The Wisconsin women’s golf team set a team record Sunday at the Lady Paladin Invitational in Greenville, S.C., by scoring the lowest 54-hole total in team history at 865, breaking the previous record of 870.
“It was amazing,” senior Kris Yoo said. “We couldn’t have done it without everyone though. It was a real team effort.”
The Badgers competed against 15 other teams at the Furman University Golf Course and found themselves in third place heading into Sunday’s round. A ferocious charge on the back nine in the final round of play propelled the squad to the first place finish. The team finished with a score of 1-over-par (290-294-281). Clemson University took second place with a respectable 3-over-par effort (287-291-289). Both teams displayed striking skill while topping other distinguished teams such as Florida State University and Texas A&M.
“We were very solid and very consistent all weekend…We just played an amazing back nine,” head coach Todd Oehrlein said. “It was a special day for us, a real great moment.”
At the center of the team’s record-setting performance was a new face. In just her second college-level tournament, freshman Brooke Ferrell shot an impressive 68 in the final round after scoring at 72 and 74 Friday and Saturday, leaving her at 2-under-par for the tournament. The rookie’s performance was good enough for a fifth place finish and was also a 54-hole personal best for the rising star.
“I played with more confidence [than the first tournament],” Ferrell said. “Especially the last day, I just walked up to every putt like I was going to put it in.”
Oehrlein said he was confident Ferrell would play well, but was encouraged to see the poise and maturity she showed during the final round, a sign she is adjusting well to the collegiate level of play.
While being a part of the record-setting score was an accomplishment for Ferrell and her teammates, she vows to not become satisfied with just one instance of success.
“I always want to improve and get better. I never want to get complacent with my scores,” Ferrell said. “We’re going to break this record, and then when we break that record we’re going to break it again.”
Although competitive in nature, Ferrell said she has another incentive pushing her to improve. Her older sister Allyssa Ferrell is a member of the Michigan State women’s golf team, which brings extra motivation as Brooke prepares for the UW’s Big Ten regular season this spring.
Finishing in the top five alongside, Yoo, a stalwart on the team, led the charge with scores of 73-70-70. Those marks are now a personal 54-hole best for the veteran Badger and earned her a tie for third place at 3-under-par on the weekend. She also tied the UW 54-hole record set by Lindsay Danielson in 2012.
“She is remarkably consistent on the course and has been a leader throughout,” Oehrlein said. “From a leadership standpoint she is a very consistent worker and she has a steady approach day in and day out.”
Like Ferrell, Yoo believes she can improve her game, stressing the need to work on aspects she has struggled with in the past, including the finer points and details. Feeling that she missed a few makeable putts this weekend, she plans to spend much of her time this week at practice making sure that doesn’t happen again. But overall, Yoo is encouraged to see her efforts up until this point paying off.
“I’ve actually been hitting the ball really well this fall,” Yoo said. “I’m really happy about that, but it was a lot of hard work. All I can do is bring my best every day.”
While Ferrell and Yoo earned the top scores for UW this past weekend, their teammates were not far behind. Senior Alexis Nelson just missed cracking the top ten, placing 11th at two-over par with scores of 72-77-69. Junior Aaren Ziegler tied for the 31st with her 11-over-par effort and junior Kimberly Dinh recorded a 45th place finish.
The team will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for the Diane Thomason Invite on Oct. 12 and 13 at the demanding Finkbine Golf Course and look to sustain their early season success and carry it into the regular season come springtime.
