The Washington women’s golf team will see its first action of the season today when it tees off at the 27th annual Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational in Redmond, Wash. Facing elite competition, the Huskies hope the three-day event’s home atmosphere will play to their advantage.

This year’s competitors include Brigham Young University, California, California Long Beach, Eastern Washington, Idaho, New Mexico State, Oregon, Oregon State, San Francisco, New Mexico and Washington State. Stanford, BYU, and New Mexico State were all ranked last season.

“Stanford always has a great team, and New Mexico and BYU have some very good rosters right now,” said coach Mary Lou Mulflur. “It’s a little bit of a different field than we’re used to, but there are some great teams and golfers ready to play,”

Sahalee Country Club, the home of the event, is noted for its long, narrow fairways. The Huskies are used to the grounds though, and ready for the challenge.

“I think everybody is excited to get going,” said Mulflur. “We’re in a good frame of mind and for our tournament it’s going to be about knowing the golf course. The more you play on it, the wider it gets.”

Washington boasts a great balance of talent, despite being a predominantly young team. The Dawgs must take advantage of their strengths if they hope to see success this week.

“We’ve got some players that can hit it very long, and I think that especially helps at Sahalee,” said Mulflur. “And the freshmen fit right into that mold, with solid, short games.”

Reach reporter Ben Foutz at sports@dailyuw.com.