Terps' Women's Golf Team Is On Course
4/13/2000 8:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 13, 2000
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - When Erin Clasper was selecting a college, she considered Penn State, Georgia, Mercer and College of Charleston--all colleges with well-established women's golf programs. Instead, Clasper chose a school that had never fielded a women's team--until the 1999-2000 season.
The University of Maryland may not have the tradition of those other schools, but that didn't prevent Clasper, a two-time All-Met at Wootton High School, from taking a leap of faith that the Terrapins would be competitive.
"It's kind of cool being on the inaugural team," she said. "Not many people can say that."
As Maryland closes out the season this weekend at the Atlantic Coast Conference championship at Salem Glen Country Club in Clemmons, N.C., the school's eight-player team has fared better than expected. The Terrapins had their best finish last weekend at the Lady Duke Invitational, finishing fifth and placing three players among the top 25 individual scorers.
"We've improved so much," said Jen Gibson, a freshman. "It gives us all so much confidence."
Maryland is one of five schools in the ACC with a women's golf program. Duke, which began its program in 1974, is the defending national champion. Wake Forest (1971) and North Carolina (1974) are ranked among the nation's top 25 this season. North Carolina State announced that it will be adding women's golf, and Virginia is considering the move.
When Maryland began discussions about adding a women's program nearly three years ago, it seemed like a natural fit.
"We're always looking to advance our Title IX plan," said senior associate athletic director Rob Mullens, who oversees the program. "We have a great [golf] course that belongs to the University of Maryland. We also found that there's a lot of community interest in that sport."
Once Maryland made the decision to field a team, a budget for the program was set--the school spends $55,775 annually on each of its men's and women's teams--and the search for a coach began. After looking at candidates from around the country, Mullens chose Jason Rodenhaver, a former Maryland golfer who had been an assistant coach with the men's team.
"He was a clear-cut choice," Mullens said. "He has a real passion for Maryland golf. He convinced us he could sell the vision."
Said Rodenhaver, "I just wanted to be a head coach, men or women. I wanted a challenge. I doubt I'll ever have a job like this again. It's very unique to build your own team."
Rodenhaver took over the program in December 1998, leaving a short time for a big task. He had to find golfers who would be willing to come play for a team that didn't exist.
Rodenhaver had missed recruiting the junior golf circuit the previous summer and signing players during the early period. He could not afford to wait until spring to watch players. Instead, he relied on word of mouth and scores. Rodenhaver put together a team without seeing any of them play. His roster includes five freshmen, a sophomore and two juniors. One member of the team, junior Jessica Burrows, had never played the sport until she came to Maryland.
Junior Sarah Bedford, a Watkins Mill graduate, has the most experience. She played two years at Radford before transferring to Maryland. Sophomore Brooke Bendler, a Wootton graduate, redshirted her only season at the University of Mississippi.
"We scrambled, but we were fortunate to get some pretty good [players]," Rodenhaver said.
Clasper, the Maryland state girls champion in 1997 and 1998, has been the team's most consistent golfer. She has the Terrapins' top stroke average this spring (80.25).
As he rounded out the team, Rodenhaver worked the phones to find tournaments to play in, lobbying tournament organizers for entry into their fields. The Terrapins played four fall tournaments and had a five-tournament spring schedule.
It took Rodenhaver about half the time this year to set up his schedule for next season. One tournament was added to the fall and spring schedules. Next season, Maryland will play the same number of tournaments as its ACC rivals.
"It's a matter of getting it out there, getting exposure," Rodenhaver said. "People still don't know we have a team. I hear that all the time."
By Kathy Orton Special to The Washington Post Thursday, April 13, 2000
