The Sacramento State women’s golf team is in the final stretch of its 2013-14 season and head coach David Sutherland will be evaluating the women’s individual performance leading up to the Big Sky Championship.

“We are at a point in the season now where we’re so close to our conference (tournament),” Sutherland said. “We’re really narrowing it down to those five gals who are going to go.”

Four of the women he knows for sure, but right now he does not want to give out the names because the spots are contingent on how well they perform leading up to their final scheduled tournament.

“It’s always difficult, particularly this year where we don’t have clear distinction between our top-5 and No. 6-8 players,” Sutherland said.

Sophomores Natalie Bodnar and Rockelle Sande are the two players that have competed to round out the No. 5 spot. Bodnar has appeared in only three tournaments this year placing in the top-30 twice.

Sande has played in six of the seven tournaments this season, but competed as an individual in three of those appearances. She has recorded a top-30 finish three times thus far.

“I’ve had other years where it was just obvious and there wasn’t much anxiety to it, but we’ll see how it plays out,” Sutherland said. “Hopefully I’ll make the right decision.”

Sutherland assesses each player individually by seeing what players displayed the most consistent numbers throughout the season when choosing who gets to travel for the final tournament.

Senior Tiffany Nichols has qualified for each tournament this season, where she has recorded four top-30 finishes for the Hornets. Although, her current overall stroke average compared to last season is up by a full stroke going from 77.19 to 78.38.

“Qualifying (to travel) in itself can be tougher than qualifying for a tournament, because once you’re there, you’re there,” Nichols said.

In the Red Rocks Invitational in March, Nichols’ mom purchased plane tickets before knowing if the senior was going, which made it a little stressful.

“You really have to prove yourself out there (during practice), and go shoot some good scores,” Nichols said. “It’s a lot of pressure on you.”

Sutherland has credited Sagee Palavivatana as the most competitive and hardest working athlete on the team. In the last couple of tournaments she displayed scattered scores, but her work ethic and positive approach has earned her a spot in the top-5.

Palavivatana is one of the center pieces of the Hornets squad according to Sutherland, and the team’s success is contingent on how well she performs on the course. The junior’s only top-5 finish this season came when Sac State won its tournament in Hawaii.

“I’m more concerned with the girls that I don’t take, particularly this year where they won’t be seniors,” Sutherland said. “I want to make sure they understand that it isn’t something personal against them.”

Sutherland will sit down with them and discuss his decision, and he said it does get emotional at times for the women that do not make the cut. He said it is the most stressful thing he has to deal with as a coach.

“I try to be honest with them, tell them the reasoning behind the decision and particularly in this year, where it’s so close amongst our No. 5 and 6 players,” Sutherland said.

In those situations he hopes one of the golfers will edge out her competition in practice to make the choice more clear-cut, but that was not the case at all this season. The competition between Bodnar and Sande has been equal during practice and tournaments.

“I think we’re going to win the tournament this year,” Sutherland said. “I think we have a real strong team and (they) certainly have so much experience this year. I just feel like this is a special group.”

The Hornets will take the course for their final scheduled tournament of the season on April 21 in Chandler, Ariz., looking to advance from the Big Sky Championship to the NCAA Tournament.