MANHATTAN, Kan. After enjoying its only home tournament, the Kansas State women’s golf team hits the road again for the Tyson/Embassy Suites Invitational at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark., Oct. 16-18. The three-day tournament hosted by Arkansas tees off Sunday at 8:30 a.m., with the second round set for 8:30 a.m. on Monday. The final round of competition will get under way with a shotgun start on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.
THE FIELD: In the largest and possibly the strongest field that Kansas State has competed in this season, the Wildcats will battle against 15 other teams. All but three of those competing are central district competitors. And all but four are ranked in the top 100 on the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. Host Arkansas comes in as the second ranked team in the nation. Also in the top 50 are Augusta State (40), Michigan (38) and Notre Dame (42). The remaining teams in the field are Illinois State, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Missouri State, Nebraska, Oral Roberts, Southern Mississippi, Wichita State and Wisconsin.
PLAYING HOST Pinnacle Country Club: This year marks the eighth straight year that the Lady Razorbacks of Arkansas have hosted a tournament at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark., north of Fayetteville. The par-72, 6,102 yard course will loan its grounds to one of its largest fields. The first tournament Arkansas hosted at Pinnacle CC had a field of six. Arkansas has championed their home tournament in three of the eight years, the last being in 2003. Big 12 competitors have found success at Pinnacle, with Nebraska winning in 1999 and Iowa State in 2004.
LAST TIME OUT: The Wildcats had a refreshing break from travelling last time out when they played host to the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational. K-State finished third in the field of 12, with scores of 301-294-298893. Junior Helene Robert took the individual title after winning a two-hole playoff against Nebraska’s Stephanie Ruiz. Robert carded a career-low 54-hole score after shooting 75-70-70215. Michelle Regan tied for 12th with scores of 74-77-74225, also her best 54-hole score and top finish. Hailey Mireles continued to better her top finish by ending the Smith/Sunflower tied for 15th, with rounds of 75-74-77226. Kali Quick finished tied for 23rd, shooting 77-77-77231, and Katy Heffel tied for 41st, with 82-73-83238. Freshman Christine Arsenault saw her first collegiate action as she competed as an individual.
MIDTERM EVALUATION: With two more fall tournaments to go, the young Wildcats have already made improvements from last year. Every returning player has improved her stroke average from last year, with the most improvement from Hailey Mireles. Mireles improved from a stroke average of 84.4 to 77.0. Mireles, Michelle Regan and Helene Robert have all bettered their low 54-hole scores. Mireles and Regan also had their first and second top-20 finishes. Robert has had two top-five finishes already this season (last year she had one), and her first career win came last week. As a team, last year the Wildcats’ top finish was tied for fourth a placing which they have already bettered twice this short season. They have also beat their lowest team score from 2004-05.
HISTORY 101: Helene Robert’s individual title is a first for Kansas State in almost exactly two years. On October 8, 2003, Christine Boucher shot 75-71-67213 to take top honors at the Price’s Give Em Five Challenge in New Mexico. Robert’s final 54-hole score also makes Kansas State history books. Her score of 215 is the third best in school history, leaving Robert with two of the top five scores.
K-State’s Tyson/Embassy Suites Invitational Lineup
Name Yr. Hometown Rnds Avg.
Katy Heffel Jr. Mesa, Ariz. 9 79.44
Hailey Mireles So. Garden City, Kan. 9 77.00
Kali Quick So. Nampa, Idaho 9 77.56
Michelle Regan So. Prairie Village, Kan. 9 77.78
Michelle Regan So. Prairie Village, Kan. 9 77.78
Helene Robert Jr. Lac Brome, Quebec 9 74.78
