Texas Tech University Athletics
Women's Golf Hits the Islands
March 24, 2000 | Women's Golf
March 24, 2000
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech's women's golf team tees it up at the 15th Annual Dr. Donnis Thompson Rainbow Wahine Invitational Tue., March 28, through Thu., March 30, in Waimanalo on the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. The 54-hole event will be played at the Olomano Golf Course and is a 5,887-yard, par 72 layout.
The tournament will be the toughest to date for the Red Raiders. The 13-team field consists of four top 10 nationally-ranked teams and a fifth in the top 20. Texas Tech Director of Golf Jeff Mitchell admits that last week's struggles at the GTE "Mo"morial in Houston has put his team in a tough position for NCAA Tournament play.
"With a lackluster performance in our last outing in Houston, we have to come out and beat some teams that are ranked in front of us," Mitchell said. "It is going to be essential that we compete with these teams and make sure we finish ahead of the rest of the field."
Top-ranked Arizona leads the field of ranked teams followed by No. 3 USC, No. 8 Pepperdine, No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 20 Oklahoma. In addition to Texas Tech, other teams in the field are Hawaii (host), Osaka Gakuin, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon State, UTEP and Weber State.
The Red Raiders will count on senior Jamie Vannoy and a corps of young talent to lead the team to a strong finish. Vannoy leads the team with 76.7 strokes per round. Freshman Stephanie Dukes follows with 77.3 strokes, while three other golfers check in at 78.7 strokes. In six tournaments this year, Vannoy has finished among the top 20 four times, including one top 10 finish. Dukes has two top 10 finishes.
"Jamie Vannoy and Stephanie Dukes are certainly the keys to our success," Mitchell said. "They are both legitimate All-Conference candidates and will give us a chance to win the conference and make it to NCAA Regional play."
