Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Open 2009-10 Campaign at Mary Fossum Invitational
9/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Sept. 12, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern begins its second season under head coach Emily Fletcher's watch, as the Wildcats open up the 2009-10 campaign at the Mary Fossum Invitational in East Lansing, Mich, Saturday and Sunday. It will be the first test for coach Fletcher's squad, who just missed qualifying for last season's NCAA tournament.
"It has definitely served as a source of motivation for us during the offseason," said Fletcher. "We remember how disappointed we felt and challenged ourselves to do something everyday (during the off season) to get better, so that when we returned to action in September, we can keep up that momentum gained in the spring."
The Wildcats return nearly all of their scorecard from last season, one in which NU saw dramatic improvements from the fall season to the spring. Juniors Rebecca Lederhausen (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale), Kelsey Lindenschmidt (West Chester, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) and Innapha Tantanavivat (Bangkok, Thailand/David Leadbetter Academy) will be looked to lead the Wildcats this year, as each of them posted at least one top-10 finish in 2008-09.
Northwestern's sophomore class of Kylie Fuller (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal), Caroline King (Pepper Pike, Ohio/Orange) and Alexandra Lederhausen (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale) played a key role for the 'Cats last year and now have an extra year of experience under their belts. Fletcher is also extremely excited about this year's incoming freshman class, consisting of Mei Liu (Austin, Texas/Lake Travis), Anne Ormson (Granger, Ind./St. Joseph's) and Lauren Weaver (Scottsdale, Ariz./Cactus Shadows). All three had outstanding high school careers and should provide immediate depth to the squad.
This year's Mary Fossum Invitational will be held at the Forest Akers West Golf Course, a par-72 course which measures 6,236 yards. The 54-hole tournament will be broken up over two days, with 36 holes being played Saturday and the final 18 on Sunday.
The field will be a great early season challenge for the Wildcats, with Big Ten opponents Purdue (No. 9) and Michigan State (No. 20) both boasting top-20 rankings to start the season. Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota are additional conference Northwestern will face, with Eastern Michigan, Ferris State (Fletcher's alma mater), Grand Valley State, James Madison, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Oakland, Ohio, Toledo and Western Michigan rounding out the field of 17.
Live scoring of all three rounds of the Mary Fossum Invitational are available at Golfstat.com.
