After a disappointing start to the season, the ASU women's golf team has a chance to redeem itself today when competing in the 24th annual Comcast/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.
The three-day, 54-hole event hosted by New Mexico will take place at the par 73, 6,069-yard UNM Championship Course.
The Sun Devils opened the fall season last weekend with an 18th-place finish at the NCAA Fall Preview. This week, they look to erase that event from their memory. But head coach Melissa McNamara doesn't want her team to peak too early.
"I want to peak at the end of season," she said. "It should be a slow and steady climb, giving a chance for the players to prove themselves in competition."
When ASU hits the links today, there will be three familiar faces from last week's group. Sun Devil senior Blair O'Neal is returning from an 18th-place finish at the Fall Preview.
Also back are freshman Alissa Kuczka, who finished 62nd, and sophomore Erin Tone, who turned in an 80th-place finish. Tone will represent the Sun Devils as their lone individual competitor.
Sophomore Josefin Gustafsson, senior Melanie Hunt and freshman Meredith Jones will be playing in their first tournament of the fall. Gustafsson, who appeared in eight tournaments last year, compiled a 77.87 scoring average. Her best outing came in the form of an 18th-place finish at the New Mexico State Invitational.
Hunt competed in nine tournaments last year, averaging 76.88 strokes per round. She finished tied for 14th place last spring at the Arizona Invitational. Jones, a product of Marist High School (Eugene, Ore.), will make her collegiate debut.
"My goal is to evaluate the talent on the team," McNamara said. "Giving everyone a chance to compete is the best way to do that evaluation."
Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
