MSU Women's Golf Hosts Mary Fossum Invitational
9/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Sept. 10, 2001
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's golf team will kick-off their fall season with the Mary Fossum Invitational Sept. 15-16 at Forest Akers West Golf Course on the Michigan State campus.
The Spartans will host a 14-team field including Eastern Michigan, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio University, Purdue and Wisconsin. Last year Minnesota won the tournament with a team score of 296. Michigan State finished fourth last year (302). The last time MSU won the tournament was in 1998.
"Having our first tournament of the season on our home turf is great," MSU women's golf coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said. "The kids feel comfortable and it's easing them back into competition."
The tournament was renamed from the Spartan Invitational to the Mary Fossum Invitational in 1997 in honor of legendary women's golf coach Mary Fossum, who coached at Michigan State from 1973-1997. During Fossum's tenure, MSU won five straight Big Ten titles from 1974-78 and played in six consecutive AIAW National Championships (1973-1978).
"Besides being my mentor, Mary has been an asset to women's golf in general," Slobodnik-Stoll said. "She was one of the pioneers in women's golf - establishing in 25 years what women's golf is today at Michigan State. She's part of our family and a very important piece in our success."
The tournament will be played Saturday, Sept. 15 (36 holes) and Sunday, Sept. 16 (18 holes) at Forest Akers West. Competition is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday.