Friday will be a long day for the TCU women’s golf team, which will play between 10 to 12 hours straight on 36 holes to begin the first day of the Dallas Athletic Club SMU Invitational.
Head coach Angie Ravaioli-Larkin said the day will be a test of both focus and endurance for her golfers.
“We check in at 8 o’ clock, and typically, we’re done around 6 o’ clock,” she said. “You play straight. They don’t stop in between rounds. We take them there, box lunch and they just continue.”
The team, which ranks No. 50 according to Golfstat, will play Friday into Saturday, with the final 18 holes being played on the second day.
Getting rest and hydration prior to competition has been part of the team’s preparation, senior Kortnie Maxoutopoulis said.
“The 36 holes is a very intense, long day,” she said. “People don’t think golf is very tiring, but when you’re out there and having to focus for that long, it’s really important to put the energy into that one shot.”
During the team’s last outing, Maxoutopoulis led the team to a third-place finish at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic.
She tied for fourth individually at the tournament after shooting an even-par 72 on the last day of competition. With three birdies and an eagle at the tournament, Maxoutopoulis’s performance at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic was the best finish of her TCU career.
Six places behind her was sophomore Kelly McGovern, who birdied two consecutive holes on the tournament’s final day.
After a solid finish at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic, Ravaioli-Larkin said another strong performance this weekend will help build momentum for the Big 12 Championships, which will take place after the Dallas Athletic Club SMU Invitational.
“We’re building momentum, but at the same time, we’re not putting any more pressure on this one tournament,” she said.
Last year in Dallas, the team finished tied for 10th, with Sanna Nuutinen leading the team individually tied at 11th.
Although the team has played in the tournament before, the course at the Dallas Athletic Club will be unfamiliar for the team, Ravaioli-Larkin said.
To prepare, the team travelled to the course on Wednesday to get a feel for the field, Maxoutopoulis said.
“We’ll be able to putt on those greens, get used to the speed and adapt our games in order to be ready to compete,” she said.
But Maxoutopoulis said there is another way she has personally been preparing for tournaments.
“I’ve been going to a lot of Bible studies and being able to find a confidence that doesn’t come from anywhere else but the source,” Maxoutopoulis said. “It’s allowed me to play so much more free and just relaxed on the course.”
