Salukis to host first-ever Saluki Shootout on Sunday
09/20/2014 | 12:00:00 | Women's Golf
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Saluki women's golf team returns to the course on Sunday to host the Saluki Shootout at Hickory Ridge Golf Course. This is the first year the team is hosting a tournament in the fall.
"Hosting a meet this early gives all of our players the opportunity to play and makes them feel like what they're working on in practice has a lot of value and meaning," head coach Alexis Mihelich said.
Last week the team came home with the first tournament title of the year after a thrilling four-hole playoff at the Jan Weaver - Murray State Invitational. Sophomore Brooke Cusumano shot a career-low round of 68, the second lowest round in SIU women's golf history. A par putt by junior Mattie Lindner sealed the victory for the Salukis, as the team finished with a score of 901, the fourth lowest in Saluki golf history.
Riding on last week's success, the Salukis hope to have equal success at their first home tournament of the year.
"They'll come out knowing they can score low on this course, and once a player scores low, whether it's a home tournament or an away tournament, it just gives them confidence that they can score an even par round," Mihelich said.
After a small break between the Jan Weaver - Murray State Invitational and this weekend's home tournament, the Salukis jumpstart their fall season, competing for four straight weeks. According to Mihelich, SIU will be hitting its stride right as competition picks up.
"We're kind of a come-from-behind team, because we typically don't get on a roll until closer to October. So when we're hitting our hardest tournaments we'll still be feeling fresh and feeling a lot of confidence because we played two tournaments that are relatively familiar to us early in the season," Mihelich said.
The Saluki Shootout will welcome teams from SIU-Edwardsville, Indiana State, Austin Peay, Evansville and Eastern Illinois. Tee-times begin at 7:12 a.m. and will continue through 9:04. The format of the tournament is 36 continuous holes. Hickory Ridge Golf Course plays 6,000 yards from the longest tees, and par-72. It features four par-5 and par-3 holes.