Women's Golf Tees Up Another Strong Schedule
8/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
SPOKANE, Wash. - After playing the toughest schedule in program history a year ago, Gonzaga University women's golf coach Brad Rickel has assembled another challenging slate for the upcoming season.
Last season the Bulldogs played nine teams in tournaments which qualified for the NCAA Championship. The University of Southern California and University of Arkansas tied for fifth, the University of California was 12th, University of Arizona 15th, University of Washington 16th, Arizona State University 17th, UC Davis 20th, University of Notre Dame 22nd and Stanford University 23rd.
The Bulldogs open the season Sept. 12-13 hosting the 22-team Circling Raven Invitational at Circling Raven Golf Course in Worley, Idaho. This will be the second straight year the Zags have hosted the tournament at Circling Raven. Among the teams in this year's field are two-time defending champion Northern Arizona University; defending Big Sky Conference champion and NCAA West Regional participant Portland State University; West Coast Conference newcomer BYU and fellow WCC foe University of San Francisco; the University of Hawai'i from the WAC, and nearby rivals Eastern Washington University of the Big Sky and Washington State University from the newly-aligned Pacific-12 Conference.
NAU and BYU shared the title last season, NAU getting the edge on a scorecard playoff. The Lumberjacks won the 2009 tournament hosted by the Bulldogs at Hangman Valley Golf Course.
The teams will play 36 holes Monday and the final 18 holes Tuesday with an 8 a.m. shotgun start both days in the 54-hole tournament.
"This is the largest and most competitive field ever for our tournament," Rickel said as he embarks on his sixth year overall heading the Bulldogs, including his fifth campaign since returning for the 2007-08 season. "There will be some outstanding golf played in this tournament and it will give us an early-season look at where we stack up against quality competition."
The following week the Bulldogs will play in the WSU Cougar Cup at Palouse Ridge Golf Course on the Washington State University campus. Washington and Stanford, 16th and 23rd, respectively, in last year's NCAA Championship, will be in the field.
The Bulldogs will also play in the Rose City Collegiate in Aurora, Ore., Sept. 26-27; the UW Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational in at the famed Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash., Oct. 3-5, and the Hosier Fall Invitational in Columbus, Ind., hosted by Indiana University Oct. 17-18 at Crooked Stick Country Club. Sahalee, rated one of the top 100 course in America, played host to the 1998 PGA Championship, the 2002 World Golf Championship-NEC Invitational and the 2010 US Senior Open. Crooked Stick CC has hosted several major events, including the 2009 U.S. Men's Senior Open, the 107th USGA Women's Amateur Championship in 2007, the 1993 U.S. Women's Open and the 1991 PGA Championship.
Gonzaga will open the spring season Feb. 19-21 at the Folino Invitational hosted by Cal State Fullerton. March 5-6 the Bulldogs will travel to San Jose, Calif., for the Juli Inkster Spartan Invitational that last year featured NCAA Championship teams California, Washington and UC Davis.
NCAA Championship teams Texas A&M, seventh a year ago, and No. 20 UC Davis will be among the field for the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational March 13-14 in Kane'ohe, Oahu. The Mountain View Invitational in Tucson, Ariz., but hosted by the University of Louisville will complete Gonzaga's 54-hole tournament schedule. March 23-24.
With a three-week layoff between the last tournament and the West Coast Conference Championship April 16-18, Rickel is planning to host the one-day, 36-hole Gonzaga Spring Invitational again this year. The date has not been set. Last year the Bulldogs, WSU, EWU, Washington and the University of Idaho competed in the individual tournament at Liberty Lake Golf Course with no team scoring kept.
"I think we have an excellent schedule that will allow us to gain some confidence while at the same time play against some of the best teams in the country," Rickel said. "We have a veteran team with a couple of newcomers to blend into the fold. I look for us to continue our upward spiral."
Last season the Bulldogs finished second in the WCC, breaking a 14-year stronghold Pepperdine University and the University of San Francisco had held on the top two spots in the WCC Championship.
The Bulldogs return seniors Jessica Howe and Stephanie Corey; juniors Victoria Fallgren and Genna Dodge, sophomore Tai Jade "TJ" Kliebphipat, and incoming freshmen Alice Kim and Han Wu.
"We have a solid corps of veterans and some young players who will test those veterans daily," Rickel said. "I think there are good things ahead for Bulldog golf. This is our strongest team to date and I look for us to break every team record that was established in the last couple of years."
