Hopes High as Wildcats Return Home to Colbert Hills

Sunday, September 15

Manhattan, Kan.

Kansas State University

Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational

Sep 13, 2019 | Women's Golf

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – The last time senior Chloe Weir, and juniors Reid Isaac and Niamh McSherry played a home tournament, they walked off champions at the 2017 Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational, the first of two wins for K-State that fall. Weir placed third individually and Isaac notched her first career top-five finish and the event culminated in a water bottle bath of now-graduated Connie Jaffrey on the 18th green as she claimed medalist honors, a celebration the trio wouldn't mind recreating.

"That was really exciting for her, that's something that we were all striving to be," Isaac said of Jaffrey's win at home. "Hopefully it's one of us in this tournament that gets that same experience and feeling on the 18th green."

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To do so, the Wildcats will try to improve some in less than a week after a trip to Dallas for the Trinity Forest Invitational resulted in a seventh place finish out of a field of eleven teams. The Wildcats have the advantage of playing on their home course, par-72, 6,256 yard Colbert Hills Golf Course, and the benefit of not traveling, but success will depend on the team's ability to refine its play.

"It's very early in our year and there's a lot to unfold," K-State head coach Krisit Knight said. "Coach Jared (Helin) and I are very encouraged by what we saw at Trinity Forest. There are things we need to clean up and I'm confident we will. I'm encouraged because we have more depth and I like the competition on the team. There's a lot of positives to take from the first event."

Weir returns to play after missing last tournament due to illness and joins Isaac, who finished tied for fifth at Trinity Forest, and McSherry at the top of the scoring lineup. Sophomore Briony Bayles will join them along with Heather Fortushniak, who won the final spot in qualifying Wednesday. Darby Deans and freshman Haley Vargas will compete as individuals.

"I've known Chloe for even longer than I've been at K-State," McSherry said of the senior and fellow Ireland native Weir's return to the lineup. "It's been great to have her back and have that senior presence around again and the great player that she is. I think it just gives us all an added boost. We went from six, back to our seven pack and it's been great."

Eleven total teams will tee off the tournament Sunday, starting at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start and continuous play through 36 holes. The full field includes Central Arkansas, Florida Gulf Coast, Kansas, Kansas City, New Mexico State, North Texas, Rutgers, Texas-Arlington, Texas State, and Tulsa.

The tournament and individual champion will be crowned after round three, which tees off at 8 a.m. Monday. Admission for the event is free and open to the public.