The women's golf team swings into action today as they set out to Palos Verdes, Calif. as the top-ranked team in the nation.

The 2003 Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge is Arizona's first spring tournament, and the first time this year it will have a chance to defend it's No. 1 ranking.

Winning is going to be easier said than done though, with nine of the top fifteen teams in the nation set to play. Along with top ranked Arizona, No. 2 Oklahoma State is in the field.

The team is looking to make a statement, but with almost a three-month layoff, rust could be the biggest adversary for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats have won this tournament as a team twice in the last seven years, and the team has featured the top individual performer both of the last two years. Freshman Erica Blasberg, the No. 1 women's golfer in the country, gives the team a good opportunity to complete the hat trick this time out.

Blasberg hasn't finished out of the top three in her last three events, winning the Stanford Women's Intercollegiate. The freshman phenom hasn't had a hard time winning at any level, and she looks to be following in the footsteps of last year's Arizona golf headliner Lorena Ochoa, who went pro after last season.

It takes more than just one sensational freshman to stay at the top, but with three seniors on the team and sophomore Miriam Kraschinski already posting an individual victory this year, Arizona's hold on the top spot looks secure.

This week, they will be leaving All-American freshman Whitney Welch and sophomore Mar Garcia, who finished 20th in her last outing at the Auburn Tiger-Derby Invitational, in Tucson.

With All-American Laura Myerscough ready for action, the team looks to have their best lineup ready for play today. Myerscough missed the last tournament after competing in the World Amateur Golf Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The tournament is a three-day event spanning February 10-12.