VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WTKR)- It's a big week for the Old Dominion women's golf team as the Monarchs will get to showcase their skills for family, friends and fans of golf in Hampton Roads.
The Evie Odom Invitational tees off Friday morning at Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach. The tournament runs through Sunday and is ODU's lone home match of the season. An event has been hosted by the silver and blue at the venue since the fall of 2018 (with the exception of 2020) and the tournament was renamed to honor Odom in 2021.
"In golf, you're always on the road, you're always traveling, you're always at somebody else's place," noted Old Dominion head coach Mallory Kane. "I felt like we had an opportunity there to host."
"I've heard it's the best event of the season," said junior golfer Carley Rudolf, a Virginia Beach native in her first year at ODU. "Princess Anne does a great job for this event. They do everything. Since the beginning of the year, they're working on this event for us and it's very special."
Old Dominion enters the 2023 edition of the tournament hoping to fare better than last year's 11th place finish. Senior Klara Wildhaber is teeing off in the event for the second time and feels like her team might be a little bit more ready to go this time around.
"I think last year we had so many tournaments before this one and we couldn't really focus on this one as much as I think we wanted to," Wildhaber pointed out. "This year we've really been practicing here a lot, playing here a lot, so I think we're a lot more prepared."
15 teams from all across the country will take part this weekend. It will be a good chance for area golf fans to see some of the top collegiate talent in the country just two blocks from the Oceanfront.
"I think a lot of times, when it's your home event, you maybe put a little too much pressure on yourself and we certainly have done that in years past," Kane said of the home environment. "My message to them this week was to just have fun, embrace the opportunity to play at home, play with their family and friends watching and keep a smile on their face."
"They're going to get an opportunity to see some of the best golf from our women collegiate golfers from across the country," added Matt Liebler, director of golf at Princess Anne Country Club. "It's a unique experience to get up close and personal, see some of the greatest golf swings you're going to see, some very good golf played and just out there managing the golf course. It's going to be a lot of fun."
Evie Odom, the tournament's namesake, made the largest financial contribution to a women's sport in Old Dominion's history.
In addition to Old Dominion, competing teams include Tennessee-Chattanooga, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, East Carolina, Furman, Indiana, James Madison, Kent State, Missouri, North Florida, Notre Dame, Penn State, Sacramento State and Central Florida.
