What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
The University of Memphis women's golf team hopes they can leave their struggling play behind in Las Vegas, Nev., as they finished 14th out of 16 teams in the UNLV Spring Invitational.
Wind dominated the first round as the Tigers and every other team had their high round of the tournament.
"Oh my God, it was awful," said sophomore Stacey Tate.According to Tate, Black Mountain Country Club was a tough challenge with winds close to 30 mph.
"The (back and front) nines are completely different," she said as she described one as narrow and the other with troublesome tree lines.Even the greens were affected.
"The wind made the greens really fast," she said. "It was the first time we've ever played when it was that windy."
In that first round Memphis players had scores of 82 - 82 -- 85 - 87 for a total of 336, nine strokes higher than their next highest round.The Tigers were better each subsequent round shooting 327 and 321 in the second and final rounds.
Ashleigh Garman showed the greatest improvement of all the Tiger golfers, improving each round by more than five strokes. Garman scored rounds of 89 -- 84 -- 78 to finish with a total of 251 (+35).
The third round score of 78 tied Garman's career low for a round and tied for the team low round with Tate.
Tate led the Tigers with a team low 242 (+26).
According to sophomore Cameron Barber, Tate and fellow sophomore Meghan Mahoney have played a key role on the team.
"I think they've both stepped up and tried to be a leader," she said.With six sophomores, one freshman, and one junior, tournament experience may be what holding this team back.
"Every tournament you can see that people are building confidence with competing," said Barber. "Everyone is slowly building their confidence."
No. 23 ranked University of Southern California took home the tournament title with a total score of 895, followed by Pepperdine at 910. Arizona rounded out the top three with a final tally of 916.
The Tigers finished 89 strokes behind USC with a final score of 984.Memphis' next tournament is March 24 - 26 as they head to the Tapatio Springs Shoot Out in Boerne, Texas.
Men's golf
Wind also affected the first round of The University of Memphis' men's golf team, as they struggled to come back from a 22 -- over par first round in the Conrad Rehling Invitational.
However, they played their best golf during the final round to move up one spot to sixth place.
Andy Shiels and Robbie Greenwell both shot 73 (+1) to lead the Tigers the last day.
The Tigers will have some time off as their next tournament starts April 1 in the LSU Spring Invitational.
