The Ohio women’s golf team returns to the links for the second time this spring as it travels to Arizona to participate in the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational Friday through Sunday.
This marks the second time Ohio will be heading out west for the spring season. The tournament will be hosted by Mid-American Conference foe Western Michigan University for the second year in a row.
Aside from Western Michigan, Ohio will face other MAC opponents such as Akron, Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Toledo.
Penn State, Northern Arizona, and Kansas are some of the other notable competitors. All are ranked in the top 150, according to GolfWeek.
Ohio is coming off a 13th place finish in the Claud Jacobs Invitational in Texas, where senior Meryl Weaver finished the tournament tied for 19th place. Freshman Julie Lechner was not far behind, carding a 79, which was one stroke off her personal low.
Sophomore Kara Brinkmann said the team’s resilience at the Claud Jacobs Invitational will give Ohio momentum heading into the weekend.
“I think it was a good confidence boost for all of us going into this tournament,” Brinkmann said. “We all know we have the games to play great. I think tomorrow we’ll come together as the team that we are and we’ll play great.”
Sophomore Kristen Helmsdoerfer said the break has allowed her and the rest of the Bobcats to get some quality practice time.
“The team has also had the same opportunity to practice and zero in on what they need to and I think that will help us immensely because we will have honed our skills needed to perform well out in Arizona,” Helmsdoerfer said.
mk277809@ohiou.edu
Up Next:
OHIO at Rio Grand Collegiate Invitational
All day, Friday through Saturday
Quail Run golf course
Rio Verde AZ.
— The course consists of 54 holes, 6,260-yard course.
— Ohio finished 16th in this tournament last year.
