The No. 4 LSU women’s golf team thought things were finally falling into place following the lowest 36-hole score in school history two weekends ago, but two Lady Tigers have not been as fortunate.LSU will be without two of its top players this weekend when it travels to the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championships in Knoxville, Tenn.Junior All-American Megan McChrystal was diagnosed with a virus, and sophomore Tessa Teachman has the flu. Both players will not make the trip.Teachman had just started to develop a rhythm on the course, firing a 5-under 139 par at the Mason Rudolph Championship on Sept. 27, to help the Lady Tigers grasp the lowest score in the school’s 31-year history.”We’re going to give a couple girls the opportunity to play,” said LSU women’s golf coach Karen Bahnsen. “I’m excited to see these two new girls play.”The two players Bahnsen is referring to are juniors Abby Oberthier and Lindy LaBauve.Oberthier hasn’t seen the course yet for LSU this year, while LaBauve’s only appearance came in the first round of the NGCA/Hooters Collegiate Match Play back in early September, where she shot a 14-over 158.As if the loss of McChrystal and Teachman isn’t enough, LSU will also have to deal with   inclement weather.Precipitation has found its way onto Fox Den Country Club the last three days, requiring the Lady Tigers to cancel their practice round Thursday.Though soggy weather is forecast for the weekend, this isn’t the first time this season LSU has dealt with weather issues.The second round at the Mason Rudolph Championship was wiped out because of an all-day washout.”We’ve played in this weather before, so we’re prepared,” Bahnsen said.Despite the obstacles, LSU is no stranger to Fox Den’s par-72, 7,100-yard course. The Lady Tigers shot a 1-over 865 last year en route to the tournament title.”It’s going to play very different this year because it’s wet, and we have a different lineup,” Bahnsen said. “We only have two people that have seen the golf course now.”The 18-team field, set to tee off this morning, will have another championship caliber feel to it, with No. 8 Florida, No. 12 Wake Forest, No. 18 South Carolina, No. 21 Tennessee-Chattanooga, No. 23 Tennessee and No. 24 Ohio State competing, among others.Bahnsen said this weekend will be a test for her team, but she isn’t too worried because of the total team effort she has been receiving this year.”Everyone is contributing, and that’s what it takes to be successful at this level,” she said. “Anybody on this team can shoot a low score at any given day.”The Lady Tigers were well rounded in their first three tournaments, getting contributions from the bottom half of their lineup.Junior Amalie Valle finished fifth on the team at the Mason Rudolph, even though she shot a solid, two-round total of 6-over 150.With only one tournament left in the fall after this weekend, Bahnsen feels her team is making the right progress to get ready for the spring portion of the schedule.”We’re getting where we are shooting more and more lower scores,” she said. “Finishing sixth [at the Mason Rudolph] wasn’t terrible, but do we feel like we can compete at a higher level? Absolutely. We’re working our way toward it.”—-Contact Sean Isabella at [email protected]