen a change in where their attitudes are at. I would like to continue to see the supportive team atmosphere. I think that is very important to our success.
"Our Achilles heel has been big numbers. We will go along great and then have a bad hole or two. So eliminating our `spectacular crashes' is a big thing. We want to get those numbers down. And I want to continue to see maturity from the freshmen. The freshmen that are going on this trip have grown exponentially. The amount they have matured as players and as people is really showing up in all aspects of their college life. And most notably, in how they are playing."
WISCONSIN RECAP
• In its first competition of the spring season, the Indiana women's golf team won its match play competition against Big Ten for Wisconsin, taking the Westlake Cup title 9.5-8.5 Sunday afternoon at Union Hills Golf Club in Phoenix, Ariz.
• The teams played a nassau competition, with each pairing having the opportunity to win up to three points, one for low score on the front nine, one for low score on the back nine, and one for overall low score.
• Senior Laura Nochta had the low round of the day for Indiana with a 71 and picked up 1.5 points. Senior Kellye Belcher shot a 74 for her round and was the only Hoosier to win all three points. Junior Cecilia Orevik posted a 75, earning 2.5 points for the Hoosiers. Freshman Pamela Burneski came home with a 76 but was shut out in points. Freshman Jacqueline Yanch shot a 78 to earn 1.5 points, while freshman Kate Coons also shot a 78 and picked up one point.
• "I am wildly pleased with what we did today," said head coach Clint Wallman. "We had a great practice round and that carried over today with an outstanding performance on the front nine. We had to hit some clutch shots and we did what we needed down the stretch. The course conditions today were perfect for scoring and we took advantage of it. I was very pleased with our shot selection and execution."
Players Mentioned
