With the first weekend of spring break right around the corner, the members of the Marquette men's golf team won't have any trouble deciding their plans.
Instead of partying in Panama City or Daytona Beach, they'll be staying in Dade City, Fla. for the Ron Smith/USF Invitational starting Thursday. The tournament kicks off the men's spring season.
After not competing as a team since November, senior Dustin Schwab said the men are itching to get back on the links for Marquette.
"We're prepared," Schwab said. "We've gone on a couple trips the last couple weekends, so we're pretty much in good form. We're all very confident, and I think we can do very well."
The invite will be held at the Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club, the same course that will host this year's Big East Championship beginning on April 18. The team knows the course, as many of the older Golden Eagles competed in the tournament last year.
"It's a course that all of us have played before, so were familiar with it," sophomore Ben Sieg said. "We spent eight or nine days out in normal weather the last few weeks, so I think we're prepared and ready to go."
Not only is the tournament the first of the spring season, it will also provide the Golden Eagles a chance to see where they stack up with some familiar foes.
Conference rivals South Florida, Cincinnati, DePaul, Connecticut, Louisville and Seton Hall will all be competing down in Florida, as the seven Big East participants make up a large portion of the 24-team field. However, coach Tim Grogan said he's only concerned with how Marquette plays.
"We never really care about the other teams," Grogan said. "We care about how we play. If we play up to our team's abilities, the results will take care of themselves, and they'll be pretty good."
As for a specific opponent, Sieg said he's set his sights on Louisville, who handily defeated Marquette in the fall at the Cardinal Classic in late September.
"They kicked our (butts) in the fall, but that was their home course," Sieg said. "It'll be nice to get them on a neutral course; It'll be like a preview of the Big East Tournament."
While Marquette will be looking for its first team championship of the 2008-'09 season, senior standout Mike Van Sickle will be gunning for his third-consecutive title at the USF Invitational.
Van Sickle, who won by four strokes in 2008 and one stroke in 2007, is coming off a great fall season in which he took home three championships, including the final one at the Pacific Invitational in Stockton, Calif.
Grogan said he is looking for Van Sickle to continue his winning ways, especially on a course in which he's had so much success.
"He's played well here the last two years," Grogan said. "He likes the course, and he's coming off a real strong fall. He'll look to find similar results that he's had in the past couple years."