The Alabama women’s golf team has gotten back to what it does best: winning.
Before starting the Liz Murphey Classic on April 1, the Crimson Tide had not won a tournament since Feb. 15, in Puerto Rico. It had not won in the United States since Oct. 10, 2010 at the Tar Heel Invitational.
However, on April 3, the Tide got back to its winning ways with a team victory in the Liz Murphey Classic.
“It’s great to get the win right here before the Southeastern Conference Championships,” head coach Mic Potter said.
The team’s performance was best-in-show at the Classic, led by freshman Stephanie Meadow, who finished 1-over-par for the event.
“Well, I finished tied for third, so obviously that was a good result,” Meadow said. “It was good to be able to get that result when it wasn’t the best ball-striking tournament for me.”
Meadow’s 1-over-par finish was five strokes behind Georgia’s Marta Silva Zamora, who won the event at 4-under-par on her home course. Meadow’s performance was worthy of praise from junior teammate Brooke Pancake.
“Stephanie never put up high numbers last week, and she always gave herself birdie chances,” Pancake said.
Golf is a game of constant improvement, no secret to Potter.
“The big thing we want to see is gradual improvement so that we peak at the right time and are playing our best golf at championship time,” Potter said. “We need to improve our lag putting, make it easier on ourselves on second putts. We need to improve our chipping, especially to a green that’s above us.”
Potter said he hopes those improvements can be made between now and the SEC Championship tournament, held from April 15-17 at Auburn’s AU Club at Yarborough Farms.
The Tide’s goal for the SEC Tournament is clear.
“Hopefully we can dominate,” Pancake said. “Of course we want to win and defend our title, get us a [back-to-back] winning streak.”
Potter, although clearly hopeful for another SEC Championship, is still focused in on the gradual improvement goal.
“I just want us to play care-free, relaxed golf,” Potter said.
This year’s SEC Championship will be a highly competitive one, as parity in the conference is rivaling all-time highs.
The Tide will go into the SEC Championship tournament ranked third in the nation, right behind USC and No. 1 UCLA. The closest SEC rival is LSU, ranked No. 7 in the nation.
Five other SEC teams are currently ranked in the Top 25 in the country, including Auburn at No. 18 and Tennessee at No. 11.
All in all, there are 10 SEC teams in the national Top 50 rankings, with Ole Miss rounding out the SEC’s Top 50 teams at No. 41. Kentucky has fallen to No. 57, joining Mississippi State as the only two teams in the SEC outside of the Top 50.
