Although snow has prevented the Ball State University women's golf team from practicing outside, the Cardinals will begin their spring season this weekend in Arizona.
The Cardinals will open their season at the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational, which lasts through Sunday in Rio Verde, Ariz. The first round of play begins at 1 p.m. and Saturday's and Sunday's rounds begin at 8 a.m. each day.
Coach Katherine Mowat said her team is eager to finally be able to get on the course after a long break this winter.
"The team is really excited," she said. "It was a long month of February. We worked hard. We got as much done as we could with the conditions in Indiana."
The weather in Muncie forced Ball State to limit its practice almost solely to indoors, Mowat said. The team was able to practice by using an indoor putting green and mats, she said.
"Usually we have a couple days where we can go to the course and play," Mowat said. "This year we got one, and it wasn't ideal."
Freshman Brittany Kelly, who led the team in average round score in the fall at 76.18, said after practicing all winter she is very excited to get to play in a different setting than indoors.
"It's good to get on the course instead of the same old, same old," she said.
Although Ball State has not been able to practice outside much, Kelly said, she is not concerned because most of the teams in the invitational are from the Midwest. Knowing that most of the teams went through the same winter conditions and enter with an even playing field, Kelly said, she is confident the Cardinals will be able to compete.
Joining Ball State at the 18-team tournament are Mid-American Conference opponents Bowling Green State University, Eastern Michigan University, Ohio University, the University of Toledo and Western Michigan University.
"It's perfect for us to face the MAC teams as early on and often as possible," Mowat said.
Also in the field are the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Bradley University, the University of Cincinnati, Illinois State University, the University of Minnesota, Missouri State University, Northern Arizona University, the University of Notre Dame, Southern Illinois University, Texas Tech University, the University of Wisconsin and Xavier University.
Kelly said every team in the field has an opportunity to win and no one is favored to win the invitational championship.
Mowat said the team has high expectations entering its first invitational of the spring after a good fall season.
"We have to stay competitive and not lose any ground," she said.
Six players from each university will compete at the invitational this weekend, with four players scoring for each team. They will play 18 holes a day at the Rio Verde Country Club's Quail Run Course.
Mowat said although beginning the season after a long winter is a challenge the team has to go through each year, it does not mean the team will struggle this weekend.
"It's definitely challenging, but I've seen it happen numerous times where individuals and teams will play their best golf at the beginning of the spring," she said.
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