The Alabama women’s golf team has had three and a half months to prepare since their last tournament. Team members hope that their hard work will finally pay off this weekend.

Flying three and a half hours away, No. 6 Alabama will tee off in the Lady Puerto Rico Classic this Saturday against many SEC schools, including Auburn, Missouri, Arkansas and Georgia.

(See also “Tide to end preseason this weekend“)

“We won the tournament last year, but at the same time, the team is different,” sophomore Emma Talley said. “Arkansas came in second last year, and they’re actually ranked above us. We had a rough start in the fall, and we kind of got it together at the end of the fall. I think this winter, our team has prepared very well, and everyone seems to be more focused. ”

After the Lady Puerto Rico Classic, the Crimson Tide will compete each weekend for a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. The tournament schedule consists of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate, the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, the Liz Murphey College Classic and the SEC Championship. Coach Mic Potter said he welcomes the continuous schedule.

“Physically and logistically, the girls have got to make sure they’re ahead of the game academically,” Potter said. “They’ve got to take responsibility for that. Golf-wise, I think it’s the best thing for us because we’re going to be in warm weather in Puerto Rico, and we’ll have a little more of an opportunity to find out where we really stand. Hopefully, we will play well there and can carry some momentum into New Orleans next week.”

(See also “Former UA golfer starts career with win“)