Huskers Shoot for Second Tourney Title

The Nebraska women’s golf team shoots for its second straight Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational championship while pursuing its second tournament title of the season, when the Huskers travel to Lawrence, Kan. (Oct. 17-18).

Nebraska heads to Kansas following a runner-up finish in a 13-team field at the Dale McNamara Invitational at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Okla. (Oct. 10-11). The Huskers put together the best team round of the tournament with a 280 (-8) in the final round, but came up one stroke short of the team championship.

Individually, Miu Takahashi starred for the Big Red by capturing her first career collegiate title with a career-best 213 (-3) that included a final-round 69 (-3). In addition to bringing home the tournament hardware, the sophomore from Nasu-machi, Japan was also named the Big Ten Golfer of the Week (Oct. 12).

Last season at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational at Colbert Hills in Manhattan, Kan., Takahashi helped the four-player Nebraska “B” team to the tournament title in a 10-team field. Takahashi tied for fifth with a then-career best 222, including a career-best 68 (-4) in the second round. Huskers Lindsey Thiele and Nicole Hansen shared medalist honors with three-round totals of 219, while Andrea Velez added a tie for 19th with 225.

Nebraska’s “A” team added a sixth-place finish, despite top-five finishes from Kirsten Baete and Vanessa Bouvet, and a tie for 23rd from Megan Whittaker.

The Huskers head to Kansas ranked No. 23 by Golfweek with a 35-2 head-to-head record, including 22 wins over top-100 foes.

Nebraska entered the national polls at No. 19 by Golfweek (Sept. 22) and No. 20 in the Mizuno WGCA Coaches Poll (Sept. 23). The Huskers are No. 29 in the GolfStat head-to-head rankings.

Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational

Lawrence, Kan. (Host: Kansas)

Lawrence Country Club (Par 72, 6,125 Yards)

Monday, Oct. 17 (Rounds 1-2) – 8 a.m. (Tee Times)

Tuesday, Oct. 18 (Round 3) – 8 a.m. (Tee Times)

Live Scoring: GolfStat.com

Participating Teams (15)

Arizona

Boston College

BYU

Iowa

Kansas

Kent State

Minnesota

Nebraska

New Mexico State

Notre Dame

Sam Houston

Tulane

UTSA

Washington State

Wisconsin

Nebraska Lineup

1. Miu Takahashi, So. (71.78)

2. Kelli Ann Strand, Fr. (70.00)

3. Megan Whittaker, Gr. (72.22)

4. Michaela Vavrova, Jr. (74.50)

5. Lindsey Thiele, Jr. (73.11)

IND – Andrea Velez, So. (75.78)

Takahashi Takes Title, Huskers Finish Second at Dale McNamara Invite

Miu Takahashi won her first collegiate title to lead Nebraska to a runner-up finish at the Dale McNamara Invitational in Broken Arrow, Okla., Oct. 10-11. Takahashi’s one-stroke win came with a career-best 213 (-3) that included a final-round 69 (-3) to storm to the top of the leader board.

Freshman Kelli Ann Strand added her third consecutive top-five finish to open her career, tying for third at 215 (-1), including a final-round 69 of her own.

Junior Michaela Vavrova contributed a season-best 70 (-2) in the final round to surge into a tie for 22nd, while graduate Megan Whittaker added a tie for 22nd as well with a three-round total of 223. Lindsey Thiele also pitched in a 70 in the final round to tie for 30th (226) in a 75-player field in Oklahoma.

The Huskers closed the 54-hole tournament with an 869 (+5) team score, just one stroke back of the team champions from Tulsa. Nebraska’s final-round 280 (-8) was the best 18-hole score of any team in the tournament.

Huskers Storm to Badger Invite Title

Kelli Ann Strand charged 16 spots up the individual leader board to take a top-five finish and help the Huskers claim the team title at the Badger Invitational (Sept. 18-20). 

The Huskers, who entered the final round four strokes behind the leaders from Notre Dame, dominated the field on a stormy day on the 6,248-yard layout of the University Ridge Golf Course in Verona. Nebraska put up the best team round for the second straight day, closing the final eight holes with an even-par 288 to end the tournament at 863 (-1) over three rounds. The Big Red defeated both Notre Dame (874) and Old Dominion (874) by 11 strokes in the final team standings. ODU closed the tournament with a final-round 293 (+5), while the Fighting Irish struggled down the stretch with a 303 (+15).

Strand, a true freshman from Challis, Idaho, carded a final-round 67 (-5) to jump from a tie for 20th into a tie for fourth in the final standings. Strand’s final round included an eagle on No. 16 and three birdies to go along with 14 pars. Strand closed the tournament with a 54-hole score of 213 (-3). She battled her way into the final top five after ending the opening day in a tie for 50th with a 77. Her final-round 67 was the low round of the day and one of just 10 rounds better than par on the final day of the tournament in the 75-player field.

