University Golf Course

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Dates: Oct. 6-8, 2003

Par: 72

Yardage: 6,319

The Field: New Mexico State, Baylor, Kansas State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Florida State, Louisian State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, North Texas, Texas-El Paso, Hawaii, Northern Arizona, San Jose State, Western New Mexico

Teeing Off

The Kansas State women's golf team continues its fall season Oct. 6 at the Price's Give Em Five Intercollegiate in Las Cruces, N.M. This three-day, 54-hole tournament begins with tee times from holes one and ten at 7:44 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, while Wednesday's final round has a shotgun start of 8 a.m.

Fresh Faces

Only one member of the Wildcat lineup has played the course before. Senior Christine Boucher played the University Golf Course as a freshman, the last time the Wildcats competed in the Price's Give Em Five Intercollegiate.

In the Ranks

Senior Christine Boucher is garnering some national recognition of late. Golf World magazine named her Golfer of the Week in its Sept. 26 issue. Boucher is ranked No. 28 by the Golfweek/Sagarin performance index.

Over the Competition

Kansas State is ranked No. 53 by the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings. This ranking puts the Wildcats ahead of this tournament's competitors Arkansas-Little Rock, Baylor and San Jose State.

Tough Teams

Golfweek and Sagarin ratings prove the field at Price's Give Em Five Challenge to be very difficult. Florida State is ranked fifth; Oklahoma, sixth; and Louisiana State, eighth.

Knight Time

Kristi Knight begins her ninth year as K-State head women's golf coach. After playing for the University of Oklahoma, Knight came to Manhattan in 1995. Knight looks forward to the competition among the team this year. 'The traveling five spots will be very competitive,' Knight said. 'That is very exciting to me. It's what you want as a coach. It shows the program is getting stronger and getting deeper.'

The Course

University Golf Course is set to play a par 72 on 6,319 yards. 'This is a course that hase played long in the past, but we have a much longer team now,' head coach Kristi Knight said. 'The greens are big and it is a desert type of course. Our team is looking forward to going west and playing such a competitive field.'

Team Leader

Kansas State senior Christine Boucher leads the Wildcat team this year. Coming off a successful spring where she placed 64th in the NCAA Championships, Boucher will be an inspiration to her teammates. 'I think her success motivates the other girls,' Coach Kristi Knight said. 'Christine really wants to go back to Nationals as a team.' Boucher won her fourth tournament title during the Wildcats' first competition this fall in Lincoln, Neb. Her three-over 219 helped the Wildcats to a tie for second place, 31 strokes behind host Nebraska.