Western Illinois University's women's golf team is preparing to compete in the Butler Don Benbow Spring Invitational. The tournament will take place on March 11-12 at Ardea Country Club in Tampa Bay, Florida. This event marks the team's return to competition after a break since February 11.
Senior Natalie Hooper and Gabriela Galindo Rubio both achieved top-ten finishes in their last outing, each shooting 159 (+17). Hooper showed resilience by recovering from early struggles with a strong back nine performance that included three birdies and four pars. She continued her form into the second round with four more birdies. Rubio also demonstrated consistency, recording nine pars in the first round and improving her score significantly in the second round with three birdies.
The Leathernecks will face competition from several other teams including Butler, Belmont, Eastern Illinois, Farleigh Dickinson, Indiana State, IUPUI, Long Island, Monmouth, Quinnipiac, St. John's, UIC, Valparaiso, and Western Michigan.
The tournament will be held over two days on the south course of Ardea Country Club. The course is a par 72 and measures 6,297 yards. Each day will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m., allowing teams to play 18 holes daily.
Western Illinois' starting lineup includes Natalie Hooper at number one followed by Makayla Mussatto, Olivia Kerr, Olivia McCrystal, and Hannah Butler. Gabriela Galindo Rubio will participate as an individual competitor.
Live statistics for the tournament can be accessed via Golf Stat's website.
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