The Barometer Online

Issue date: 5/5/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Cory Reed Freshman Whitney French lines up a putt during an OSU women's golf practice. French will return to OSU's lineup next season.

By John Daly

The Daily Barometer

After a lengthy, hard-fought and inspiring year, the OSU women's golf team closed the book on the 2008-09 season with a 10th-place finish at the Women's Pac-10 Championship tournament at the Stanford Golf Course April 24-26.

The team's performance at the last event of the season was in no way indicative of its performance this year, but good signs could still be observed during the tough, three-day event.

"Overall, we did not have the performance at the Pac-10 Championships that we wanted, but we had some moments," head coach Risë Lakowske said. "[Freshman] Whitney French was very close to the lead through 27 holes, but just couldn't hold it together. Also, I told [Sophomore] Cara Freeman that she should have won that event because she finished only eight shots back and yet had at three double bogeys."

The Pac-10 Championship was only one of 10 tournaments played by the women's team this year, and the Beavers can certainly enjoy reflecting on the numerous exciting highlights of their 2008-09 season.

The players opened the season with barrels blazing, as their commanding final round at the 2008 Giustina Memorial Classic smashed the competition in the first event of the year. The team finished as tournament champion by two strokes, powered by dazzling performances from Freeman (second), and senior Martha Burkard (T4). Juniors Brittany Stewart and Lauren Archer aided with solid low rounds of their own, finishing 12th and T13, respectively.

The following tournaments again saw strong performances from Archer, Burkard and Freeman, who began to emerge as some of OSU's most consistent players. As the season rolled on, these players became the usual suspects in helping the team to an impressive five top-10 finishes, two top-five performances and one tournament win. Finishing outside the top 10 only twice, the team is regarded as a talent-filled, consistent and strengthening group of players.

"I saw a tremendous improvement in Cara from freshman to sophomore year," Lakowske said. "She is really starting to understand course management, and her short game is getting better. She thinks a lot better on the golf course."

Continued...

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