MADISON, Wis. — Women's golf is set to start the 2021 spring season at the Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational in Lake Oconee, Georgia.
Here are five things to know before the team tees off for the first time this season:
1.
Team Leadership: This year's team is seasoned, featuring three seniors.
Claire Fitzgerald,
Mackenzie Hahn and
Bobbi Stricker bring experience and depth to the team. Fitzgerald, a senior from Lake Mary, Florida, starts her fourth season with the Badgers averaging 75.95. Hahn, a Spring Grove, Illinois native has a career average of 79.00 and Stricker enters her redshirt senior season averaging 77.48.
2.
Season Preview: The Badgers return three players who competed in all six events last season —
Claire Fitzgerald,
Emily Lauterbach and
Tracy Lee. Lee is the top returner for the team, averaging 75.35 last season, just behind recent graduate
Tess Hackworthy. Lauterbach is follows closely, averaging 75.53 as a freshman last season. Both notched top-25 wins. Fitzgerald ranked third among the Badger returners, coming off last season averaging 76.76.
3.
The Tournament: The Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational is host by Mercer University. The tournament takes place at the Golf Course at Great Waters. The course is a 6,031-yard par-72 designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus. The course has been rebuilt recently and many holes are along the edge of Lake Oconee. Each of the three rounds will start as tee times off the first and 10th holes. Friday, Wisconsin will tee off starting at 9:48 a.m. CT from the first hole. Saturday and Sunday tee times start at 8 a.m. CT and depend on team placing from the rounds before.
4.
The Field: Competing in the Reynolds Lake Oconee Invitational is Chattanooga, Daytona State, East Tennessee State, James Madison, Kennesaw State, Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, North Florida, Old Dominion, Rutgers, South Dakota State, Southern Mississippi, Tulane, UNC Wilmington and Wisconsin. Competing for the Badgers are
Nicole Ciskowski,
Claire Fitzgerald,
Emily Lauterbach,
Tracy Lee and
Bobbi Stricker.
Mackenzie Hahn will be competing as an individual.
5.
The Gallery: Live scoring for the tournament can found on
Golfstat. Fans are also encouraged to follow
@BadgerWGolf on Twitter for live updates and daily recaps.