Watkins leads golfers

When freshman golfer Trish Watkins stood at the tee in her first collegiate golf tournament last weekend, she noticed something slightly unusual to her at the par-72 Forest Akers West Golf Course in East Lansing. It didn't take long for Watkins, a Darien, Conn., native, to figure out what the course was missing - hills.

Watkins, though, did not use that as an excuse or deterrent in her first collegiate outing. Instead, the Wolverine prefers the challenge to her game.

Watkins made quite an adjustment from the junior ranks as she tied with teammate and senior Nicole Green for 29th place. The two Wolverines each improved their third and final round scores to shoot a 248 for an 83 average, helping Michigan finish fifth at the Spartan Fall Invitational.

The freshman rose to the challenge as the veteran Green commended Watkins's play on the green.

"Trish had spectacular putting rounds because she was hitting the greens so well," Green said.

As Michigan's top performer, junior Sharon Park's total of 235 and 78 average tied her for seventh place, six strokes behind first-place finisher Kasey Gant of Michigan State.

Despite Park's first-round 76, Michigan got off to a slow start as the rest of the five Wolverines averaged an 86. The team did not fare much better in the second round as they shot four strokes worse for a 330.

"The first two rounds were played in one day, and the freshmen are not used to playing 36 holes," Green said. "It was the third time they played 36 holes."

The Wolverines recuperated overnight and redeemed themselves to shoot a 318 on the final day.

"There is a different mentality (at the collegiate level)," she said. "I force it more because there is a difference in knowing I am doing it for the team rather than myself."

09-15-97