March 11, 2010

Lady Vol Golf Tournament Notes

By Zach Stipe, Media Relations Graduate Assistant

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Tennessee women's golf team faces a large and talented field at the Tiger-Wave Classic this weekend in New Orleans, La.

The Lady Vols (Golfstat No. 16, Golfweek and Coaches' Poll No. 11) are one of nine top-25 squads in the 23-team field at the par-72, 6,132-yard English Turn Golf and Country Club.

Teams tee off on Friday and Saturday at 8 a.m. from the first and 10th holes. Sunday's final round will have an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. Golfstat.com will have live results and www.twitter.com/utladyvolswill provide updates.

Led by senior Diana Cantú and sophomore Nathalie Mansson, head coach Judi Pavon will bring a lineup that also includes senior Ginny Brown, junior Lauren Spurlock and freshman Sara Monberg to the "Big Easy." Freshman Erica Popson is returning from injury and will compete as an individual.

"The Tiger-Wave is going to be a great event with a large and very strong field," Pavon said. "We have worked on some things in the week since the Kinderlou Challenge, so this will be a good opportunity to evaluate ourselves as we near the postseason. Nathalie and Diana both are at the top of their games and the others are getting more confident each day. We are excited to have Erica back in action as well."

UT finished third at its last tournament, the Kinderlou Forest Challenge, from March 1-2. Tulane, a co-host of the Tiger-Wave Challenge with LSU, captured the team title at the Kinderlou tournament.

No. 2 Auburn is the likely favorite this week, however. The Tigers feature Golfstat's No. 1 player, junior Cydney Clanton. Other ranked teams include No. 5 Purdue, No. 7 Alabama, No. 10 Wake Forest, No. 13 Vanderbilt, No. 17 Georgia, No. 18 Virginia and No. 20 and LSU.

Mansson is currently on pace to set the UT single-season scoring average record (72.80) and ranks 21st in the Golfstat individual rankings. Cantú, who leads the country in pars per round (13.83), stands at No. 33.