The IU women’s golf team will be without two of their top players when they compete in the Westbrook Invitational in Peoria, Arizona, this weekend.
IU will tee off with two rounds on Sunday morning, followed by the final 18 holes Monday afternoon.
“We’ve got an opportunity for some players to step up and make their mark,” head coach Clint Wallman said. “That’s a really exciting thing.”
Junior Priscilla Schmid and sophomore Alexis Miestowski are both out of the lineup with lingering injuries. Schmid has not played for IU since October when she took first place at the Landfall Tradition. Miestowski competed in the last tournament, but the team will miss her experience in this tournament as she shot five-under par in it last season.
With two of its more consistent golfers out, IU will have to lean on its less experienced players, including three freshmen. Despite this challenge, Wallman said he feels confident that the underclassmen competing now will pay off in the long run.
“It’s an investment in the future,” Wallman said. “They’re talented players. They just need more experience in tournaments like this.”
Senior Mary Parsons, junior Angela Aung and freshmen Valerie Clancy, Anni Eisenhut and Hanna Tanaka will compete for the Hoosiers.
IU struggled in their last tournament in Puerto Rico. The Hoosiers came out flat, scoring a tournament-high 23-over par in the first round, but rebounded to improve over the next two.
Low scores have become the norm for IU in past years at this tournament due to warm weather and the nature of the course. Wallman said he realizes this but still wants his players to be prepared for perfection.
“Typically, scores have tended to be on the lower side,” Wallman said. “With that being said, we want to spend time on our short irons and conversion putting to get as low as possible.”
