The Pacific women’s golf team is looking to build off of a rebuilding year to do some damage in the Northwest Conference, after gaining key experience last season with three seniors leading the way.
 
“This should be a fun year and what we have for the women’s squad is very solid,” said Head Coach Richard Warren. “We have leadership and youth and I’m looking forward to this season.”
 
The Boxers finished in the 2011-12 season tied for sixth in the NWC. Using a weighted point system where the NWC Tournament accounted for 50 percent of the final score and the Fall and Spring Classic majors were 25 percent each, Pacific and Pacific Lutheran each totaled 10 points. Whitman and George Fox tied for the championship with 30 points.
 
Pacific’s best showing came in the most important event of the 2011-12 season, the final spring tournament at Columbia Point GC in Richland, Wash. The Boxers placed sixth out of nine teams, firing their two best rounds of the season (365-374-739). Three of Pacific’s four competitors had their best two-round scores of the season, led by Emily Thorud (Sr., Gaston, Ore.), who placed 13^th out of 40 golfers (84-83-167).
 
The Boxers goal for the season is to keep improving, keep their focus, keep their confidence up and keep understanding what they need to do to get better to be very competitive in this league.
 
“It is a tough league,” said Warren. “From when I started coaching to now the women have grown a lot. Scores weren’t in the 70s when I first started coaching and now the scores getting in that range.”
 
This fall the Boxers will have everyone out there competing, which will be a new experience. In the past the Boxers have had the luxury of moving people around and having more players to look to.
 
“It always comes down to how well they mature with their course management,” Warren said. “The mental game is so big in golf that it can turn in a hurry and that’s where the confidence needs to come in at and believe what they can do.”
 
Thorud returns for the Boxers as one of the senior leaders. This season she is building up her short game to add to her long shot that is longer than anybody in the conference.
 
“She is our big hitter and with those two melded together, I expect big things from her,” said Warren. “I expect her to be one of the top-10 in the conference and be an all-conference player.”
Claire Ramaley (So., Elk Grove, Calif.) returns for her second season after making huge strides in her game. Last season Ramaley’s average was at a 115.8, but at the end of the season she was shooting in the low 100s.
 
“She has a great skill set and as she improves this year, by the time we get around to next year she will be one of the better players in the conference without a doubt,” said Warren.
 
Courtney Manning (Sr., Hillsboro, Ore.) returns for the fall season, as she did not compete last spring due to school opportunities. Manning played in all four tournaments in the fall with her best score that came at the Pacific Fall Invitational finishing with a 115-113-229 score.
 
“She’s been working hard and has a lot of skill,” said Warren. “She’s such a competitive player and a little bit of a perfectionist. She needs to keep the confidence and she is will be a good player for us.”
 
Kaci Linton (Sr., Keizer, Ore.) returns for her senior campaign, as she will be a big part in leading the pack. Last season, Linton averaged a 94.45 score with her best low round at the Northwest Conference Tournament with an 86.
 
“She has improved a lot from last year and she will be someone we count on,” said Warren.
 
Newcomer, Emily Penttila joins the women as the only freshman on the team. She has made a few swing changes that will help improve her game.
 
“The biggest challenge for her will be to implement the swing changes,” said Warren.  “By the time spring comes around and she gets more confident with it, she’ll be playing well and will work for us the next three years here at Pacific.”