The Georgia women’s golf team will enjoy home-field advantage this weekend as it competes in the 37th annual Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic at the UGA Golf Course, beginning at 9.am. and ending Sunday.

With 12 teams ranked in the top 25 set to tee it up, playing on home turf may be the edge it needs.

“I think it offers us a familiarity playing on our home facility, and you know, I think it’s a huge advantage. You just understand it a little better, and you know where to miss it a little better, so hopefully it will make a difference,” coach Kelley Hester said.

Unfortunately, the Lady Bulldogs may have an unforeseen opponent in the weather with sloppy conditions expected for the weekend.

“I mean, it is what it is, we were able to get, I think, all the golf in today, which is good,” Hester said. “We will just do the best we can with this weather, and we’ve played in poor weather before, so that won’t really be anything new. So hopefully our kids know the best places to go on this golf course and the areas that collect more water and what not, so if anything that may be a touch of an advantage for us.”

The nasty weather isn’t expected to impede the tournament, though.

“I don’t think it will. We’re certainly going to try to get in 54 holes, and I know Sunday looks good, so we’re in good shape there, and if tomorrow doesn’t go very well hopefully we can get in extra holes on Saturday if we need to,” Hester said.

Along with being at home, the Lady Dogs also have two golfers fresh off a victory after senior Mallory Hetzel and freshman Marta Silva Zamora tied for the medalist honors in their last tournament – the UNLV Spring Invitational – and that has Hester feeling great about the team’s chances.

“Well, we’ve got Mallory and Marta coming fresh off a win, so they’ve got a lot of confidence, and I think they’ll help lead the team, and I think we’re right where we need to be this time of year,” Hester said.

Georgia won the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic last year in a playoff against Purdue. Tied at 900 with each other, Georgia recorded four pars on the second playoff hole to edge the Boilermakers to win its 13th home-course title.

With so many of the country’s best women’s golfers in town, Hester hopes the Athens community will take time to come catch a glimpse of the future in women’s golf.

“We’d love for folks to come out and watch,” Hester said. “And if they are worried about the weather, Sunday should be good, so we’d just love for folks to come out and watch and see some of the best golfers in the country.”