PULLMAN, Wash. - The Washington State women's golf team makes their return to competition on Monday, kicking off their spring season with a trip to Las Vegas to go head to head with the University of Oregon.
The team has had some time off after their fall season, where they finished in the top five in two of the five tournaments. The Cougars got off to a strong start on the year, claiming the title at their own WSU Cougar Cup in September. In addition to taking the team victory, senior Alivia Brown took home her first individual career victory at the tournament, finishing the event at six-under par with an overall score of 210.
The Cougars also took fourth place in the Ron Moore Invitational in Highlands Ranch, Colorado in early October. Sophomore Marie Lund-Hansen had a record-breaking performance, finishing with a 208 (-8) to break WSU's 54-hole record.
After playing their five tournament, the Cougars took a break for the winter to focus on technical swing work and mental game in preparation for the spring.
"We're excited, the team has been working hard the last month," Head Coach Kelli Kamimura said, "They have great attitudes and they are ready to compete."
The Cougars usually commence their spring season with a tournament hosted by Stanford in mid to late February, but construction on their course prevented them from having it this year. With the change in plans, the Cougs added their head-to-head matchup with the Ducks late, taking on their Pac-12 foe in Las Vegas to get back into the swing of things. After the quick trip to the desert, the Cougars jump back into their normal schedule of tournaments.
The team will spend most of their spring in on the West Coast in California and Arizona, with a trip to Hawaii in the middle and the Pac-12 Championships at the end of April. The conference championship tournament will take place place in Seattle April 22-24 as the Pac-12 descends on Broadmoor Golf Club.
"It's a long span of wanting to play consistent and steady golf and also wanting to peak at the right times," Kamimura said, "Our spring season is a long one, so managing physical and mental development of our players but also making sure that they don't get too tired too early with school and golf is important."
The team has had some time off after their fall season, where they finished in the top five in two of the five tournaments. The Cougars got off to a strong start on the year, claiming the title at their own WSU Cougar Cup in September. In addition to taking the team victory, senior Alivia Brown took home her first individual career victory at the tournament, finishing the event at six-under par with an overall score of 210.
The Cougars also took fourth place in the Ron Moore Invitational in Highlands Ranch, Colorado in early October. Sophomore Marie Lund-Hansen had a record-breaking performance, finishing with a 208 (-8) to break WSU's 54-hole record.
After playing their five tournament, the Cougars took a break for the winter to focus on technical swing work and mental game in preparation for the spring.
"We're excited, the team has been working hard the last month," Head Coach Kelli Kamimura said, "They have great attitudes and they are ready to compete."
The Cougars usually commence their spring season with a tournament hosted by Stanford in mid to late February, but construction on their course prevented them from having it this year. With the change in plans, the Cougs added their head-to-head matchup with the Ducks late, taking on their Pac-12 foe in Las Vegas to get back into the swing of things. After the quick trip to the desert, the Cougars jump back into their normal schedule of tournaments.
The team will spend most of their spring in on the West Coast in California and Arizona, with a trip to Hawaii in the middle and the Pac-12 Championships at the end of April. The conference championship tournament will take place place in Seattle April 22-24 as the Pac-12 descends on Broadmoor Golf Club.
"It's a long span of wanting to play consistent and steady golf and also wanting to peak at the right times," Kamimura said, "Our spring season is a long one, so managing physical and mental development of our players but also making sure that they don't get too tired too early with school and golf is important."