By Jennifer Winn
The women”s golf team is heading to the tropics of Hawaii Monday, Oct. 28, for the Rainbow Invitational.
After a two-week break from tournament play, women”s head golf coach Sue Nyhus said the team is ready for the tough competition that awaits it in Hawaii.
“We are looking forward to a great opportunity to improve our status,” Nyhus said.
The difference in climate and elevation from Utah will be a challenge to BYU.
“It”s a little more challenging,” sophomore Natalie Newren from Salt Lake City said. “There”s a lot more wind and it”s a lot harder course. We”re at sea level so the ball doesn”t go as far as up here in Utah.”
The tournament is at the Kapolei Golf Course in Honolulu.
Nyhus agrees that the course in Hawaii is more challenging than those the team typically plays.
“It”s a beautiful Hawaiian golf course,” Nyhus said. “They have Bermuda greens, which we”re not used to. It affects how the ball rolls. It”ll also be really breezy and probably rainy there.”
Because the Cougar”s time spent in Hawaii will be short, teammate Nicole Newren said there will be little time for anything other than golf.
“We don”t get to do a whole lot of sight-seeing while we”re there,” Natalie Newren, who has played in this tournament in past years, said. “On our schedule it says beach, swap meet, U.S.S. Arizona, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Guaranteed we do only one of the four. But hopefully it”ll be fun.”
Nicole Newren, a junior from Salt Lake City and sister of Natalie Newren, is not competing in the Rainbow Invitational, but has competed there in past years with the team.
“The last couple years we haven”t been able to do anything other than golf while in Hawaii,” Nicole Newren, a recreation management major, said. “But we are there for golf. We get to play at some nice golf courses – some of the best.”
The team is hoping to improve from its previous performances this season.
“We haven”t played very well this year,” Natalie Newren said. “But I expect us to play well in Hawaii. Hopefully we can all get our heads together and play a decent round. That”s what we”ve been trying for this whole season, but we”ve lacked behind, kind of like our football team.”
To prepare for the Rainbow Invitational, Natalie Newren said the team has been playing a lot of qualifying rounds.
“We”ve had five rounds of qualifying. It”s pretty intense,” Natalie Newren said. “I think our coach just wants to see more consistent numbers than anything because it”s been so up and down.”
Natalie Newren also said that the team has been focusing on individual goals.
“We need to trust ourselves and feel good about what we”re doing out there,” Natalie Newren said.
Following the Rainbow Invitational, the women”s golf team has one tournament remaining for the fall season.
