Minnesota’s women’s golf team closes out its fall season this weekend at the Furman Golf Course in Greenville, S.C.

But the 34th annual Lady Paladin Invitational, from today to Sunday, will be anything but a leisurely end to the short season for the Gophers.

Seven of the 23 teams in the field are ranked, led by No. 2 Auburn and No. 4 Georgia. The Bulldogs won the invitational in record-setting fashion last year and were pegged by coach Katie Weiss as the favorites to win again.

Weiss said the Gophers, who finished 12th at the invitational last year, will need big things out of their top two players, junior Sarah Butler and senior Terra Petsinger. Team members said the Gophers are hoping to improve on their ninth-place finish two weekends ago at the Shootout at the Legends in Indianapolis, where Butler led the way, finishing tied for 28th individually.

“We’ve had a great week of practice and a good round (Thursday),” Weiss said. “We’ll need Sarah and Terra to play especially well with the great competition in this field.”

Swimming and diving teams take on alumni

A week before their first intercollegiate competitions of the year, Minnesota’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will compete in the annual alumni meet at 7 p.m. today in the University Aquatic Center.

“We approach it as more of a fun meet,” women’s co-head coach Terry Nieszner said. “It’s geared toward the alumni and more of a homecoming event than anything.”

Nieszner said the meet is a good chance for the athletes to meet former swimmers, and the intensity level varies by year.

“Some of our kids will be racing some of their better events,” Nieszner said. “But, really, it’s just a great chance for them to get some advice from alums.”

Men’s basketball public scrimmage Saturday

Minnesota’s men’s basketball team will hold an intrasquad scrimmage at 10 a.m. Saturday at Williams Arena.

The scrimmage is free and open to the public.