'Getting better every year': Auburn women's golf notebook

'Getting better every year': Auburn women's golf notebook'Getting better every year': Auburn women's golf notebook
Wade Rackley

AUBURN, Ala. – After three high-stress days on the course, Auburn's women's golf team traded its clubs for inner tubes on Thursday, celebrating its NCAA regional top five finish with a lake day.

"I told them that we would have a little celebration," Auburn coach Melissa Luellen said. "We're going to go to the lake and just get rid of our golf clubs for a couple days. They're tired, but they're running on adrenalin."

"We're going to rest, tan," said Elena Hualde Zuniga, who shot a final-round 69 to finish tied for eighth at 1-under par. "Get rid of these tan lines we've gotten these past three days. Rest, and then get ready for nationals."

"Get a couple of days off," said Kaleigh Telfer, who finished tied for 17th at 2-over. "Hang out a little bit and then get serious again on Monday."

Luellen was ready for the respite after what she described as a "nerve-wracking" regional tournament.

"I'm just a stress ball," she said after Auburn's strong finish in Wednesday's final round. "I binge watched, starting at about 1:30 in the morning. I didn't sleep. If someone asks me, I'm like, "I slept great.'"

U.N. ON THE PLAINS

Auburn's regional lineup resembled a United Nations subcommittee, featuring golfers from Ireland, Spain, South Africa and two from Alabama.

"It's such a unique opportunity, and they'll be lifelong friends," Luellen said. "They'll go to each other's weddings. That's what college athletics can do.

"To have such really high quality, high character, talented young women. I'm just extremely proud of them."

Mychael O'Berry, a sophomore from Hoover, Alabama, will travel to Ireland this summer to visit teammate Julie McCarthy, a first-team All-SEC sophomore.

"I've gotten pretty much all of them into Chick-fil-A," said O'Berry, who taught her overseas friends how to say 'y'all.' "It's cool having international teammates. They've become some of my best friends. We teach each other things about our cultures. It's nice."

 "It's so great getting to know people from everywhere," said Hualde Zuniga, a native of Pamplona, Spain. "Different cultures, it makes you grow as a person. It's nice to have people anywhere in the world so we can travel any time."

Telfair hosted a teammate at her home in South Africa.

"We are all knitting in together, and learning about all of our cultures," Telfer said. "We do well together, so it's good."

ON TO NCAAS

Auburn will compete in the NCAA Championship beginning Friday, May 17 at The Blessing Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Tigers' 18th appearance at NCAAs

"We're just getting better every year," Luellen said. "We've got five very good players. They're all playing well right now.

"There's a lot of belief right now.  These last two days, to play as well, that we had to do it, that just builds belief. We'll take a couple days and catch our breath and get ready to go."

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer