The No. 14 Georgia women’s golf team got their 2009-2010 season off to a solid start on Sunday in the 36-hole qualifying portion of the Hooter’s Collegiate Match Play Championship.

The team qualified as one of eight teams out of 16 for the championship bracket at the LPGA’s International Course in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Thanks to the strong play of sophomore Milena Savich, who transferred to Georgia this fall from the University of Michigan, the Dogs finished fifth out of 16 teams in qualifying, placing them in the championship bracket for Monday’s two matches. They opened with a morning round of 7-over-par 295 before closing with a 9-over-par 297, good for fifth and only seven shots back of medalist Florida.

Savich used rounds of 1-under-par 71 and 1-over-par 73 on Sunday to lead the Lady Dogs individually with a tie for third at even-par 144, five shots better than any of her teammates.

Reigning SEC Champion sophomore Marta Silva Zamora tied for 21st at 149, while senior Carolina Andrade finished in a tie for 23rd at 150. Freshman Kendall Wright finished in 68th at 160, but neither of her scores counted towards the team score.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they weren’t able to take the momentum from Sunday to match play, losing four of five matches to No. 4 seed LSU, with the lone victory coming from Savich.

Savich continued her impressive play, knocking off Jaqueline Hedwall 1-up giving the Dogs a nice start, validating Coach Kelley Hester’s decision to place her in the No. 1 spot for the team over Silva Zamora, who lost her match 3&2 to Megan McChrystal.

Andrade wasn’t able to hold off Amalle Valle, losing 2&1. Wright and freshman Emilie Burger both lost their opening matches by a score of 4&3. Initially, Wright didn’t go to Daytona Beach expecting to play, as sophomore transfer Kiara Hayashida was in the starting lineup. However, Hayashida aggravated a nagging back injury in the practice round on Saturday, allowing Wright to make her first collegiate start.

The Bulldogs faced the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga late Monday night and came away with a 3-2 winning decision. They will finish the tournament with two more matches today.