Women’s golf wraps up regular season this weekend at Ohio State

Before competing for what could be its 14th consecutive conference championship, the Kent  State women’s golf team will have one last invitational this weekend to finish its regular season.

The Lady Buckeye Invitational hosted by No. 28 Ohio State on their Scarlet Course will consist of 12 teams, including No. 31 Michigan State and No. 38 Kansas, ranked by Golfweek’s team rankings.

Of the remaining teams, Kent State will compete against Purdue and Iowa, teams that the Flashes faced off against last weekend. Kent State finished first of the three teams in the Rainy Day Shootout at Purdue.

After a strong outing at the Rainy Day Shootout and earning fourth place, Jennifer Ha will look to repeat her success at last year’s Lady Buckeye Invitational.

“I think she’s playing well, but it’s a tough golf course,” Coach Greg Robertson said. “It fits her game pretty well. It wouldn’t surprise me if she gets it going at the end of this season. That’s what we need, somebody with a little bit of a spark heading into the postseason.”

Ha tied for third place last year in the event on the par-72 course, scoring 9-over-par in three rounds.

The Flashes were a part of the Lady Buckeye last year, finishing in a tie for sixth place with Wisconsin. The Scarlet Course, known as a challenging venue, will serve as the final test for the Flashes before heading into the postseason.

“Playing at Ohio State, being it’s a tough course, you have to play all 18 holes and grind it out,” Robertson said. “It’s a golf course that will expose some weaknesses if you have any. It’ll be a good test and a good tune-up to get the players ready for the MAC Championship and Nationals.”

The Flashes will travel into Columbus facing better weather than they had faced in the downpour that was the SMU Athletics Invitational in Dallas, Texas.

“At this point, we’re ready for anything,” Robertson said. “It’s been such a crazy spring; we’ve played in everything from sun to wind. It’s been a little bit of everything. It would be nice for some sun, but players should be ready for anything at this point.”

The Flashes are prepared for diverse conditions as the Lady Buckeye Invitational kicks off with two rounds on Saturday, with a final round on Sunday in Columbus.

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