No. 17 USC to compete against elite SEC squads
Coming off a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championship last season, South Carolina's women's golf team is preparing for the Cougar Classic in Hanahan, S.C., next week. The Gamecocks find themselves ranked No. 17 in the NGCA Preseason Coaches' Poll, but they're not focused on the ranking.
"I don't worry too much about rankings right off the bat," said coach Kalen Harris. "We'll hopefully peak in the spring ... and go out and try to get better."
The upcoming tournament features what Harris called a "stacked" lineup, including most SEC teams. Other elite programs from the West Coast and the ACC will attend, such as Southern California, Duke and North Carolina. Alabama, the winner of last year's NCAA Championship, will also participate.
"It's nice to be in the SEC because you have a benchmark to compare yourselves with some of the best in the country," Harris said.
In fact, 10 different SEC teams are ranked in the NGCA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
"From top to bottom, I believe that the SEC is the toughest conference," Harris said. "The SEC prepares us really well for what we're trying to do on a national level."
Harris stressed the importance of going through the process of improving rather than focusing solely on outcomes.
"We get better one day at a time," Harris said. "We talk about the process and not necessarily the results ... we let the results take care of themselves.
"We're focused on our scoring game and our short game," Harris continued. "That's where our strength is going to be ... that's what our practice revolves around."
Although the Gamecocks are a fairly young team, Harris pointed out that the squad returns several starters who were key to last season's success, particularly Justine Dreher, Meredith Swanson, Suzie Lee and Samantha Swinehart.
Dreher was named to the SEC All-Freshman team last year after competing in eight of the team's 11 tournaments. Swanson, a senior from Roanoke, Va., finished fourth on the team in scoring last year and tied for 12th at the 2011 Cougar Classic.
But Harris is also excited about the young talent on the team, characterizing the squad's newcomers as "hungry freshmen."
"We have a lot of depth on this team this year," Harris said. "Everyone is eager and here to learn."
Harris explained that although this team certainly has potential, it's still early in the year to precisely determine the true capabilities of each player.
"As we move on, we'll see where our strengths are," Harris said. "This is still a learning and evaluation process."
When looking for recruits, Harris stated that she's "obviously looking for players that can shoot low numbers." She also looks for adept wedge players who focus on the short game.
In terms of a player's intangible qualities, she works to recruit "athletic ... and coachable players." Harris wants golfers that are "willing to work hard and willing to learn." Ultimately, Harris said she looks for athletes that "want to do what's necessary to win championships."
The Cougar Classic is hosted by the Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, S.C. Twenty-four teams will participate in the event, which begins on Sunday, Sept. 9 and ends on Tuesday, Sept. 11. The event features 12 ranked teams, including eight from the SEC. The top five teams from the 2012 NCAA Championship will attend the tournament. Tee off is set for Sunday, Sept. 9 at 7:50 a.m.