2011-12 Women's Golf Season Recap
May 7, 2012
LAWRENCE, Kan. – A team title at the Rio Verde Invitational March 9-11 and hosting the Big 12 Conference Championship for the first time since 1996 highlighted the Jayhawks’ 2011-12 season. The Kansas women’s golf team capped off its season with a total of six top-10 finishes and one team title in 11 tournaments.
The Jayhawks opened the fall campaign by traveling to Tulsa, Okla., to compete in the Dale McNamara Invitational Sept. 12-14. Led by freshman Nadia Luttner, the team tied for 11th place with a score of 927. Luttner marked her debut as a Jayhawk, posting her lowest 54-hole total of the season with a 224 (74-76-74) and tying for 19th place. Senior Katy Nugent carded the second-best total for the team with a three-day total of 231 (79-75-77) and tied for 39th and sophomore Thanuttra Boonraksasat came in right behind Nugent, tying for 45th place with a 233 (81-75-77).
After a rough start to the fall season, the Jayhawks headed east to Manhattan, Kan., for the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational Sept. 26-27, where the team competed to defend its title from the 2010 fall season. The Jayhawks finished the tournament in fifth place with a score of 921 behind Boonraksasat who tied for fourth with three consistent rounds of 74-74-73. Luttner tied for 22nd with a 232 while freshman Gabby DiMarco and sophomore Meghan Potee both tied for 24th with a 233.
Next up for the Jayhawks was a trip to Columbia, Mo., to play in the Johnie Imes Invitational, hosted by Big 12 rival Missouri Oct. 3-4. Kansas put together an 11th place performance as Boonraksasat once again led the way, tying for 27th with a 54-hole total 227 (77-75-75).
After a two-week break, the Jayhawks traveled to Norman, Okla., to compete in the Susie Maxwell Invitational Oct. 16-18. Potee led the Jayhawks with a 226 (75-75-76) and finished tied for 26th place as Kansas placed eighth with a 54-hole total of 911, recording its second top-10 finish of the fall season.
The following week, Kansas closed out its fall campaign by venturing to the beautiful scenery of Charleston, S.C., for the Edwin Watts/Palmetto Intercollegiate Oct. 23-24. Tying for ninth with a 912, the Jayhawks were once again led by Meghan Potee who recorded her career-best 67 in the final round, making her way to a tie for third place with a season-low 217 (75-75-67). Kansas closed the fall season with three top-10 finishes and two top-10 individual performances.
After four months of rest, the Jayhawks opened up the spring season in Orlando, Fla., competing in the UCF Challenge Feb. 12-14. Like the fall season, Kansas struggled coming out of the gate, finishing in 16th place with a 917. Katy Nugent led the Jayhawks with a consistent 54-hole total of 224 (74-75-75), tying for 38th place. Potee came in second for Kansas, tying for 58th place with a 229 (78-76-75).
Next, the Jayhawks traveled back to Florida, this time to Weston for the Sir Pizza Cards Challenge Feb. 27-28. Boonraksasat chipped in a 220 to place eighth, her second-best finish in the 2011-12 season and her best in the spring campaign. Kansas tied for ninth place as a team, carding a 54-hole total 919.
Kansas then traveled to Rio Verde, Ariz., for the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational March 9-11. Katy Nugent led all Jayhawks on the final day in Rio Verde, tying the tournament record for low single round with a three-under 68, finishing as the individual runner-up and led Kansas to the team title. The Jayhawks came from six strokes behind to take the team title, winning the tournament with a team score of 900, tied for the highest winning score since the event went to three rounds in 2005.
Coming off the victory in Rio Verde, the Jayhawks looked to keep the momentum going at the MountainView Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz., March 23-24. Led by Katy Nugent, Kansas finished the weekend in 14th place with a 915. Nugent tied for 37th place with a consistent three-day campaign of 224 (74-75-75) with Boonraksasat six strokes behind her with a 230 (77-79-74) and placing in a tie for 58th place.
Kansas’ final regular season tournament came April 9-10 when it traveled to Melbourne, Fla., for the Knights and Pirates Invitational. This was the first time the Jayhawks had played in Melbourne and had to learn a lot about Suntree Country Club in a short amount of time. Kansas struggled in its final tournament of the spring season, finishing in 15th place with a 956. Boonraksasat posted the best score for the Jayhawks with a 238, putting her in 67th place while Nugent and junior Audrey Yowell both finished the 54-hole tournament with a 240 and tied for 69th place.
The Jayhawks concluded the 2011-12 campaign by hosting the Big 12 Conference Championship at Lawrence Country Club April 27-29. This was the first time since 1996 when Kansas hosted the Championship at Alvamar Country Club. The field was highlighted by seven programs ranked among the top 50 nationally, including No. 16 Texas A&M. Weather delays became common over the weekend and scores were high for every team as strong winds came into effect over the three-day tournament. The Jayhawks recovered a little too late and finished the Championship in 10th place with a 54-hole total of 951. Boonraksasat and Yowell led Kansas with three-day totals of 236 and tying for 30th place.
Boonraksasat finished the season leading the team in scoring average with a 76.67. Nugent chipped in a 77.30, while Luttner was close behind with a 77.62. Potee and Yowell rounded out the top five with averages of 78.12 and 78.57 respectively.
Off the course, the Jayhawks posted four players on the Academic All-Big 12 teams. Seniors Katy Nugent and Maria Jackson, along with junior Audrey Yowell and sophomore Meghan Potee were each named to the Academic All-Big 12 Conference women’s golf team. Kansas has produced at least three first-team selections in each of the last five seasons, has had at least two players recognized on the first team in each of the last ten years and has landed 47 first-team selections all-time.
