This weekend brings the first home tournament for the Irish, who have already propelled themselves to new levels. The team was successful across the board last weekend at the Mary Fossum Inivational in East Lansing, Mich., as freshman Nicole Zhang shattered the tournament record and the team earned a No. 7 ranking in the country, marking a program-best.
"Last weekend was a really great start to our season," senior Katie Conway said. "We need to take the confidence built from last week and carry it over to this week."
Saturday and Sunday, the Irish will host the William K. Warren Invitational at the Warren Golf Course, a familiar setting.
"We are all really excited about our home tournament," Conway said. "It is something I have been looking forward to being a part of since I started as a freshman. It will be really nice to showcase what we do every day to the rest of campus."
The course, recently chosen as one of the top 15 college courses in the country by Golfweek Magazine, gives a sense of familiarity to the team. However, the squad realized this isn't an excuse to let its guard down, especially with the twists and turns the players have experienced in the past.
"While we know the course really well and it is an advantage for us, we need to stay focused on playing the course like it is any other golf course," Conway said. "If we stay focused, we can use our knowledge to our advantage."
With the memories of last weekend still fresh in their minds, the Irish understand that this is a new slate, requiring their full attention.
"We have to treat this weekend as a fresh start, because at the conclusion of the final round this week, our scores from last week don't matter," Conway said. "It's a matter of getting the job done this weekend."
Both Saturday and Sunday's action are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with shotgun starts, meaning everyone tees off together on the field. Saturday consists of 36 holes, ending around dusk, and Sunday will conclude the tournament with 18 holes.
