The UW women's golf team opens the spring season this weekend in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. The team returns all six letterwinners from last year's squad and adds many talented freshmen to the mix.
The team looks to improve on its eighth place finish in the Big Ten at the 2005 conference championships. The team was able to finish fourth twice and managed to finish eighth or higher in 11 separate tournaments. The Badgers were then able to carry the momentum into the fall 2005 season when they picked up a sixth place finish at their home tournament in September.
The players' goals are high, and their coach knows that.
'They have specific goals,' said head coach Ted Oehrlein, 'and they set their goals pretty high. We want to compete in the conference for the Big Ten championship. Ultimately, the goal is to compete in the regional championships. We want to earn that opportunity.'
The senior leadership will be a huge part of that, and Lindsay McMillan and Jackie Obermueller will lead the way.
McMillan led the Badgers in scoring with 78.8 last spring. She also picked up an average of 78.7 strokes per round in 12 rounds in the fall.
Obermueller played in 20 of the 32 rounds last season, limited by injury. She was fifth on the team in scoring with 79.5 per 12 rounds last fall.
There will be five freshman joining the team this year and Oehrlein is pleasantly surprised by their progress.'
'They're doing a great job right now,' Oehrline said. 'I'm excited about being able to work with them. Their futures are very bright.'
