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Women's golf team running out of time

TAMPA -- South Florida golfer Kelly Martin lost the Conference USA individual title by one shot a year ago. Her teammates suffered as well, failing to win the league crown for the first time in four years.

But loaded with senior talent and experience, the Bulls still advanced to the NCAA tournament in one of the program's most successful seasons.

This year, with that mix of previous success and a little hard luck, the Bulls look to reclaim their title when they head to the C-USA tournament April 20 at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg.

"We are starting to come around," coach Susan Holt said. "Different people are starting to post lower scores. We've known we could do it, we just have to get everyone to do it at the same time."

The fall portion of the schedule was tough on the Bulls. A second-place finish at the Beacon Woods Invitational was offset by eighth-, fifth- and 14th-place finishes at other tournaments. Things have improved during the spring with two third-place finishes in their last three tournaments.

The Bulls placed third at the Florida State Championships last week in Miami Lakes and third at the Waterlefe Invitational in Bradenton in March.

"I think we're shooting better," Holt said. "I think we're finally playing with a sense of urgency. We realize we have to play better and we are running out of tournaments to do it."

The Bulls head to the conference tournament with a younger team (six seniors graduated from last year's team) led by juniors Martin and Fany Schaeffer. The duo has posted individual wins this season, but the Bulls might have a difficult task ahead of them in trying to repeat last season's trip to the NCAA tournament.

"Kelly and Fany are playing better than earlier in the year," Holt said. "They have realized they don't have to hit the ball perfect each time. They are plugging away and putting well and they'll be okay."

This year's Bulls are led by:

Martin. The team's No. 1 player who won the UCF Invitational in February by one stroke after paring the final hole. She has led the Bulls in scoring in three tournaments.

Schaeffer. The Conference USA golfer of the month in October 2001, Schaeffer rallied from five shots back to fire a 3-under 69 to claim first place at the Beacon Woods Invitational. Jill Crowe. A sophomore whose best outing this season was a tie for fourth at the Beacon Woods tournament. Crowe shot a three-day score of 220 for her top five finish.

Jameica Duncombe. A sophomore, Duncombe's best performance this season came in the Edwin Watts tournament. She posted a three-day 227 to tie for ninth.

Katie Ruhe. A junior who shook off poor play early this season after her average score ballooned to 80.6. Ruhe posted a 25th-place finish at the state championship and a 15th-place showing at Waterlefe.

Holt said this year's squad does not have the luxury of a guaranteed postseason bid already locked up. The 2001 Bulls, despite falling at the conference tournament, knew they were headed to the NCAA tournament.

"We're not as comfortable as we were last year," she said. "Last year we knew we were going to regionals and kind of went into the conference tournament thinking it was just another tournament.

"This time we know we have to step up and play the way we know we can play."

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