Sept. 11, 2003

Athens, Ga. --- The No. 10-ranked Georgia women's golf team will begin its 2003-04 season in the same location it anticipates finishing the campaign -- Opelika, Ala. The Lady Bulldogs open play Friday at the Fall Preview on the same Grand National Lake Course that will host the 2004 NCAA Championships.

Play begins on Friday and continues with 18 holes on Saturday and Sunday.

The Lady Dogs' lineup will include sophomore Kelly Froelich, a third-team pre-season All-America pick by Golfweek, in the No. 1 position, followed by junior Natlia Nicholls, freshmen Allison Martin, sophomore Jackie Beers and freshman Whitney Wade.

"This was the most competitive qualifying I've had in my 10 years of coaching," head coach Todd McCorkle said. "You had to have a 75 average or better for our six rounds just to make the traveling squad. It was extremely competitive and really threw the freshmen into the fire."

Martin and Wade, who have combined to earn seven AJGA Polo Golf All-America certificates as junior standouts, will be making their collegiate debuts this weekend.

"Our two freshmen are not your typical freshmen," McCorkle said. "They've got playing experience all over the world, and I expect them to go in and compete very favorably this week. I have highest of expectations for them."

Froelich, a second-team All-SEC performer last season, led the Lady Bulldogs in stroke average, par-or-better rounds and top-10 individual finishes in 2002-03. She tied for 19th individually at the NCAA Championships, becoming the first Georgia freshman to post a top-20 finish at nationals since 1997. Over the summer Froelich, a native of Paris, France, won the French Junior Girls Amateur Champion.

"Kelly has taken her game to a new level," McCorkle said. "She's so confident right now. I think that Kelly can be as good as she wants to be and, if she plays to her potential, could be a first-team All-American. She's that good."

Every team in Golfweek's pre-season top-10 rankings is included in the field this weekend: No. 1 Duke, No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 5 Texas, No. 6 Vanderbilt, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 8 Arizona, No. 9 Florida and No. 10 Georgia. Also competing are Auburn, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pepperdine, Southern Cal, Tulane and Wake Forest.

Live scoring throughout the weekend can be found at www.golfstat.com