[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia will stick with its same playing five of senior Rocio Sanchez Lobato, juniors Sylvie Brick and Manuela Carbajo Ré and sophomores Harang Lee and Sammi Lee. In addition, junior Amira Alexander will compete as an individual. The 12-team field includes Boston College, Central Connecticut, Columbia, Georgetown, Georgia, Long Island, Penn, Princeton, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Yale.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Last weekend’s result was especially gratifying since the Bulldogs struggled in their previous two events, the Bruin Wave Invitational and the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “When we did the Bruin Wave and Darius Rucker back-to-back, I wish we would’ve had a break because we needed to regroup,” head coach Josh Brewer said. “Now, we’re coming off our best performance in maybe a year and a half or two years so we’re glad we get to play again. You can see it. They’re excited to hop in that van, go to the airport and go play.That’s a good thing.
[su_spacer size=”40”] “Making the top eight (bracket for match play) last Friday was huge,” Brewer said. “Honestly, we’ve practiced well and we’ve played well. We just haven’t done it when it counts. When we made the top eight, you saw the biggest relief. I think they thought ‘Now we can breathe and have fun again.’ You saw that on Saturday and Sunday. I expect to see it this Thursday and Friday.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs haven’t played a course similar to the Trump National since the Windy City Collegiate last October.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “We haven’t played true bent fairways and bent greens since Chicago,” Brewer said. “I like for us to see these conditions because you could shipped somewhere for Regionals. Who knows, Notre Dame hosts a Regional. We could have to play in cold, rainy, windy weather to get to the national championships. That’s why you schedule it.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Carbajo Ré led Georgia in stroke play qualifying last Friday, tying for seventh in a field that featured 16 of the nation’s top-50 golfers.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “I’m super excited,” Carbajo Ré. “We played and now we’re playing again. This is what I love to do so I’m looking forward to a good tournament. Last Friday, I think I was just calm and was playing my own game. Any time I can be in that zone, just worry about me and what I’m doing every shot, is important. Any time I get that feeling, I play well, so I hope I get that feeling again this weekend and every single time I play.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Sanchez Lobato’s decisive 4-and-3 win on Saturday provided Georgia with its tiebreaking victory over Northwestern.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “We’re going to try to keep that momentum, keep that confidence up,” Sanchez Lobato said. “We’re just going to go out there and do the same things we did last weekend. There was a lot of positive energy between us. We just have to keep that feeling to play well. I think we all connected well and it happened at the perfect time. It was a great tournament and we played well before all the big (postseason) tournaments come. I think we’re in a good place.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Brick also was key to the Bulldogs’ success in the Liz Murphey. She went shot-for-shot with Southern Cal’s Annie Park, who won the 2013 NCAA individual national title on the same UGA layout, in Sunday’s championship match. After leading for much of the back nine, she eventually halved her match with Park.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “Obviously, I was disappointed with the outcome but it was still a huge moment for me individually,” Brick said. “I’m really excited to get back out there and play so I can move on. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been thinking about those last four holes pretty much nonstop since Sunday. I’m just ready to get out there and find something new to focus on, some new positives to look at and a new experience.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Brick, a native of Frankfort, Ill., also will enjoy the added advantage of being the only Northerner in Georgia’s lineup.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “We were laughing that some of the girls were really concerned that there was snow on the ground a week ago,” Brick said. “Josh and I looked at each other and laughed. We were like ‘Guys. It’s going to be fine.’ Speaking from experience, the grass up there is different. It can take the water and the cold weather a little differently than down here. That first time out on the golf course (each spring) for a Northerner is special. I have a lot of great memories of that and hope I can recreate some of those feelings and the comfort.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Live scoring for the tournament will be available at www.golfstat.com.