Women's golf opens at Minnesota Invitational

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s golf team will open the season at the Minnesota Invitational on September 11-12. This is the fourth-straight year the Jayhawks will play in the Minnesota Invitational. However, they will face new terrain this year as the tournament will be held at Prestwick Golf Course in Woodbury, Minnesota. 

“It’s a great field for us. I don’t know as much about the course this year, since it’s at a new course. But it’s a little bit more open and forgiving than the previous course” said head coach Erin O’Neil.

O’ Neil is entering her 14th season with the Jayhawks and is excited to get back to competition.

“Competition is why we are here, it’s what we love to do,” O’Neil said. “We are excited to get out and we’ve had some pretty good scores in qualifying so we’re excited to see how we do in competition.”

Kansas will face two opponents that finished last season in the top-10 in Southern California (10) and Georgia (8), as well as Big 12 rival Kansas State. The field is rounded out by BYU, Louisville, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Georgia, East Carolina, Virginia Tech, North Texas and Minnesota.

“We love playing against the best. It’s fun, it’s where you want to be, and I think it’ll just help us grow that much more,” said O’Neil.

The Jayhawks lineup will consist of sophomore Yi-Tsen Chou in the first position, followed by senior Pitsinee Winyarat, senior Kallie Gonzales, junior Arianda Fonseca Diaz and freshman Sera Tadokoro. Junior Chomchana Phuchanbanchob will compete as an individual in the event.

“We’ve definitely gained a lot of experience from last year to this year,” O’Neil said. “We didn’t have anyone graduate and I’ve seen a difference in everyone that’s come back. They all seem a little more confident, a little more mature, and I’m hoping that will show up big time in competition and continue to show up as the season goes.”

The first two rounds will be played Monday, September 11 at 7:45 a.m. and conclude with a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start to begin the third round on Tuesday, September 12.
 

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