Snafu leaves Bees out of NAIA women's golf tournament

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By Eric Page | Friday, May 11, 2007 1:01 AM CDT | () comments

Mike Orfitelli has fielded apologies from just about everyone.

But no amount of sorrow is going to put his St. Ambrose women’s golf team on the course at next week’s NAIA championship meet at Lake San Marcos Resort and Country Club in San Marcos, Calif.

Not to say the Bees, runners-up at the Region VII Tournament last fall, didn’t earn a spot in the field. They did, but a mix-up by Region VII selection-committee representative and St. Francis (Ill.) coach Tom O’Connor left them out in the cold.

O’Connor failed to dial into a May 3 conference call during which the championship field was selected. Without a voice from the region, Ambrose, which finished 20th at last year’s championship and was ranked in the top 20 all season, dropped from No. 18 to 22. The top 20 received bids to nationals.

O’Connor told Orfitelli the phone number he was given didn’t work. The NAIA told Orfitelli there was nothing it could do — season over.

“I could blame it on the guy at St. Francis, but maybe it’s not his fault,” Orfitelli said. “And maybe something happened at the national level. I could blame it on something else.

“It leaves a bad taste in our mouths. I think the team is ready to get going for next season already. It’s important that we’re looking past this.”

It hasn’t been easy, though, because, based on Ambrose’s No. 1 regional ranking, Orfitelli thought his team was a lock.

In fact, he got a letter from the NAIA in late April requesting team information for the national championship program. He already had booked flights and hotel rooms, and many of the players’ parents also had trips planned.

“I told the girls things happen for reasons,” Orfitelli said. “I’m not saying this is a good reason, but they do. One thing we understand is if we would have won the region (and gotten an automatic bid), we wouldn’t have had to worry about an at-large bid. Next time, we’ll need to buckle down and play a little bit better golf.”

Eric Page can be contacted at (563) 383-2277 or epage@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at www.qctimes.com.

Ambrose’s Keeney headed to nationals

The St. Ambrose women’s golf team will be represented when the NAIA national championship gets under way Tuesday at Lake San Marcos Resort and Country Club in San Marcos, Calif.

Junior Nicole Keeney, a Davenport West grad, won medalist honors at the Region VII Tournament last fall to qualify for the meet. She, three teammates and coach Mike Orfitelli will fly out Saturday morning.

Keeney, who carries an 18-hole stroke average of 80.5, will play a practice round Sunday with coaches and teammates. She’ll play another with the other eight region winners Monday before championship play tees off Tuesday morning.

“Nicole is a hard-working golfer,” Orfitelli said. “She could be on her game and play real well and be in the top 15 at nationals.

“We don’t know what type of course it is and how it’s playing, especially off the ocean, so it’ll be a challenge for her. But I have high hopes she’ll come back feeling good about herself and how she did.”

— Eric Page