The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Head West for The Gold Rush
2/26/2017 | Women's Golf
The Ole Miss women's golf team didn't perform up to its own standards in its spring season opener in Port St. Lucie, Florida-but head coach Kory Henkes and her team have put it in the past as they head west for their next challenge: The Gold Rush at Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach, California.
"We want to put that tournament behind us now that we've addressed the issues. We talked about it with the girls. We had a very candid conversation about what went right, what went wrong and what we need to do to get better," Henkes said. "I think they learned a lot from the last event."
Harris Returns
Junior Katy Harris makes her way back into the lineup for Ole Miss this weekend, and Henkes is excited to see what she can do after staying home for last weekend's Central District Invitational.
"Katy is a competitor," Henkes said. "She doesn't like to get beat, and that's what we need in there. We need someone in there who has that fight in them and who wants to be a leader on the team. I'm excited to see what she can do. I know she's excited to get back out there."
Harris leads the Rebels in scoring average (73.5 per 18 holes), and she closed the fall with a tournament win at the Palmetto Intercollegiate. However, her team-qualifying effort wasn't enough to earn a trip to Port St. Lucie. After sitting the last one out, she'll be playing with a little extra fire this weekend.
"You can tell that her practice has been more diligent," Henkes said of Harris. "She told me when she missed the last event, 'I don't ever want this to happen again. This is my fault. I'm not going to not be in the lineup again.' She's been working really hard."
The West Awaits
The Rebels will compete against a strong 14-team field, featuring Ole Miss as the only team not hailing from the Mountain or Pacific Time Zone.
"We like to switch it up and play against West Coast, Midwest and East Coast teams," Henkes said. "I think it's good for these student-athletes to get to see different parts of the world, different types of golf courses with different grass. In the LPGA, you're in a different time zone every week it seems like, so it's good preparation for them. I think they're excited."
The field will tee off in a shotgun start Monday at 10 a.m. CT. Ole Miss will be paired with Boise State and Colorado State for the 36-hole first day.
Ole Miss Lineup
1. Pi-Lillebi Hermansson, Freshman
2. Martina Flori, Junior
3. Maria Toennessen, Senior
4. Kie Purdom, Sophomore
5. Katy Harris, Junior
*Madisen Bentley, Senior
* = Competing as an individual
The Field
Boise State
BYU
Colorado State
Fresno State
Gonzaga
Idaho
Long Beach State
Montana
Nevada
Ole Miss
San Jose State
Santa Clara
UC Irvine
UC Riverside
Course Snapshot
Old Ranch Country Club
Seal Beach, California
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,097
About the Course
Old Ranch Country Club will host The Gold Rush for the third consecutive year. The Rebels played in this event at Old Ranch a year ago, giving them some familiarity with the playing surface.
"We have some tight, tree-lined holes with water. Greens can get quick and undulating. It's a really nice course," Henkes said. "It's actually been raining a lot out there. We're supposed to get some rain, and 60 degrees is the high, so it's going to be a little cool. But it's a great course and we're looking forward to it."
Junior Martina Flori will be a key resource for the Rebels this weekend. She's the only player on this year's roster who played in last year's Gold Rush.
"We're going to look to her leadership around the course and in the practice round," Henkes said of Flori. "We've got our yardage books from last year that we can share. Coach Drew and I have been there, so we can help everyone with a game plan."
For all Ole Miss women's golf news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWGolf and Facebook at Ole Miss Women's Golf.
