IU playing for chance to advance

The IU women's golf team began play Thursday afternoon at the NCAA Central Regional Tournament in Normal, Ill. Illinois State University and the ISU Golf Course will serve as host for the event. The Hoosiers were selected to the Regional after their strong performances in their six tournaments during the spring season. After struggling at the Central District Invitational, the Hoosiers never finished lower than No. 6 for the rest of the year, including a victory at the Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout in March. \nThe latest rankings saw the Hoosiers move up one spot to No. 31 after their second place finish at the Big Ten Championships. The team has moved up in the polls each of the last four weeks, but they will have to contend with a strong field at the event.\nJoining Indiana in the Central Regional will be seven teams ranked in the top 25 of the latest Golfweek/Sagarin ratings. Vanderbilt (No. 5), New Mexico (No. 6), Southern California (No. 8) and Arizona (No. 10) round out the teams in the Top 10. Tulsa is ranked No.16, followed by No. 19 Oklahoma and fellow Big Ten rivals No. 21 Michigan State.\nThe Hoosiers have been selected to the Regional tournament for the last 12 years, and have participated in the Central Regional each of the last three years. \nFive golfers will participate for the Hoosiers, four of whom are seniors. Karen Dennison, Danah Ford, Ambry Bishop and Mary Lidester will accompany sophomore Molly Redfearn to the tournament. Everyone but Lidester competed in the Regional last year, while Lidester took part in the event in 2002. \nFord is coming into the tournament after victories in her last two events. She won the Lady Boilermaker Invitational April 17-18 and followed it up with medalist honors at the Big Ten Championships a week later. \nThe Central Regional will consist of three rounds of play, with the four lowest scores of the five contributing to the team total for each round. Of the 24 teams in the tournament, only the top eight will advance to the NCAA Championships May 18 to 21 in Opelika, Alabama. \nAfter the first round Thursday, the Hoosiers shot a team total of 311, good enough for a tie for 11th. The team is chasing first round leaders Vanderbilt and New Mexico who both shot a first round 298. \nDennison led the way for the Hoosiers, firing an opening round 73, which leaves her in a tie for fifth place. Ford finished the day at five-over-par 76, while Redfearn and Bishop both fired 81. Lidester rounded out the Hoosier lineup with an opening round 82. \nStrong winds made scoring conditions tough, especially on the seventh hole, a long par-3 playing straight into the wind. All five Hoosiers made bogey on the hole.\nDennison said even though the conditions were tough, she is happy to be in position to win.\n"I started out pretty well and was hitting some good shots, but I just wasn't making the birdie putts," Dennison said. "I just fought in, got some up and downs and had the wind coming in. It felt good to finish with a 73." \nSecond round play will start today at 8 a.m. and the final round will begin Saturday morning.