Cal heads to Palm Beach Gardens Golf Course in Florida for the Palm Beach Gardens Regional this weekend. The tournament is co-hosted by Florida Atlantic and the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and will span from May 8-10.

Cal has been invited to participate in this 12-team tournament alongside an extremely talented pool of golfers from other universities, including No. 3 LSU, No. 10 Texas and No. 15 Northwestern. The top five teams from the regional tournament will advance to the largest NCAA championship field in women’s golf history, consisting of 27 to 30 teams.

Looking at their past performance, it is undeniable that the Bears have a good chance of finishing in the top five and advancing to the NCAA championship. This year marks the 22nd NCAA regional appearance for Cal as it aims to qualify for the NCAA championship for the fifth time in a decade.

Cal’s lineup for the most important tournament thus far this season looks very promising. Cal freshman Olivia Lee from the United Kingdom is set to tee off first at 8:55 a.m. Monday. Despite minor struggles in the first round of the Pac-12 championships, Lee proved her worth by climbing up the table after two consecutive, consistent rounds.

Next in the lineup is another freshman, Adora Liu. After a spectacular performance in the last competition as the super substitute, finishing with an even score in the third round, Liu looks to make yet another significant impact for the ambitious Bears.

Scheduled to tee off after Liu is none other than junior Mika Jin, a veteran golfer who has considerable NCAA regional experience from last year’s tournament at Stillwater. Although Jin did not perform well in the Pac-12 tournament, it is expected that her experience in highly competitive regional competition will make a positive difference to the team.

As for the last two golfers in the lineup, Cal surely saves the best for last. Teeing off after Mika Jin is graduate Annika Borrelli, the highest-ranked golfer from Cal in the Pac-12 championships and the Silverado Showdown. Considered as one of the most consistent players on the team, Borrelli participated in every single tournament this season, turning in strong results.

Last to tee off, but most certainly not least, is junior Cristina Ochoa, who has proven time and again to be the backbone of the team. Ochoa enters this competition with Cal’s best scoring average of 73.8. Despite recent setbacks, Ochoa has finished most tournaments as the highest ranked Cal golfer, including at the Ping/ASU Invitational and Meadow Club Invitational.

Nevertheless, a roster filled with highly talented golfers alone is not enough for Cal to place in the top five.

The Palm Beach Gardens regional is a stepping stone for the Bears to be presented with the opportunity to shine on a national stage. With so much on the line, it is vital for Cal’s talent to step up.