The Sandspur

Issue date: 3/25/05 Section: Sports

Media Credit: RC SID LEADING TARS TO VICTORY: Junior Mariana De Biase finished third in the Peggy Kirk Bell Tournament to lead the Tars to their first title ever in their home tournament.

The Rollins Women's Golf team has won a lot of tournaments. They are the reigning national champions, having won the past two, and have been national champions eight times total since 1950. They have also been Sunshine State Conference Champions four out of the last five years. Despite all that success there is one tournament that the Tars have never won: The Peggy Kirk Bell Tournament.

The Peggy Kirk Bell Tournament is named in honor of a 1943 Rollins graduate who after leaving Rollins went on to become an LPGA Master Professional, respected golf instructor, and member of Golf Magazine's World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame. This year was the tournament's 30th year, leaving Rollins 0 for 30 in winning. It is held each year on Rollins' home "course", at the Tuscawilla Country Club, and, until this year the Rollins team has never won.

So far this year the Tars have had a good season, they came in second in the first tournament, at UCF, and first in their second tournament, the Lady Moc Classic at Lakeland, Fl. For the Peggy Kirk Bell Tournament the Tars had to overcome the loss of team leader Charlotte Campbell, who is a two time NCAA champion and said, "It is very disappointing for me (not to be able to play) since we have all worked so hard to try and win our home tournament this year, but I'll be cheering the team on."

Well, all the hard work and cheering paid off. The Tars came in first last week, beating out second place UNC Greensboro by 22 strokes. The Tars finished with a two day total of 901, 37 strokes above par, UNCG finished with 923, third place Florida Southern picked up a 932.

Before the tournament Charlotte Campbell predicted a big performance from Ulrika Ljungman, who came in second at the Lady Moc tournament. And she was right, Ljungman finished in 6th place finish, shooting 228. Luckily Ljungman was not the only Tar to perform well, her teammate Marianna De Biase led the Rollins girls with a third place finish with a two day total of 221. The third place finisher was another Tar: Vanessa Vela shot 225 giving the Tars 3 players in the top ten. Marie-Pierre Bernier (74-77-83) and Caitlin Barry (77-78-79) each shot 234 and tied for 17th place. Kelly McErenery competed as an individual for Rollins and carded a 225 to finish in a tie for 69th.

Coach Julie Garner was pleased with her team's win saying to the Rollins Sports Information Department, "We are happy we could win one for Ms. Bell. It was a great team effort. We were without one of our best players (two-time NCAA Champion Charlotte Campbell) due to an injury, but the team stepped it up and was able to put together a great tournament."

The Tars continue their season on the 26 and 27 of March in Williamsburg, Virginia, as they participate in the William and Mary Invitational.

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