Hoosiers close out fall season in South Carolina tournament

Winter is approaching, and it is starting to get too cold to play golf. Before golf courses freeze altogether, however, the Hoosiers have one last tournament to close out the fall season.\nIU has finished all four tournaments in the top three this season and IU coach Clint Wallman said this Monday’s Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate in Kiawah Island, S.C. is an opportunity to earn another top finish even if it has no added meaning compared to other tournaments.\n“We certainly are looking to end our fall season on a good note, but it’s one event out of 11,” Wallman said. \nLast year, the Hoosiers placed a season-low 11th in the same tournament, but Wallman thinks this year will be better.\n“I think having played in this tournament one time before gives us an understanding of the course and this helps us significantly in preparation for the event,” Wallman said.\nIn an effort to get the best possible finish, IU will make a lineup change for the tournament. IU will stay with seniors Elaine Harris and Lauren Harling as well as sophomore Laura Nochta as they have all year. However, sophomore Anita Gahir has missed the past couple tournaments with an injury and was replaced in the lineup by junior Amber Lindgren.\nGahir will return from injury this tournament, while Lindgren will play in place of sophomore Kellye Belcher, who has competed in every tournament this year. \nWallman said the lineup change was because of Lindgren’s strong play and not because Belcher hasn’t played well. \n“Amber has had a great qualifying round and played really well,” Wallman said. “(The switch) is a testament of the depth of our team and not a knock on Kellye as she is a great player.”\nThe Hoosiers will compete against 20 teams in this tournament, which is the highest number they have competed against this year. The quality of this tournament is also strong as IU will play against three higher-ranked teams, according to golfweek.com. \nAfter this week’s tournament, the Hoosiers return to action in February for an exhibition Ryder Cup-style match against Wisconsin on Feb. 8. Regular season tournament play starts again on Feb. 19 in Parrish, Fla. at the Central District Invitational.