Hot off a second-place finish in its last outing, the Ohio State women’s golf team will tee off on its home green Saturday and Sunday at the University Scarlet Course, when the Buckeyes host the 24th annual Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational.

OSU will welcome a field of 10 teams at this weekend’s event; including Indiana, Marshall, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio University and last year’s tournament winner Kent State. Several Big Ten leaders that traditionally attend the event will be absent because of scheduling conflicts, leaving the door open for OSU to step in.

“We’re anticipating that we’ll play well this weekend, and it’s always a welcome advantage to be playing on our home course,” said OSU women’s golf coach Therese Hession. “The winter was kind of rough, so after all that time indoors everyone is prepared to play well.”

The Buckeyes are also riding a wave of confidence after finishing as runners-up at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, held April 4-6 in Athens, Ga. The team posted a final-round score of 293, finishing with a total score of 887 – only 11 strokes behind eventual winner Duke. The strong showing lifted Ohio State in the rankings, as the team jumped from No. 20 to No. 17 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index Poll.

With the Big Ten Championship and NCAA Central Regional tournament quickly approaching – as well as a possible seventh consecutive NCAA Championship berth – the next few weeks will prove pivotal for the OSU lady golfers.

“We placed really well at our tournament in Georgia, and this weekend should be a great preview before NCAA’s because we’ll be facing an incredible field,” said sophomore Lindsay Knowlton. Knowlton placed second on the individual leader board after shooting a career-low score of 216 (71-70-75) at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic.

“Especially after that last competition, this will be a nice way to charge into the next few weeks of big tournament play,” Knowlton said. “Hopefully, a weekend at home will bring a tough challenge and give us some more good experience.”

The Buckeyes, who finished eighth in the NCAA last year, are hoping that momentum will carry their young squad.

“We have a pretty young team, but a lot of players have been gaining good experience this year,” said junior co-captain Allison Hanna. “Our top three are all playing well, and now we’re just waiting for someone to step up and fill the holes.”

Ohio State’s three leading scorers are Knowlton, Hanna and sophomore Kristen White, who was named Big Ten Player of the Week on March 26 following a second-place (224) finish at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational in Austin, Texas. White leads the Buckeyes with a stroke average of 74.

While the entire OSU squad will compete individually at this weekend’s tournament, only six scorers will contribute to the team’s overall record. A qualifying match was held this week to determine who will fill the final three spots.

“Our top three are starting to mesh together really well and are playing consistently,” Knowlton said. “It’s definitely been a good confidence boost for the team – knowing that we can play against some of the best competition in the country.”

Hession said she is pleased with the team’s performance heading into this weekend. The final round has brought the Buckeyes their best stroke average (303-306.4-296.5), as five OSU individuals have posted their strongest scores during closing play.

“We’ve been working a lot on our short game and the girls have been gaining some confidence. The talent is there, and we’re starting to peak at the right time,” Hession said.

Time is definitely a factor, with the Big Ten Championships on April 25-27 in Iowa City, Iowa quickly approaching. The Buckeyes who are defending their championship title, are also returning to the site of Hession’s first Big Ten coaching win with OSU in 1993.

Hession remained focused and said the team will have to first conquer the Lady Buckeye Invitational.

“We just really need to stay focused and try not to get too far ahead of ourselves. If we play like we did in Georgia we won’t have to worry,” she said.

The ladies take to the course for two rounds on Saturday, with an 8:30 a.m. start. They will begin shooting the final round on Sunday, also at 8:30 a.m.