Razorbacks ready for Liz Murphey

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 19th-ranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team takes part in the 37th Annual Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Athens, Ga., this weekend. The Razorbacks return to the collegiate home course of head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor (Georgia, 2000) taking part in a familiar event as Arkansas makes its 13th appearance at this tournament. “It’s always great to go back where I played college golf,” said Estes-Taylor. “I have some great memories there. I also have some good knowledge of the course and I think I can really help with course management here as well. Four of our five have played this course as well so were very familiar with the set up.” Arkansas is out to a good start this spring. Scheduling saw the Razorbacks get a long winter break and a later start to competition but the layoff proved useful as Arkansas made some adjustments that are paying off. “We’re a bit further along at this point than we have been in other years,” said Estes-Taylor. “We made some big adjustments between November and now but the hard work the team put in over the break is showing on the golf course.” Senior Lucy Nunn has been the beneficiary of some of that hard work. Nunn opened the spring winning her first collegiate golf tournament and picked up a second-place finish last week leading the Razorbacks to back-to-back top five finishes. She earned Southeastern Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week honors for her recent play. “Lucy is coming off two great weeks of amazing golf,” said Estes-Taylor. “She’s eliminated her big numbers. Before, she relied on me a lot down the stretch to line her up but the last two weeks she’s been like ‘I got it coach’ and just gone out there and done it.” In addition to the challenges of the golf course, Arkansas faces it third talented field in as many events. This year, 12 of the 18 teams are ranked in the top 25, including seven in the top 10 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma State, Virginia and Wake Forest all are ranked in the top 10 of the three major polls – the Golf World coaches’ poll, Golfweek’s index and the Golfstat computer listings. In addition, Georgia and LSU also are ranked in the top 10 by one or two polls. Other top 25 teams are Arkansas, Kent State, Michigan State, North Carolina and Ohio State. Rounding out the field are Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Arkansas’ schedule continues as April kicks off with the Razorbacks traveling to the Bryan National Championship in Browns Summitt, N.C., April 3-5. The Razorbacks then begin post season play at the SEC Championship in Columbia, S.C. April 17-19. For more information about the Razorback women’s golf team, log onto ArkansasRazorbacks.com.