Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Salukis open the spring season at FGCU Eagle Invitational
02/11/2016 | 12:00:00 | Women's Golf
| FGCU Eagle Invitational | |
| Dates | Friday, Feb. 12 – Sunday, Feb. 14 |
| Time | Shotgun start at 8:15 (7:15 CST) |
| Location | Stoneybrook Golf Club - Estero, Florida |
| Teams | Mercer, Toledo, Xavier, Elon, Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Ball State, McNeese State, FGCU, Stephen F. Austin, Drake, FAU, Western Illinois, Southern Illinois, USC Upstate |
| Live Scoring | BirdieFire Live Scoring |
| Season Stats | SIU Women's Golf Statistics |
| Media Guide | SIU 2015-16 Media Guide |
| Social Media | @SIU_WGolf  | Saluki Women's Golf  |
By Elizabeth Robinson
SIUSalukis.com
ESTERO, Fla. – The Saluki women's golf team returns to the course this weekend with the first tournament of the spring season, the FGCU Eagle Invitational, beginning on Friday.
The 54-hole tournament, hosted by Florida Gulf Coast, will feature 15 teams, two of which are ranked in GolfStat's top-100 – Mercer at 55 and Toledo at 89. This year's field is similar to last year's, with Elon, Toledo, Xavier, Arkansas State, USC Upstate, Florida Atlantic and conference rival, Drake, all returning.
Last year the Salukis finished in ninth place overall, with the team's highest finisher, Brooke Cusumano, tying for 18th.
"I'm confident we will be able to score better than we did last year," Saluki head coach Alexis Mihelich said. "The team is excited and anxious to get back out in the competition."
SIU's lineup for this weekend's tournament includes Sun Young Jung, Brooke Cusumano, Hanna Netisingha, Kristie Yang and Xianmei Jin, in that order. This is the first time this particular line-up has been used this season. Cusumano, Jin and Yang each competed in the FGCU Eagle Invitational last year, adding some experience to the Salukis' lineup. According to Mihelich, the girls' familiarity with the course will be helpful in competition.
Saluki newcomer Sun Young Jung is slotted at the No. 1 spot for the first time this season, after finishing with strong performances in the fall. After competing in all five tournaments, Jung finished as high as third place at the Loyola Invitational, and averages 77.50 strokes.
"This is the first time while being here at SIU I have started a freshman in the lineup at the No. 1 position," Mihelich said. "Sun qualified for No. 1 in an intersquad competition, and I'm confident she will make an impact."
Jung's success in the fall, along with the rest of the team, helped SIU come away with two first place finishes at the UIC Invitational and the Loyola Invitational. Both Brooke Cusumano and Hanna Netisingha finished with individual first place finishes as well, averaging 76.25 and 77.50, respectively. The team currently posts a 306.92 four-player average.
After a four-month break following the fall season, the Salukis have been hard at work in preparation for the spring. Favorable weather has allowed the team to practice outside, which will be beneficial heading into this weekend's tournament according to Mihelich.
"Hitting on real grass and actually playing real holes is something we weren't able to do much last year at this time, so we're hopeful that it pays off," she said.
The forecast for this weekend's tournament is ideal, with temperatures in the low 70s, low to moderate winds and no chance of rain. The FGCU Eagle Invitational is held at Stoneybrook Golf Club, a par-72 course that plays 6,135 yards. One round will be played each day (Friday through Sunday) with a shotgun start at 7:15 a.m. CST.
Live scoring for this weekend's tournament can be found here.
