In its season opener, the ISU women’s golf team will begin its season at an event that has treated the Cyclones kindly in recent years.

Though three freshmen starters—Celia Barquin, M.J. Kamin and Nattapan Siritrai—will all be competing for the first time collegiately this week at the Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., the other two starters have enjoyed success in recent years at the University of New Mexico Championship Course.

The program’s last team victory came at this event in 2012 and junior Cajsa Persson has two top-10 finishes to her name on a course that suits her eye.

“I love that course. It’s always exciting going back to courses you’ve played well at before,” Persson said, who tied for seventh place in last year’s event. “With a new team this year, I’m just really excited to see what we can do.”

ISU head coach Christie Martens has confidence that Persson, along with senior Chonlada “Koy” Chayanun, will be able to lead the Cyclones against a field that features three other teams in the top 25 of the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

“It’s a course that we, as a team, have played well at, especially Cajsa,” Martens said. “This course has a lot of [feasible] par-5’s that Cajsa and Koy can take advantage of and reach in two [strokes].”

In a combined number of 75 par-5 holes in last year’s event, Iowa State’s five starters posted a 21-under total, including a 10-under mark by Chayanun and Persson.

With five par-5s on the 6,192 yard, par-73 layout, Iowa State will look to replicate its par-5 success from last year, when it posted a third place finish out of a field of 16 teams.

Assistant coach Pina Gentile expressed confidence in her three freshman to be able to step in and contribute right away, despite not having the length of the tee that Chayanun and Persson possess.

“I think that they’re both going to be ready to contribute, for sure, at the start of it,“ Gentile said. “As the course of the season goes on, everyone’s going to continue to get better, but I think they’ll definitely be ready.”

The No. 26 Cyclones will be up against last year’s team champion, Pepperdine, who will return to defend its title. The No. 12 Waves are also the highest ranked team in the field.

Individual champion Cassy Isagawa of Oregon will not return to defend her title, as the Ducks are not in this year’s field.

During the 2013-2014 season, Iowa State posted an 18-10 comparative record against teams in this week’s field, but only a 2-8 mark against Pepperdine, No. 14 Northwestern and No. 16 Oklahoma State, the three teams ahead of Iowa State in the field.

The Dick McGuire Invitational will take place Sept. 15 and 16, with 36 and 18 holes played respectively.