Miu Takahashi added a top-10 individual finish of her own, closing an impressive tournament with an even-par 72. The sophomore from Nasu-machi, Japan, finished eighth at 215 (-1). Takahashi’s final round included birdies on No. 5, No. 9 and No. 16 to overcome a trio of bogeys, while adding 12 pars. Her three-round total of 215 was three strokes better than her previous career-best 218 (+2), which she set the previous week at the Green Wave Classic in New Orleans. 

Huskers in National Rankings

Nebraska entered the national rankings for the first time in many years when the Huskers came in at No. 19 in the Golfweek rankings (Sept. 22). The Huskers also entered the Mizuno WGCA Coaches Poll at No. 20 (Sept. 23).

Following a runner-up finish at the Dale McNamara Invitational, the Huskers remained in the top 25 at No. 23 in Golfweek (Oct. 13), while coming at No. 28 in the Mizuno WGCA Coaches Poll (Oct. 14). The Big Red are also ranked No. 29 in the Golfstat head-to-head rankings (Oct. 13).

Freshman Kelli Ann Strand is ranked No. 44 individually by Golfweek, while sophomore Miu Takahashi has climbed to No. 147 after winning the Dale McNamara Invitational. Graduate student Megan Whittaker gives the Huskers three golfers in the top 200 by coming in at No. 198.

Nebraska is the highest ranked Big Ten team in both the Golfweek and Mizuno WGCA Coaches rankings, while the Huskers sit immediately behind Michigan (No. 28) in the Golfstat head-to-head rankings.

 

Freshman Strand Makes Instant Impact for Big Red

Kelli Ann Strand made a record-setting collegiate debut on her way to an individual victory at the Green Wave Classic in New Orleans (Sept. 12-13).

Strand, a three-time Idaho state champion who was ranked among the top-310 players in the world (WAGR 308) before arriving at Nebraska, set the Husker freshman record with a second-round 65 (-7) while tying the NU record for best 54-hole tournament score with a 202 (-14) at the Bayou Oaks South Course. Strand’s performance included a school freshman record 65 (-7) in the second round. The true freshman from Challis, Idaho, fired a 29 (-7) over the back nine in the second round before opening the third round with a 31 (-5) on the front nine, carding a 60 (-12) over those consecutive 18 holes splitting two rounds. The NCAA record for best round of women’s golf is 61. Strand also was named the Big Ten Golfer of the Week (Sept. 15).

A leading contender to earn a second straight Idaho Golf Association Women’s Player of the Year award, Strand produced a strong summer of 2022. After winning the Idaho Women’s Match Play title she took second at the Idaho Women’s Amateur. She was also the runner-up at the Girls Junior Americas Cup (July 24-28) for the second straight year with a three-round total of 205 (-11). She captured third at the IMG Academy Junior World Championship (July 12-15) with a four-round total of 280 (-8), which came before competing at the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur in Kentucky (July 18-23), where she advanced to Match Play before finishing in a tie for 33rd.

Strand earned the No. 1 position in Nebraska’s lineup for the season-opening Green Wave Classic by winning Nebraska’s competitive qualifying rounds in advance of the tournament. 

She leads Nebraska with a 70.00 stroke average over nine rounds.

Whittaker Back for Fifth Year to Lead Huskers in Big Ten

A hard-working golfer who has shown impressive improvement throughout her five collegiate seasons, Megan Whittaker returns to lead Nebraska in the hunt for an NCAA Regional bid in 2022-23. The graduate student from Elkhorn, Neb., produced Nebraska’s No. 2 stroke average (74.04) in 2021-22, just missing an individual NCAA Regional bid. She trailed only NCAA Regional qualifier Kirsten Baete (73.94) among the Huskers.

Whittaker opened her fifth season as a Husker with a career-best 207 (-9) to take sixth at the Green Wave Classic. It followed a big summer for Whittaker that included a sweep of the Nebraska women’s match play and stroke play championships and a berth in the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Whittaker also joined teammates Michaela Vavrova and Kelli Ann Strand as Big Ten Golfers to Watch heading into the 2022-23 season. Whittaker produced the first two top-10 individual finishes of her career while matching Baete and Vanessa Bouvet for the team lead with seven top-25 performances in 2021-22.

A star in the classroom and the community, Whittaker earned her bachelor’s degree in finance in May of 2022. She is a four-time WGCA Scholastic All-American, a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. In the community, she earned a prestigious Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award at Nebraska in 2021. She was also Nebraska’s 2021 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner for women’s golf.

Whittaker’s ties to Nebraska women’s golf are very strong, as her mother Kim (Lefler) lettered as a golfer for the Huskers from 1991 to 1994, helping Nebraska advance to the 1994 NCAA West Regional as a senior.

B1G Golfer-to-Watch Vavrova Competes for Slovakia at WATC

Michaela Vavrova missed the first week of fall classes while competing as a member of the Slovakian Team at the World Amateur Team Championships in Paris in late-August. The third-year Husker was Slovakia’s top finisher in a field that featured 56 of the world’s best amateur teams.

