Shane Bacon

Women's golf is on the rise, if you can believe it from last year, and thank Erica Blasberg for the help.

Don't recognize the name?

Well, if you check out the Golfweek national rankings, this little kitten would be at the top, putting her as the best college golfer in the nation.

Did I mention that she was a freshman? I guess putting this golfer through the hazing rituals will have to wait until her next bogey.

Blasberg is a combination of Annika Sorenstam and Anna Kournikova, but don't let this blonde California girl's looks fool you; she is for real, and is looking to follow in the footsteps of the UA golf teams' success of past years.

The Corona, Calif. native picked up in the fall where she left off in the summer: as a four-time AJGA Polo All-American and winning the Rolex Tournament of Champions. The win at the Rolex put her with the likes of Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Kellee Booth and Grace Park, all professional golfers in their respective divisions.

When she decided to come to Arizona, along with All-American Whitney Welch, the team never thought that Blasberg would step right into the departed Lorena Ochoa's shoes, but it seems as though the freshman is ready for the challenge. Maybe she won't go right out and win eight straight tournaments, but she is one of the most talented freshman to set foot on the links, and the best part of her game is that she doesn't seem to care that she is a freshman.

This team is good. Not just Los Betos at 3 a.m. good, I mean good.

She is as tough as nails, and it looks like her demeanor could be the same as another California native, Mr. Woods. The most difficult part of golf is keeping it in your head, and with the scores Blasberg is putting up, things don't seem to bother her.

In September, the team won its first

tournament with Blasberg tying at No. 21 while sophomore Miriam Kraschinkski took the individual title.

In her next three tournaments, Blasberg never finished out of the top three, winning the Stanford Women's Intercollegiate.

"Winning" might be an understatement however. She rolled over the field, being the only player in the field to finish under par.

So what are we to expect from Blasberg and this Arizona team?

After Arizona's runner-up finish to Duke last year in the NCAA Championship, Ochoa hopped out of the Old Pueblo for the money and fame, and nobody thought the team would actually get better, but this women's team is the best in the nation, and among the least-acknowledged on campus. With the firepower they showed in the fall, this team could swing itself another championship, bringing the third trophy home in the last seven years.

I guess you could say the future is looking pretty bright after all.

With Blasberg's raw talent coupled with that of the rest of the team, the only team on campus that could rival the depth of these women golfers is currently sitting atop the Pac-10 charts, and is expected to cut down the nets in New Orleans in about two months.

At any given time, Arizona will be leaving golfers at home that could be playing for any other team in the country.

This team is good. Not just Los Betos at 3 a.m. good, I mean good. They could make most golfers around campus walk away with their tails between their legs, and they aren't scared to let people know how good they really are.

With next week's tournament in California, the Wildcats will start off their spring season in the same place they left in the fall ÷ at number one.

After next week's tournament, The Wildcat women will be hosting a tournament in Tucson, a great way for them to show the locals what they're made of.

With the rightful buzz that the basketball team attracts around campus, this team could go through the season without much pressure, and that is something that will never hurt a championship-caliber team.

So when the Wildcats come back from West Lafayette in May with the trophy under their arms and a freshman above their heads, I will be the first on the scene to applaud the best sports team on campus.