GRIP IT AND RIP IT ? The 2008-09 Western Michigan golf season gets under way at the 2008 Nittany Lion Women's Invitational in State College, Pa., marking the second-straight year WMU will participate in the tournament.
A FRESH LOOK ? This season the Broncos have five freshmen on the team, the most since the program's second season (1999-200) when WMU had six newcomers. In contrast, the only season Western Michigan had no freshmen was in 2005-06.
Maria DeMarco, Leah Grawburg, Brooke Hovenkamp and Katrina Templar all hail from the state of Michigan, while Briana May was imported from Barrie, Ontario.
The 2008-09 season also marks the fourth time in program history, and first since the 2003-04 campaign, that Western Michigan is without a senior on the roster.
YEAR - FRESHMEN
1999-2000 - 6
2008-09 - 5
2003-04 - 4
2001-02 - 3
1998-99 -3
2007-08 - 2
2006-07 - 2
2004-05 - 2
2002-03 - 2
2000-01 - 2
2005-06 - 0
RETURNING TO THE SCENE ? The Nittany Lion Invitational is the site of now volunteer coach Laura Bavaird's second individual medalist performance of the 2007-08 season.
The lowest score among the 2008-09 returnees belonged to sophomore Britney Hamilton, who finished in a tie for eighth and carding 79-77 in the opening two rounds and closed things out with a career-low 3-over par 75.
SEEING THE FIELD ? The field of 15 teams will play the Penn State Blue Course with 36 holes (shot gun start) being played on Saturday, beginning at 8:30 a.m., and the final 18 on Sunday. The field will have tee-times beginning at 7:45 a.m., going off both the first and 10th tee.
Along with the Broncos, three other Mid-American Conference teams will participate in this year's tournament ? Ball State, Bowling Green and Ohio.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY ? The Nittany Lion Invitational started in 1974 and has been played 31 times since then. Penn State has won 17 of the tournaments and only 10 other schools have claimed the title including Princeton, Nebraska, Ohio State, Longwood and UC-Irvine. Penn State's last title came in 2006. Penn State has also had 11 individual medalists, two of them have come in the last three competitions.
MAC SUCCESS ? Western Michigan finished fourth out of 14 teams in its first time in the tournament a year ago. The MAC team to have the most success was Bowling Green in 1986. The Falcons captured the team title with a score of 640 (two rounds).
TROUT'S TIPS ? “With the youngest team I've had in many years, I am anxious to see how we perform at Penn State. Elise [Swartout] had an outstanding summer with her golf game, so there is no reason to believe anything will change for her. Britney [Hamilton] is coming off wrist surgery and yet loves hitting her driver a mile down the fairway. Steph [Koske] is looking stronger than last year off the tee as well, which will make hitting the greens in regulation that much easier. As usual, it will probably all come down to who is puttingi the best. As for the freshmen, Leah [Grawburg] and Maria [DeMarco] will round out our line-up and I know they are excited to represent the Broncos!”
NEXT ON THE TEE ? Western Michigan will next travel to East Lansing, Mich., for the Mary Fossum Invitational. It will mark the fifth time the Broncos were entered into the field, but the first since the 2004-05 season. The Broncos' best finish came in the fall of 2002 when they tied for eighth place,
