Oct. 5, 2005
Cullowhee N.C. - Two Western Carolina golfers rank among the national leaders according to the recently released "Golfstat Cup" rankings by the staff at Golfstat. Senior Ashley Hovda of the women's team and sophomore Matt Cook on the men's side rank second and 24th, respectively, in the first national rankings list of the 2005-06 season.
Golfstat is a major golf scoring software provider that most collegiate tournaments use when scoring events. Started in 1984 by Mark Laesch, and implemented in women's golf in 1989, the staff of Golfstat compiles records and produces rankings throughout both the fall and spring seasons.
Hovda, who has claimed back-to-back individual medalist honors in Western's last two tournaments and helped the Catamounts win three-consecutive team titles, is averaging 70.33 strokes per round over the first three events of 2005. That average ranks as the lowest individual total in the nation as Hovda is the only women's golfer to currently average under 71 strokes. However, after a slight adjustment rendered by Golfstat which takes into account conditions, par, and course ratings, the Springfield, Ohio native, stands in the second position in terms of overall ranking.
Led by head coach Steve Lott, Western boasts three players among the Top 100, and five on the overall list as Golfstat ranks the top 250 women's collegiate golfers nationwide. Sophomore Malin Fryk, who claimed medalist honors in the Catamounts season-opening victory at Draper Valley, ranks 57th in the nation with a scoring average of 73.50. Yet her unadjusted mark would rank around 34th in the NCAA. Senior Brandy Andersen joins her two teammates inside the century mark at 67th with an average of 73.83. Like Fryk, Andersen would rank higher if rankings were solely based upon scoring as her average stands approximately 45th in the country. Senior Erika Danford and junior Bianca Melone are each averaging 75.83 to stand in a three-way tie for 219th on the list.
According to another source, Golfweek Magazine, Hovda ranks 111 out of the nearly 1,350 women's golfers ranked by the group. Fryk and Andersen are both inside the Top 500, ranking 411 and 485, respectively. As a team, the Catamounts currently hold their highest ranking ever at 62nd according to Golfstat and stand 92nd as ranked by Golfweek.
Like Hovda, Cook has claimed back-to-back individual titles at the Catamounts' first two fall tournaments. The second-year golfer from Murphy, N.C., is averaging 69.37 over his two title-winning performances. After claiming individual medalist honors at the 21st-annual Raines Development Group Intercollegiate Tournament at the Country Club of South Carolina and the Elon/Sea Trail Intercollegiate, Cook now has seven top 10 finishes with three titles and one loss in a playoff in eight career events played. He ranks 24th in the Golfstat Cup rankings, while Golfweek has him ranked 132nd with an overall seasonal record of 146-0-1.
Winners of a school-record, three-consecutive team and individual titles, Western's women return to the links on October 21-23 at the East Carolina Lady Pirate Intercollegiate in Greenville, N.C., where the Catamounts will look to improve upon last season's 10th-place showing. The men travel to the James Madison Invitational at the Lakeview Golf Club in Harrisonburg, Va., on Oct. 10-11.
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