Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Megan Tarrolly Makes Collegiate Debut For Saluki Women Golfers
03/14/2001 | 12:00:00 | Women's Golf
October 6, 2000
Carbondale, Ill. -
Former Wisconsin All-Stater and daughter of former Minnesota Twins player Bill Tarrolly with make her collegiate debut with the Southern Illinois University Carbondale women's golf team at the Arkansas State 2000 Lady Indian Classic in Jonesboro, Arkansas Monday and Tuesday.
Tarrolly will be moving into the fifth spot in the lineup replacing Kendra Jo Hood after winning the position in a 36-hole qualifying round this week. A native of Mequon, Wis., Tarrolly led Homestead High School to a state championship, placing fifth in the tournament. She also claimed second in her high school conference, garnering all-state and first-team all-conference honors. Tarrolly's father played for the Twins during the 1961-65 seasons.
"This is the first time she has broken into the lineup and she is excited about her collegiate debut," SIU coach Diane Daugherty said. "It is a big jump from high school golf to college golf. Megan had a very good high school career and was part of a state championship team in Wisconsin. So she?s had a lot of experience, but college golf is different. However, she is pretty long off the tee and a pretty good ball striker. She also just got a new putter, the one that Tiger Woods putts with, and has turned into a very good putter. She only had 12 putts on nine-holes in the qualifying round which is very, very good and won her the spot."
The Salukis have played three tournaments this season finishing third at both the Redbird Classic in Normal and the 2000 Panther Fall Classic in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Two weeks ago the Dawgs finished 13 at the Northern Arizona University Lumberjack Invitational in Flagstaff, Arizona.
"This is the first time we've been there, the first time we've been to the country club and the first time we've been to Arkansas State, so we are kind of going in blind," Daugherty said. "Arkansas State has a good program. They beat us by one shot at the Northern Iowa tournament, which we weren't very happy with, with a real good round on the second day."
A total of 17 schools make up the field including SIU and the host team along with Alabama-Birmingham, Arkansas-Little Rock, Centenary, Creighton, Lamar, McLennan Community College, McNeese State, Missouri-KC, Murray State, North Texas, Northern Iowa, Oral Roberts, Rhodes College, Troy State and Wichita State. Arkansas State won last year with a two-day total of 610.
Senior Liz Uthoff has been the top golfer for Daugherty this season and has been about as consistent of a golfer as can be. She shot a 154 at the Redbird, a 156 at the Panther and a 157 at the Lumberjack. Uthoff leads the team with a 155.7 average and is followed by Allison Hiller (161), Andrea Turner (163), Jennifer Shutt (163.3) and Hood (174).
"Uthoff, Hiller and Shutt have been pretty consistent for us all year," Daugherty explained. "Turner had to go back into qualifying and claimed the fourth spot with a good outing. And now we have a new number five and it will be exciting to see how she does."
The roster changes didn't stop at the top five. Daugherty will be taking an individual to this tournament and another freshman, Amy Rankin of Decatur, claimed that spot. But Rankin has to make a decision whether to play or be redshirted and if she decides the latter then Hood will travel with the team.
