Bearkat Women's Invitational begins Monday
10/4/2015 11:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
The Sam Houston State women's golf program is set to host its lone home tournament of the season, welcoming 14 teams, including seven Southland Conference foes, for the first Bearkat Women's Invitational at the par-71, 6,067-yard Raven Nest Golf Course.
The two-day tournament, which replaces the five-year running Harold Funston Invitational Classic, begins Monday with 36 holes of continuous play, while the final 18 is scheduled for Tuesday. Teams will tee off in the staggered shotgun format at 8:30 a.m. both days.
The Bearkats are fresh off a strong weekend capturing the Bob Hurley ORU Shootout team title at 43-over, 209, led by individual champion and Southland Conference Women's Golfer of the Month, Heather Shake, who shot 1-under, 215.
“The mindset is very positive,” ninth-year head coach Tommy Chain said. “Of course, everyone feels like they can do as well as Heather, which to me, is exciting that she's bringing out that level of competition amongst her own teammates. When you're off a win and heading to your home course, the girls couldn't be more confident than they are.”
Shake's opening-round 5-under, 67, matched the program record set by Landa Stewart in 2006. The junior leads the Kats with a 74 average round, followed closely by senior Nicole Budnik's 74.67. Freshman Jenna Phillips sits at 78.50, sophomore Sarah Black has shot 78.67 and Celeste Lo averages 82.50.
Among the 70-member field includes Alabama State, Southern Miss, UL-Monroe, Lamar, Houston Baptist, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Central Arkansas, McNeese State, Texas Southern, Texas Wesleyan, Tyler Junior College, McLennan and Western Texas.
“There's a level of excitement in such that it's like a beginning of the year conference matchup that allows the conference teams to flex their muscles for the upcoming season,” Chain said. “Every event we go to, no one wants to lose to the conference school there. Having seven of eight teams adds more at stake for the event as if it were an early conference championship.”
The championship-layout course features rolling wooded landscape along with Bermuda greens. Full information and course detail can be found at ravennestgolf.com.
“The fairways are lined with natural cover left and right and the premium is getting the first shot in play,” Chain said. “It has the feel of an East Texas course. The emphasis is on driving the ball straight because the tall native grasses are left and right of every fairway. It's a great challenge for the early season matchup.”
The Bearkat women have hosted six tournaments at Raven Nest since 2008 and have taken the top spot twice (2011, 2013). Last year, Houston Baptist claimed the Harold Funston Intercollegiate with an 889 team score, 13 strokes ahead of the second-place Kats.
“As home team, you expect to win,” Chain said. “That's probably the toughest part about hosting an event that your expectations are so high it adds up. My focus is to keep the girls' emotions level and have them focus on the task at hand. At ORU, we played through the highs and lows of the round and get the end results we're looking for.”
Full daily recaps will be posted Monday and Tuesday on GoBearkats.com, with in-match updates available on Twitter by following @BearkatSports and @SHSUWomenGolf.
