Spring is here.

The sun is shining. The birds are chirping.

For most golfers, it’s time to get the clubs out of storage and hit the courses.

But for the Northwestern men’s golf team, it’s not just the beginning. The Wildcats started their spring season in mid-February.

“That’s what’s great about college golf,” NU men’s golf coach Pat Goss said. “When most people are just starting to think about golf, our season is ending.”

Coming off their best performance of the spring, the Cats head to East Lansing, Mich., this weekend for the Fossum Spartan Intercollegiate, their last regular season competition of the year.

The Cats placed fourth two weeks ago at the Kepler Intercollegiate in Columbus, Ohio. NU was in second place and just one stroke off the lead after the first round of the Kepler. But the Cats fell apart the next day.

Individually, NU’s Scott Harrington shot a career-best 1-over 173, one stroke shy of first place.

NU has had success at the Fossum in the past, winning the event by 10 strokes last year and finishing second in 2000. Individually, the Cats have had success, with Chris Thayer placing third and Tom Johnson placing seventh last spring.

Forest Acres West, which Goss called a long “ball striker’s” course, should be favorable for the Cats. Goss said the course is a “simpler version of the Kepler,” but the Cats still must think their way through each hole.

“There’s no faking your way on this one,” he said.

NU’s starting five will be T.C. Ford, Harrington, Johnson, Thayer and Bjorn Widerstedt.

Johnson and Thayer will be looking to repeat last year’s success, while T.C. Ford narrowly beat out teammate Casey Strunk in intrasquad qualifiers this week to make his second trip to the Fossum.

Neither Harrington nor Widerstedt played in the Fossum last spring. Harrington, who also did not play in last year’s Kepler, will look to carry his hot streak through the weekend, while Widerstedt tries to maintain his solid play.

For NU, this time of year is crucial in its quest for an NCAA bid. But unlike previous years, the Cats are not entering the postseason dominating the competition.

“This is a position we’ve never been in,” Harrington said. “There’s a different kind of pressure, but I think it’s good for us.”

Thayer said the team’s improved play over the last few weeks should carry it to NCAA regionals.

“It’s a little more nerve racking,” he said. “But I’m not too concerned about it.”

There are three ways for the Cats to secure an NCAA regional bid: finish sixth or better in the District IV rankings, win the Big Ten championships or receive an at-large bid from the NCAA golf committee.

Currently, the Cats are ranked seventh in District IV and are the three-time defending conference champions.

Goss has no worries about securing an NCAA bid as long as NU continues its solid play through this weekend. Beating divisional teams will be the key, he said.

“When you go 3-1 head-to-head against someone, it’s hard to pick them ahead of you,” Goss said.

Following the Fossum, the Cats will begin postseason play next week at Big Tens in Iowa City, Iowa.

“We’ve been working all year with these last few weeks in mind,” Thayer said.

For Harrington, he thrives on the pressure of playing for an NCAA and Big Ten title.

“Playing in these tournaments is better than any other tournaments I’ve played in over the summer,” he said. “If you like college golf, it’s about as good as it gets.”