Feb. 5, 2010
RIO GRANDE, P.R. - The Baylor women's golf team opens its spring schedule Feb. 7-9 with the 2010 Lady Puerto Rico Classic hosted by Purdue University.
The three-day, 54-hole tournament will be held at the par-72, 6,219-yard The Championship Course at Trump International Golf Club. The first two rounds will begin with a 6:10 a.m. CST shotgun start on Sunday and Monday. The final round will begin with a 5:45 a.m. CST shotgun start on Tuesday. In addition to Baylor and host Purdue, the 16-team field includes six Big Ten schools (Indiana, Michigan, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin) and five Big 12 schools (Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech). Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Kent State and SMU round out the field.
For the fifth consecutive tournament, Baylor's lineup includes senior Hannah Burke, sophomore Jaclyn Jansen, junior Morgan Chambers, sophomore Chelsey Cothran and junior Lene Hafsten-Morch. Burke led the Lady Bears with a 72.61 stroke average during the fall, while posting four top-15 finishes and six rounds of par or better. Jansen ranked second behind Burke in rounds counted (12), stroke average (74.38) and top-25 finishes (three).
"This is the earliest we have ever competed in our spring season," Baylor head women's golf coach Sylvia Ferdon said. "Even with a record cold winter, we have been fortunate to get our playing and practice time in since school started.
"We had a record-scoring fall and just did not put the low numbers on the scoreboard the same day," Ferdon said. "I think we are a stronger team than our ranking indicates. We have been working hard on the mental side of the game and our team has responded by having very focused and productive practice sessions."
In Baylor's fall tournament finale, the Lady Bears shot a final-round 295 to finish tied for 13th in the Challenge at Onion Creek in Austin. Burke posted her fourth top-15 finish of the fall after a final-round 1-under 69.
After they open the spring season in Puerto Rico, the Lady Bears will participate at the UCF Challenge March 1-2 in Sorrento, Fla.
