Saturday, February 29
Panama City, Fla.
Kansas State University
at
Florida State Match-Up
K-State Looks to Extend Momentum with Quick Turnaround
Feb 28, 2020 | Women's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Between landing in Manhattan late Monday night and landing on the beach in Panama City, Florida, Thursday, members of the K-State women's golf team had time to do a little laundry and take a couple tests, but not much else - even forgoing an official team practice this week. The Wildcats are hoping the quick turn leads to an extension of the positive momentum gained after shooting a season-low team score at the Westbrook Invitational when they tee off at the Florida State Match-Up on Bay Point Golf Club Saturday.
K-State shot a 6-under 858 and finished in the top half of the field in Arizona earlier this week and will lean on it's top five shooters - Niamh McSherry, Heather Fortushniak, Chloe Weir, Reid Isaac and Briony Bayles - to continue the upward trend on the par-72, 6,290-yard Nicklaus-designed course, starting with an 8 a.m. shotgun start, the first of 36 holes played Saturday.
"I didn't have too much homework or anything big this week, other than a test and I think I did well on that," said Fortushniak, who turned in a pair of career-bests at Westbrook while contributing all three rounds to the team score. "Keeping the momentum with golf and just having a short break will definitely help my confidence going into this next one. It wasn't two weeks ago, having the momentum for golf is really good."
For the opening rounds, K-State will be paired with Toledo - the match-up portion of the tournament title - in a unique added layer of competition, but it's focus remains on turning in a strong 54-holes for the stroke play leaderboard. The Wildcats finished 10th at the event in 2016, played on FSU's home course in Tallahassee, which is maturing after recent construction. Weir is the only returning 'Cat with experience at the event, though all will be new to the track at Bay Point Golf Club.
"That's what the practice rounds are for," K-State head coach Kristi Knight said, prior to the team hitting the links Friday. "Florida State's coach indicated it's very playable, fun and challenging. It's a Nicklaus design golf course. It will obviously be different since it's in Florida versus some of the desert golf we've been playing. It's supposed to be a good, fun challenge.
"It'll be 60 degrees and the sun will feel pretty good over the course of the trip, so we're looking forward to it. There were a lot of good things at Westbrook, so I think it's good for all of them to keep playing."
K-State is one of 10 squads in the field, including Alabama, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, tournament host FSU, LSU, Memphis, Missouri, Toledo and South Florida.
K-State shot a 6-under 858 and finished in the top half of the field in Arizona earlier this week and will lean on it's top five shooters - Niamh McSherry, Heather Fortushniak, Chloe Weir, Reid Isaac and Briony Bayles - to continue the upward trend on the par-72, 6,290-yard Nicklaus-designed course, starting with an 8 a.m. shotgun start, the first of 36 holes played Saturday.
"I didn't have too much homework or anything big this week, other than a test and I think I did well on that," said Fortushniak, who turned in a pair of career-bests at Westbrook while contributing all three rounds to the team score. "Keeping the momentum with golf and just having a short break will definitely help my confidence going into this next one. It wasn't two weeks ago, having the momentum for golf is really good."
For the opening rounds, K-State will be paired with Toledo - the match-up portion of the tournament title - in a unique added layer of competition, but it's focus remains on turning in a strong 54-holes for the stroke play leaderboard. The Wildcats finished 10th at the event in 2016, played on FSU's home course in Tallahassee, which is maturing after recent construction. Weir is the only returning 'Cat with experience at the event, though all will be new to the track at Bay Point Golf Club.
"That's what the practice rounds are for," K-State head coach Kristi Knight said, prior to the team hitting the links Friday. "Florida State's coach indicated it's very playable, fun and challenging. It's a Nicklaus design golf course. It will obviously be different since it's in Florida versus some of the desert golf we've been playing. It's supposed to be a good, fun challenge.
"It'll be 60 degrees and the sun will feel pretty good over the course of the trip, so we're looking forward to it. There were a lot of good things at Westbrook, so I think it's good for all of them to keep playing."
K-State is one of 10 squads in the field, including Alabama, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, tournament host FSU, LSU, Memphis, Missouri, Toledo and South Florida.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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