The Badger Herald

SPORTS

UW prepares for Wolverine Invite

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by Michael Bleach

Friday, September 28, 2007

After finishing seventh at the Lady Northern Invitational last weekend, the Wisconsin women’s golf team will focus on improvement Saturday and Sunday at the Wolverine Invite.

"We need to pay attention to just making sure that we take a step forward as we head into Michigan and that we improve," head coach Todd Oehrlein said.

UW is looking forward to the tournament because the strong competition present will offer the Badgers a chance to see where they stand.

"We have an opportunity moving into Michigan to try and get some wins head-to-head against some really excellent golf teams," Oehrlein said. "It is a strong field as a whole, and we need to take advantage of these opportunities when we have them."

The tournament will take place on a par-71 course, which is 6,098 yards long.

"It's tight, pretty long, and it's just a strong golf course," Oehrlein said. "We are going to have to play well and be on top of our games."

Despite a middle-of-the-pack finish last weekend as a team, Wisconsin got some strong individual performances from sophomore Beth Weinstein and sophomore Heidi Hinners.

Weinstein led the Badgers, finishing tied for 14th with a score of 227, and Hinners scored a 247 to finish tied for 71st overall. Both of them set personal bests.

"Beth Weinstein really gave us a lift last week at Penn State," Oehrlein said. "She played remarkably consistent with a very solid 76-76-75." Wisconsin played this golf course a few years ago in the Big Ten Championship. However, only one member of the current team, senior Katie Elliot, played in that tournament. She will be looked to for guidance this weekend.

"The leadership that [Katie Elliot] is providing through her experience and her knowledge has been incredibly valuable," Oehrlein said. "Katie leads by how hard she works, her effort and her passion that she puts into it."

One of the focal points of this team is chemistry. While golf is an individual sport, the chemistry of a team can make or break a season. "Momentum and chemistry are very important," Oehrlein said. "And I feel confident about that with our group. We have excellent chemistry, we have a close group, and they pull for each other, push each other and challenge each other."

After the Wolverine Invite, Wisconsin has only two more invitationals on the schedule. The Badgers are hoping to improve each week so they are at the top of their game come playoff time.

"We ultimately want to try and reach the Regional Championships, and reach postseason play," Oehrlein said. "But there is a process that you have to follow, and that process is to concentrate on the next golf tournament and concentrate on the practice at hand, and try to improve every day."

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