W. Golf sees constant improvement in play

The standings might not indicate it, but the Penn women's golf team is rapidly improving. Though the Quakers finished in a tie with Hampton for last place in a nine-team field at last weekend's Princeton Invitational, the women reduced their score by 57 strokes from their performance at the Yale Invitational the week before. Penn shot an even 800 at Princeton, indicating an even more substantial improvement over last year's squad, which posted scores in excess of 900 on a regular basis. The players were understandably thrilled with the team's performance. Sophomore Victoria Entine went so far as to say that this was the best showing ever in the short history of women's golf at Penn. Part of the success can be attributed to playing on a far more forgiving course at Princeton. The Yale course's massive greens, hills and traps were some of the main culprits responsible for the team's previous high score. But, to dismiss Penn's improved scores as simply a matter of a course change is to do the team a disservice. "It's a lot easier but the lowest scores didn't really go down from the week before," Entine said. In fact, senior captain Natasha Miller thinks the advantage of an easier course is more psychological than anything else. "Golf is very much a mental game," said Miller, who viewed Princeton with increased confidence after surviving the much tougher Yale layout. All the women lifted their confidence with this solid performance and have inspired Miller to set a numerical goal for the next tournament, something the team was very wary about doing at the start of the season. Penn shot a collective 391 in the second round at Princeton, prompting Miller to call the sub-400 day a "huge landmark that we've surpassed. Next week, we'd like to shoot under 400 both days." Junior Jen Schraut noticed an all-around improvement in the play of the women this week. "We were more consistent in our hitting," she said. Freshman Stacy Kress again proved to be Penn's most impressive player, registering the lowest score among the Quakers. "We're extremely impressed by her dedication to the team," Miller said. "And her performance has been spectacular." The final test of the fall season for the Quakers will take place Friday and Saturday at the Rutgers Invitational in New Brunswick, N.J. During their winter hiatus, the players will train at their indoor facility on campus and utilize a new computerized device that can record and compare their swings. The Quakers then look forward to the William and Mary Invitational in late March to open the spring season. "It's only going to get better," Miller said. With that improvement, it's not hard to understand why the Quakers are so excited.

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