Thank You and More....

Hello Stanford Golf Fans!

This is my first attempt at "blogging", so I hope you will bear with me and give me some time to get into it!

Let me start by saying how welcoming everyone has been since I arrived on campus, thank you.  In only a short period of time, I have come to know some of you quite well already and for those of you that I have yet to meet, I look forward to it.

Kathryn and I have been preparing for the team returning to campus on September 10th.  We have eight players this year including two incoming freshman.  Mariah Stackhouse will be joining us all the way from Athens, Georgia and on the opposite end of the spectrum, Lauren Kim will be coming from San Jose, CA!  We will kick off the season with six rounds of competitive qualifying before hosting the Todd Coaching Company for two days of team building.  At the conclusion of our qualifying week, the top five finishers will qualify for the first event of the season at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. Unfortunately, our senior Sally Watson will be unable to compete but fortunately, it is for a very good reason!  Sally has been selected to represent Scotland at the 2012 World Amateur Team Championships in Turkey, September 27th - 30th.  This is her second nod for the national team and a great accomplishment.

In Tennessee we will face 12 teams ranked pre-season top-30 in the nation!  It is a fantastic way to start the season and it will also give us a quick opportunity to measure ourselves against our competition.  Upon returning to campus, we will begin classes and take a couple of weeks to regroup before heading back on the road to Seattle and the University of Washington's home event at Sahalee Country Club.  This is a very special event because Sahalee C.C. is recognized as one of the best championship courses in the country.  The club hosted the 1998 PGA Championship, 2002 World Golf Championship and the 2010 US Senior Open. Once again, this will give our team a chance to test themselves, this time against a true championship course.

Finally, we will end the season with the 2012 Stanford Intercollegiate.  As some of you may know, our home event is recognized nationally as one of the best tournaments in women's golf.  Teams LOVE to travel to Stanford, CA!  They love the golf course, the weather, the practice facilities and of course, all the volunteers who help to give the tournament a professional feel.  Our tournament is one of the oldest in the country and for years has given many, including me, former student-athletes some of the best college golf memories.  Kathryn and I look forward to upholding the tradition and hosting a first-class event.  Thank you in advance to all of you who volunteer during the event, we couldn't possibly do it without your support.

Well, I think this is more than enough for my first blog!  If you are still reading, wow, I am impressed....you must be a true fan!! I hope my next blog will be updating you on our team's accomplishments and success.

Again, thanks for the hearty welcome, I can't thank you enough.
Go Cardinal!
Anne