The University of Hawai'i women's golf team opens its spring schedule with The Valley Invitational, Feb. 7-8 at the Bakersfield Country Club.
 
In addition to UH, the 12-team field includes seven Big West Conference members including co-hosts CSU Bakersfield and Cal Poly. Also competing are Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, UC Davis, and UC Irvine. Among the Big West teams, Cal Poly is the highest ranked team at No. 69 followed by UH (100).
 
"We are looking forward to kicking off the spring season in Bakersfield this weekend," UH head coach Stephen Bidne said. "The narrow tree lined course I think will pair well for this line-up. The tournament will have all but two of the Big West teams in the field, so it will be a nice conference championship preview to see how we stack up against everyone."
 
Competitors will play 36 holes on Monday and 18 on Tuesday at the 6,000-yard, par-72 course. Shotgun start begins at 8:00 a.m. PT both days.
 
UH's five-golfer line-up includes Momo Sugiyama, Hyeonji Kang, Hana Mirnik, Monica Johnson, and Mayumi Umezu. Mirnik led the Rainbow Wahine with a 73.7 scoring average in the fall followed closely by Sugiyama (74.4). Each posted an individual win in the fall season.
 
"The team has put in a lot of work on their games this off-season, and their efforts are certainly showing in qualifying and in practice," Bidne said. "Gearing up for this event, we had some of the lowest qualifying rounds I've ever seen in my five years here, so I'm extremely anxious to see what this event and spring season will unveil. I'm looking forward to hopefully a successful trip where we can bring some hardware back to the island. Go 'Bows!"
 
Tournament #6
What: The Valley Invitational
When: Monday, Feb. 7 and Tuesday, Feb. 8
Time: Shotgun start both days, 8:00 a.m. PT
Where: Bakersfield, Calif.
Course: Bakersfield Country Club
Par/Yardage: 72/6,000 yards
Format: Three-days; 54 holes (36 holes on Monday, 18 holes on Tuesday)
Field (12): Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, California Baptist, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, Grand Canyon, Hawai'i, Northern Arizona, San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Davis, UC Irvine
Co-Hosts: CSU Bakersfield and Cal Poly
Live Scoring: www.golfstat.com