Former pro golfer Bobby Jones once said, "Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a half-inch course, the space between your ears." Nothing could be more true to the Penn State men's golf team.

The Lions will play in the Fossum Invitational Tournament at 9 a.m. tomorrow and then on Sunday, in East Lansing, Mich.

To combat the par-72, 7,013-yard Forest Akers West course, the team is banking on their momentum and confidence at what could be the hardest tournament it will play this year.

"We're coming off three strong tournaments," said freshman Kevin Foley. "A couple third-place finishes and a win, so those were big heading into Michigan State this weekend."

Foley has finished within the top 10 individually in those three tournaments. He finished fourth in the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate, seventh in the Pinehurst Intercollegiate and second in the Marshal Intercollegiate. Last week Foley also battled harsh weather and managed to place 11th at the Kepler Intercollegiate.

The Lions would like every advantage they can get. The 13-team field includes three top-50 teams, No. 45 Wisconsin, No. 21 Charlotte, and No. 29 Michigan State, who is holding the tournament.

"Our biggest challenge is that a lot of the teams we'll be facing have already played this course and we have not," Penn State head coach Greg Nye said. "It will be a big challenge to overcome this deficit."

Although there are a few doubts, the Lions are eager to play with such fierce competition.

"We want to elevate our play," said junior Robert Rohanna. "When we're facing good teams like at this tournament we want to show them what we got and what we can be."

Rohanna has already managed to play at a high level for the Lions, with a third place finish at last week's Kepler and a win at the Marshal Intercollegiate the week before.

Rohanna, as well as the rest of the team, is focusing on the stellar competition it will be facing the rest of the year.

In what is a general preview of the field for next week's Big Ten championships, the 54-hole tournament will include six other Big Ten teams that the Lions.

"The whole team is confident and we've proved ourselves. We want to show people that we can play with anybody," Foley said. "We can contend for the title this weekend."

The Lions hope they can maintain this confident mentality throughout the remainder of the season. They are ranked No. 82 nationally, but intend to play like a team that is much better than that.

"We want to make a big statement this weekend," Foley said. "We're here to play so don't underestimate us."