The Northwestern women’s golf team knows what it wants heading into the Central Region championships.

The Wildcats are headed to East Lansing, Mich., where they’ll be one of 21 teams vying for the region’s eight spots in the national round, which starts today. The Cats are seeded 13th this year in a region packed with seven other Big Ten squads.

“Most of these teams we (have) already competed against,” coach Chris Regenberg said. “Our chances of being in the top eight are great.”

This is the third straight year that NU has qualified for regionals. Last year, the Cats placed 15th, failing to qualify for nationals.

Sisters Hana and Ina Kim will lead the charge into East Lansing. Sophomore Hana has the lowest average on the team, while her younger sister is second. Both players have finished in the top 10 of three tournaments this season. They will try to guide the Cats against the stiff competition of Big Ten champion Ohio State and top-seeded Oklahoma State. Last year’s Central Region champion, Tulsa, is the No. 2 seed.

Regenberg, however, isn’t too worried about the competition.

“You’re virtually playing against the golf course,” she said. “It’s the common enemy.”

The tournament, played at the Forest Akers West Golf Course, will conclude on Saturday after three 18-hole rounds.

Unless there is lightning, players are required to play through inclement weather. It rained Wednesday during the Cats’ only practice round, which was the first time that many NU players had the chance to play on the newly remodeled 6,053-yard course, which is short in comparison to most Division I tournament sites.

“Because of the short length of the course, I will be thinking about getting a lot of birdies,” Hana Kim said.

Doing well this weekend can help the Cats get over a disappointing showing at the conference tournament, where they finished seventh to end the regular season.

Last year, NU placed second in the league tourney – its best finish ever. The Cats also won two tournaments last spring season and finished in the top three another five times. NU entered this season with high hopes, ranked 16th nationally. But the Cats soon saw the season slip away and now enter the postseason ranked 34th. NU placed fifth or better only three times this year, with its best showing of third place coming at the Big 12 Invitational.

Two years ago, NU placed second in the regional tournament and advanced to nationals in Sunriver, Ore., where it finished last.

Despite the Cats’ recent shortcomings and less-than-stellar play two years back, Regenberg remains optimistic for a good finish at regionals

“Historically, this has been a good golf course for us,” she said. “It favors people who have good short games. It plays into our strengths.”

In a game where there is little team interaction, the NU coach still sees her players as part of a whole.

“Anyone on the team can have the low score of the day, ” she said. “It’s hard to differentiate between any of them.”

Even if the Cats don’t finish in the top eight, their players can still qualify individually for nationals, which begin May 21. The top two individuals at regionals who don’t receive automatic invitations with their teams will receive bids to the tournament in Auburn, Wash.

Whether or not the Cats place in the top eight this weekend, Hana Kim will be relying on a little luck to help her make it to nationals.

“I always carry a pink golf ball in my bag with me,” she said.