The Oregon women’s golf team needs a jump-start.
The Ducks have played four tournaments this season, and have yet to finish higher than eighth. Ranked 23rd before the season, the Ducks have dropped out of the national picture all together.
The good news is, Oregon has plenty of time to remedy it’s shortcomings.
The Ducks will compete in the Rainbow Wahine Fall Golf Classic in Kapolei, Hawaii — their final fall tournament. Oregon will take on a 15-team field that includes only three top-25 teams: No. 16 UCLA, No. 17 San Jose State and No. 25 New Mexico.
“The fall has been a little disappointing,” first-year head coach Shannon Rouillard said. “But I think we can look at it as a mid-term and see what we need to improve for the spring.”
Rouillard will give her lineup a good shake for the second time in as many tournaments this week. This time, the coach decided to field an upperclassman-laden lineup, taking five seniors and a junior to Hawaii.
Senior Jerilyn White could be the Ducks’ most important player this week. White was the only junior to start on a team of seniors last season, but this season has failed to turn in a complete tournament. Her 78.3 scoring average is second on the team, and she hasn’t finished higher than 26th at a tournament.
Seniors Claire Hunter, Dawn Berry and Julia Smith, along with junior Kathy Cho, will round out the Ducks’ squad. Senior Kimi Cunningham will also compete, but as an individual, so her scores will not count towards the team’s overall tally.
Cho has the most emotional stake in this week’s tournament. The Honolulu, Hawaii-native competed with the University of Hawaii team for two years before coming to Oregon this season. Hawaii will host this week’s event.
Oregon will tee off with two rounds of 18 holes today and one 18-hole round Wednesday.