Women's Golf to host 16th annual Saluki Invitational
03/26/2010 | 12:00:00 | Women's Golf
March 26, 2010
By Dana Ingraham
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois women's golf team is set to host the 16th annual Saluki Invitational at Hickory Ridge Golf Course this weekend, March 28-29.
The 36-hole tournament, presented by Forbes Financial, will be played on the Salukis' home course of Hickory Ridge, which features 6,863 yards of golf from the longest tees.
Southern will compete as part of a 15-team field, including Missouri Valley Conference opponents Bradley, Creighton, Drake, Evansville and Indiana State. Representing the Ohio Valley Conference will be Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky and Murray State. Ball State, Belmont, Rend Lake, SIU-Edwardsville and Western Illinois round out the competition.
Drake returns as the defending champion in 2009 when it posted a 36-hole score of 630 (313-317).
The Salukis are competing again for the first time since March 7, due to the cancellation of the EKU El Diablo Spring Invitational in Citrus Springs, Fla. two weeks ago. Head coach Diane Daugherty is excited for the women to return to the course and confident that this tournament will be a successful one.
"We were disappointed that we didn't get to play in Florida, because when you start playing well you want to keep playing well," Daugherty said. "But we have had some good practices here the past few weeks despite the rain. We love Hickory and we love this tournament, so we are looking forward to posting some of our lowest scores of the season this weekend."
The Saluki Invitational is scheduled to begin Sunday with an 8 a.m. shotgun start.
