The women’s golf team enters South Carolina today with momentum and confidence, ready to prove its worth at the E. Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate Invitational.

Coming off a brief three-week break from competition, the Badgers feel rejuvenated and think they haven’t lost any momentum built up over a three-tournament stretch in which the team took second place twice.

"We played three weekends in a row, and I actually think that this break in our schedule came at a good time," head coach Todd Oehrlein said. "[The girls] should be sharp, and we’ve had a great week of practice here leading up to competition."

The team last took to the course in early October, an outing in Iowa in which senior standout Katie Elliot placed first. Elliot has performed well all season, but the standings haven’t reflected as much.

"Being able to capitalize and put three solid rounds together for the first time this season felt really good," Elliot said. "It has given me more confidence and definitely relieved some of the pressure I was feeling. I just had to go out and play."

Two second-place finishes in tournaments with a strong field of competitors would be cause for celebration for some. Wisconsin, however, has maintained a positive mentality and kept the same composure year round, regardless of its previous outing.

"The atmosphere is great. [The girls] have worked really hard, and they’re passionate about what they’re doing, and that’s really been consistent around our team all year," Oehrlein said. "I think that’s one of the reasons they’ve improved and continue to get better — because of their work habit, intensity and passion."

For Elliot, the mental part of the game seemed, at times, overbearing.

"I had to stop worrying about trying to control what happened out there and more importantly, stop looking at it as my final season," Elliot said. "That’s something my coach has really tried to help me with."

Today and tomorrow’s outings will test the team on all levels, as it faces off against one of the strongest fields it has faced all season. The team needs to string together solid performances by each individual if it wants to continue its success on the leader board.

"This tournament has a really strong field, and it is going to be a great test for the team, but I’m confident we will do well. We have had a good couple weeks of practice, and the girls that are traveling are eager to play," Elliot said. "We need to step up to the challenge and capitalize on our opportunities by staying calm, committed and patient."

Oehrlein’s main goal for his team is to just play golf and not worry about the bigger scheme of things.

"You always want to compete and perform the best that you can, and that really has to be our focus," Oehrlein said. "We have to resist the temptation to focus on finishing in a certain position in the field."

Elliot offers a simple approach for her team as it heads to South Carolina.

"Just [look] to put up solid scores in each of the three rounds, but in order to do that, you have to go out there and play smart," Elliot said. "This is a course we can definitely score low on if we stay patient."

Continued improvement will become invaluable as the fairly young Wisconsin team strives to close out the fall season. With several months off, the team would ideally like to end fall with a strong performance that would carry into spring, but Oehrlein only asks that each team member give her best.

"Do the absolute best that you can with each individual swing, and if [the girls] do that, I think we’ll have a strong finish, and we’ll see where that puts us," Oehrlein said. "Play round-by-round, maximizing each individual round and getting better with every hit."