No. 3 Stanford women’s golf begins its spring season this weekend with the Peg Barnard Invitational at the Stanford Golf Course. The two-day tournament annually brings in some of the best teams on the West Coast, and this season is no exception. Despite the conspicuous absence of top-ranked USC, the Cardinal will face four Pac-12 foes, three of which (Washington, Cal and Colorado) are ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation.

Historically, the Cardinal’s home-course advantage has paid off in this event, as they have won two out of the past three years. With many rounds of experience, the Cardinal know which holes to play conservatively, such as the tricky par-4 sixth, and which holes are potential birdie opportunities, like the fourth and 11th.

After a surprising run to the national championship last season, the Cardinal recorded two victories in their four fall tournaments, taking first in both the Branch Law Firm Invitational and the Stanford Intercollegiate.

Contact Sanjay Srinivas at sanjay_srinivas ‘at’ stanford.edu.