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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooner Duo Starts Strong at Hooter's Team Championship
August 03, 2010 | Women's Golf
Aug. 3, 2010
NORMAN, Okla. - Sooner golfers Ellen Mueller and Taylor Schmidt are tied for eighth place out of 53 two-person teams after first-day action at the Hooters Women's Collegiate Team Championship at Achasta by Reynolds in Dahlonega, Ga. The OU pair is teaming up this week in the inaugural year of the three-round team tournament.
Mueller, a senior, and Schmidt, a sophomore, finished the day at an even-par 72 while playing an alternate shot format.
“We both struck the ball really well today,” said Mueller. “We played great, both individually and as a team.”
“We both played pretty solid,” Schmidt added. “We managed to keep balls on the fairway and never got into trouble.”
The Sooners began their round with back-to-back birdies on holes 10 and 11 before parring their next 13 holes.
“We should have made a few more birdie putts,” said Schmidt. “It was difficult under the alternating shot format. You wouldn't want to strike the ball too hard and put it past the hole for when your partner would shoot.”
Under the alternating shot format, one golfer will tee off on all of the odd-numbered holes while her partner will tee off on all of the even-numbered holes. After the drive, the golfers will alternate shots until the ball is holed.
OU head coach Veronique Drouin explained how strategy plays such a strong role in the format.
“Today's format is one of the toughest in golf,” said Drouin. “The girls had to decide who was going to tee off from the odd and even number holes. Coming up with a good strategy was essential for this round. Ellen took the odd numbered holes (more par 3's) and Taylor took the even holes (more par 5's).”
“Taylor is able to drive the ball farther than I can,” said Mueller. “Having her tee off on the longest holes of the course really played to our advantage.”
The Hooters Women's Collegiate Team Championship holds a different format in each of its three rounds. A best ball format will be used Wednesday while an aggregate score will be tallied Thursday.
The two Sooners agree that the key to their success in all three types of play will lie in how well they communicate with each other.
“Ellen and I communicated great,” said Schmidt. “It helps that we're such good friends off the course. We kind of settled each other down naturally.”
Both golfers are finding success on the course throughout the summer. Mueller recently won the Women's Oklahoma Golf Association Stroke Play Championship for the second year in a row. The 2010 All-Big 12 selection also reached the “final four” at June's U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship, which featured more than 150 golfers.
Schmidt is coming off of a top-30 finish in a field of 154 golfers at the Canadian Women's Amateur Championship in Kingsville, Ontario, last weekend.
The pair will tee off for its round of best ball Wednesday morning at 9:12 EST on the first hole.
Alabama's Brooke Pancake and Jennifer Kirby lead the field after firing a first-round score of 68 (-4). Iowa State's Katelynn Hogenson and Kristin Paulson and Stetson University's Alexandria Buelow and Lauren Cate are tied for second, trailing by one stroke.
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