Vavrova did not travel to the Green Wave Classic after capping her sophomore season at Nebraska by tying for 17th with a three-round total of 220 (+7) at the 2022 Big Ten Championship. She opened with a career-best 68 (-3) to sit atop the leader board after one round and was tied for fifth at 141 (-1) through two rounds in Pittsburgh.

Vavrova captured her first career collegiate title by firing a career-best 217 (+1) over three rounds at the Stampede at The Creek in Elkhorn, Neb. (Oct. 4-5, 2021). She was named the Big Ten Co-Golfer of the Week (Oct. 6), and closed the 2021 fall campaign with a tie for 10th (217) that included a career-best second-round 69 (-3) to help the Huskers to a runner-up team finish at the White Sands Collegiate.

As a true freshman, Vavrova competed in all 21 rounds in the 2020-21 Husker lineup, posting NU’s fourth-best stroke average (76.33). She notched three straight top-25 finishes (Arizona Wildcat, Allstate Sugar Bowl, Indiana Spring Invite). Vavrova also put up a 224 to tie for 33rd in helping Nebraska to a runner-up team finish at the Big Ten Championship. She was NU’s No. 2 finisher at the NCAA Columbus Regional with her tie for 45th (229).

 

Thiele Continues to Improve; Prepares for Strong Junior Year

Lindsey Thiele captured her second career top-10 finish by tying for eighth with a career-best 209 (-7)  at the season-opening Green Wave Classic (Sept. 12-13). Her performance included a career-best 69 (-3) in the opening round.

As a sophomore, Thiele (pronounced TEEL) produced a solid 76.89 stroke average while competing in five tournaments. She shared the individual title with teammate Nicole Hansen at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational (Sept. 20-21, 2021). Thiele opened with rounds of 70 and 7) on her way to a then-career-best 219 (+3) at Colbert Hills. Thiele’s effort earned her Big Ten Co-Golfer-of-the-Week honors with Hansen (Sept. 22).

The Wahoo, Neb., native who is the most recent of three sisters (Haley, Hannah) to play golf for the Big Red, was NU’s sixth golfer in the count-four format at the 2021 Big Ten Championship.

An outstanding student, Thiele is a Regents Scholar at Nebraska and a two-time WGCA Scholastic All-American.

Sophomores Get Early Chance to Help Huskers at Green Wave

Sophomores Miu Takahashi (Nasu-machi, Japan) and Andrea Velez (Pereira, Colombia) earned lineup spots to open the 2022 fall campaign at the Green Wave Classic, while fellow sophomore Lena Hassert (Kreuzau, Germany) also traveled to New Orleans as an individual.

Takahashi and Velez both contributed to Nebraska’s school-record three-round tournament total of 835 by finishing in a tie for 35th with 54-hole totals of 218 (+2).

Takahashi was the most consistent newcomer to the Big Red lineup in 2021-22. She produced a 77.55 stroke average over 29 rounds and made eight lineup appearances, including the 2022 Big Ten Championship. She produced a then-career-best 219 (+3) to tie for 30th at the Westbrook Spring Invitational (Feb. 27-28). She tied for fifth individually with a 222 to help Nebraska’s “B” lineup to the team title at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational (Sept. 20-21). 

Takahashi earned a lineup spot to open her college career at the 2021 Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 13-14). She closed the fall with three straight lineup appearances, including a tie for 18th (226) at The Molly Collegiate and a tie for 25th (224) at the White Sands Intercollegiate. 

One of the top young golfers in Colombia, Velez spent the 2021 spring semester in Lincoln after having her initial arrival to campus delayed by COVID-19 restrictions in the fall of 2020. In her collegiate debut, Velez helped Nebraska’s “B” lineup to the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational title by producing a top-20 individual finish with three rounds of 75 (225, +9).

Hassert is a two-time Austrian Junior Stroke Play champion and a German National Championship runner-up (2017). She made her college debut in NU’s five-player lineup at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational (Sept. 20-21).

Sutherland Leads Huskers

After spending a season as associate head coach, Jeanne Sutherland was named the new Nebraska Head Coach on Thursday, May 5, 2022. Sutherland came to Nebraska after spending 10 seasons (2011-21) as the head coach at SMU. She previously spent 15 seasons as the head coach at Texas A&M (1992-2007).

In 2018, Sutherland was named the inaugural winner of the WGCA Kim Evans Award. She also earned the WGCA Founders Award in 2017. A four-time conference coach of the year at Texas A&M (3 Big 12, 1 Southwest Conference), Sutherland was also a two-time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year (1997, 2007). She led 13 Texas A&M teams to NCAA Regional play, including four NCAA Championship appearances in 1997 (17th), 2004 (24th), 2005 (22nd) and 2006 (19th). 

In her head coaching career, Sutherland has guided 18 teams to NCAA Regional appearances. She has coached three individual All-Americans, five individual conference champions and three conference players of the year.