Page 12 THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1978
‘Rocky^ takes to the Unks
Aggie golfer to play Lopez
By SEAN PETTY
Battalion Staff
Texas A&M University may
have its own female version of
“Rocky” in golfer Rita Aguilar.
Aguilar has accepted an invita
tion to play against Nancy Lopez,
the hottest female golfer on the
LPGA tour this year, and possi
bly the best golfer in history.
Much like the movie figure
Rocky Balboa who took on the
world heavyweight boxing
champion in his hometown of
Philadelphia, Aguilar will fly to
her hometown of El Paso to play
in front of her family and
hometown crowd against Lopez.
Yet, Aguilar is not the great un
known Rocky was; she is the cur
rent El Paso Women’s City
champion.
“I was really excited when I
heard that I would get to play
Nancy,” Aguilar said. “It's a big
opportunity and I’m honored
that they asked me to play be
cause it gives me the chance to
see how the pros play and what it
takes to make it on the pro tour.
“I first heard of the possibility
that we would play in August.
The people from the city (El
Paso) wanted to have an exhibi
tion match for the newly reno
vated Cielo Vista golf course as a
promotional thing.
“I never thought that it would
come about though because I
knew how rough Nancy’s
schedule must be. Then in Oc
tober, someone from the city
called and asked if I could play
this weekend. I told them that I
would play if it didn’t interfere
with my playing for Texas A&M.
“I was really surprised that
they got her because she does so
many promotional matches that I
didn’t think she would make it.
Plus, her price went up after she
broke out of her slump, but they
got her.’’
There’s only one problem that
stands in Aguilar’s way: she must
get herself and her clubs to Aus
tin by Friday at 9:30 p.m. to
catch her flight to El Paso.
“If you know anyone that is
going to Austin Friday, let me
know,” she said laughing.
It is going to be a big step for
Aguilar who has been playing
only college golf. The task is
made harder because Lopez may
just be one of the greatest golfers
to play the game, male or female.
Earlier this year Lopez won
seven tournaments in a row, a
feat that only she can claim. She
went into a slump later but now
has her game back winning major
tournaments in Europe.
“I don’t know,” Aguilar said,
“I think that the pressure is on
her. She is the one that has to
beat the amateurs and all of the
attention will be focused on her.
“But then there is going to be
a lot of pressure on me because
I’m going to be playing in front of
my family and friends. I’m really
nervous about that. Heck,
they’re selling tickets for three
dollars a head out there.”
Aguilar knows what competi
tion and crowds are though,
growing up with six brothers and
three sisters, things can get pre
tty competitive.
She has recently had problems
with her game and it seems to be
the old get-back-to-basics ap
proach that will solve her prob
lem.
and Kay Don, women’s athletic
director.
“They really worked with me
and helped me a lot and I am
grateful to them,” she said.
Another person I owe a lot to is
Bill Eschenbrenner (pro at the
El Paso Country Club). He has
taught me from the very start
and knows all my weaknesses
and tendencies. He also knows
just what I am doing wrong and
can usually tell me what’s wrong
without even seeing me play. He
has helped over the phone and I
don t know what I’d do without
his help.”
Aguilar will go to El Paso and
stay through the Thanksgiving
week.
“I lost my feel for my swing,”
she explained. “You know it
sounds simple that all you have
to do is get the basics down again
but it’s really hard. My main
problem was my takeaway from
the ball. If you can’t start right,
you’re going to have a hard time
hitting the ball.
“I think I’ve straightened ev
erything out pretty much this
week and I’ve had some good
rounds. Really all I want to do is
play decently this Sunday.”
Aguilar attributed her ability
to get her game “back in the
swing” to her coach, Kitty Holley
“I’m really going to play hard
Sunday because my whole family
will be there (which is a gallery
in itself). I am really going to play
especially hard for my Dad. He
doesn’t get to see me play that
much and I want to do well for
him. My mother can manage to
get away and see me play some
times, but my dad doesn’t have
that chance.”
So Aguilar heads back to the
West Texas town of El Paso to
play one of the biggest matches
of her life in which she hopes to
go the distance with the cham
pion.
Raiders, Ponies hope for howl
United Press International
LUBBOCK — Texas Tech, a
pre-season pick as the Southwest
Conference doormat, enter Satur
day’s contest with Southern
Methodist somewhat less than a
Cotton Bowl contender.
Nonetheless, the Red Raiders are
supplying the SWC’s top rusher,
punter, and scorer at this point in
the season and also sport its
second-ranked players in pass inter
ceptions and total offense.
But the Mustangs have a few
leaders of their own.
average and tight end-turned-
fullback James Hadnot already has
stepped off 1,029 yards this year in
e *&ht games to top the rushing cate
gory.
Hadnot s 1,000-yard effort is the
Blade Adams, the R e( j [
place kicker, is the top scorer "
S WC with 58 points on 12f le ] r
and 22 extra points. Hei s f 0llr ‘
tionally in field goal pe rcen(
SMU will bring the nation’s total
offense leader and second leading
passer, and the conference’s top re
ceiver, punt returner and intercep
tion leader to Jones Stadium.
Though a victory Saturday will
not give either teams a shot at the
SWC crown, it could mean a bowl
game somewhere for the winner.
The Raiders’ Maury Buford, a
Mount Pleasant freshman, leads the
nation in punting with a 44.9 yard
James
Hadnot
Tech freshman quarterbadj
Reeves, a hometown prod U[ |
second in conference total oj.
behind the nation’s leader J
Ford of SMU. Alan Swann,a
Tech freshman, is secondi
SWC in interceptions be!
guessed it, David Hill, a Bj j
Mustang.
lol. 72
Page
best on the South Plains campus
since Doug McCutcheon gained
1,068 yards in 1972. But the big
236-pounder from East Texas still
has three games left. Those three
Tech opponents—SMU, Houston
and Arkansas—should provide some
of the Raiders stillest opposition,
however.
The Mustangs D.K. P em J
the SWC' in punt returns and J
on d in kickofl returns. Eji
Tolbert, Ford s battery mate,!
more receptions this year (L
closest conference competitor^
fourth in conference scoring,
A crowd of more than 41j
expected for the 2 p.m kiclid
. A-A-1 r,
Mustangs are 4-4-1 and3-3
ference and Tech is a
and 3-2.
surpnsJ
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