On Friday the Illini women’s golf team will begin play in the 72-hole Big Ten Championships held at the University of Michigan Golf Course in Ann Arbor, Mich. The tournament consists of the 11 Big Ten teams, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the regional tournament.

The Illini have struggled this season with a young team and lack of consistency. They have only one top-five finish. Their main goal for this season was to grow as players and as teammates, but they still think they have a shot at taking home first place in Ann Arbor.

“We have a shot at winning as long as everyone stays focused and plays their own game,” senior co-captain Lyndsey Milligan said.

The Illini want to play well and post four scores in the 70’s in each round. The whole team has done it at some point this season; they just haven’t done it together, junior golfer Megan Godfrey said.

However, the Illini appear to be improving their team play – two weeks ago they won the Illini Spring Classic on their home course with three golfers finishing in the top 10, including medalist freshman Kristine Cook’s even par 72 in the final round. Coming off that win, the team seems poised to raise some eyebrows this weekend.

“I think anytime you win a competition it builds confidence,” head coach Paula Smith said. “Winning our tournament was exciting, and we are going to carry our momentum into Ann Arbor.”

The University of Michigan Golf course is very challenging and requires precision ball placement. In preparation for these conditions, Illinois’ focus in practice for the last two weeks has been on their short game. They have worked a lot on getting up and down and putting on quick two-tiered greens, both of which are vital to success on Michigan’s course.

The last time the Illini played at the course was at the Lady Northern, a Big Ten Championships preview in the fall. The Illinois team did not play well in that tournament, but they are better prepared this time around.

“We have played on a lot of similar courses to Michigan’s since last fall, and I really think that has helped prepare us for this weekend,” Milligan said.

The competition at the tournament is going to be fierce with top-rated teams such as Michigan and Ohio State playing in the field. The favorite to win the tournament is Michigan because they have the benefit of playing on their home course, which is all about positioning and knowing the greens, Cook said.

This weekend will be a big test for the Illinois team, but they aren’t afraid of the competition. Cook admitted there will be some pressure on them to have a good showing, but plans to approach the tournament just as she would any other round of golf she has played this year. Her teammates agreed that a relaxed approach would be the best approach.

“I don’t feel any pressure at all,” Godfrey said. “I just feel excited because we get the chance to show the whole conference how well our team can play.”