Goals clear for UNLV women in spring golf

"Four," not "fore," is the watchword for UNLV's women's golf team this spring.

In the wake of her team's subpar performance in the fall, when the Rebels struggled in four of the five tournaments entered, coach Missy Ringler and her assistant, Amy Bush, looked for something to motivate their players coming into the spring season, which begins today in Tucson, Ariz., at the Wildcat Invitational.

"We were looking for a theme for the spring, and the number four kept coming up," Ringler said. "We're trying for our fourth straight (Mountain West Conference) title, we're looking for our fourth trip to the NCAAs, and we want to make more fours on the par 5s."

The team had T-shirts made up with the No. 4 on the back to remind the players of the objectives. Ringler said if the Rebels can make more birdies on those par 5s, they'll stand a better chance of reaching the other two goals.

"We've got the talent and experience to do it," she said. "We didn't quite click in the fall, and we expect to be a top-20 program. But I think we've got the players to handle that kind of pressure."

UNLV will start senior Natasha Krishna, juniors Therese Koelbaek, Alejandra Guacaneme and Mandi Incorvaia and sophomore Kristen Schelling. Incorvaia, who starred at Palo Verde High School, is the lone newcomer to the starting lineup, having previously played at Southern Utah.

"They've had success before," Ringler said. "I think we're solid one through four, and Mandi is an experienced player. We just want them to go out and play to their capabilities."

If they do, Ringler said she isn't going to worry about where the team places in the first couple of tournaments.

"We're going to be tested," she said of the 54-hole Wildcat Invitational, which concludes Tuesday. "Playing (in Tucson) is going to be like playing in a (NCAA) regional. There are a lot of good teams competing. But we just need to play well and not worry about where we finish."

UNLV's best fall finish was a tie for third at the Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., in late September.

"We're moving forward," Ringler said. "We talked about that after the fall, and everyone's excited to get going and show that we belong with the best teams."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.