⛳ Women’s Golf Hosts 2021-22 Senior Banquet

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s golf team hosted its season celebration Thursday evening in the at The Jayhawk Club, celebrating the 2021-22 season under first-year head coach Lindsay Kuhle.

Kansas recorded two fourth-place finishes and eight top-10 placings in 2021-22. Included was a program-best 54-hole tournament low score at the Wisconsin Westbrook Invitational, where the Jayhawks shot a combined 863 (-1). Also as a team, the 2021-22 Jayhawks posted a program-best five rounds of par or better and it’s 299.48 scoring average was the second best for a season in KU history.

"We accomplished so much this past year. This team set records and etched its name into the Kansas records books. Being my first year at KU, this team will always be special to me for what we accomplished in the classroom, in the community and on the golf course."

Head Coach Lindsay Kuhle

At the banquet, Kuhle honored KU’s four graduating seniors – Abby Glynn, Lauren Heinlein, Pear Pooratanaopa and Sera Tadokoro. Tadokoro, who finished second on the KU career stroke average list at 74.95, will return to her home country of Japan where she will turn pro. Heinlein ended fourth with a 75.20 career stroke average, just behind Pooratanaopa, currently at third at 75.06. Glynn and Pooratanaopa will continue to play at KU and work on their master’s degrees, while Heinlein has transferred to USF.

The Kansas coaches and staff then presented five team awards: the Academic Award, the Strong Hawk Award, the Total Short Game Award, the Jayhawk Award and the Marilynn Smith MVP.

Glynn was named the Academic Award recipient presented by Assistant Athletics Director – Director of Academic and Career Counseling Ryan King. Glynn will graduate from KU in May with a 3.96 grade point average in biology. A three-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree, on the course, Glynn’s best outing was when tied for 10th at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Showdown last fall.

Presented by Assistant Sports Performance Coach Ally Ginkens, freshman Johanna Ebner won the Strong Hawk Award, which was given to the athlete that excelled in the weight room. Ebner joined the team a semester and played in all six tournaments this spring. Her best finish was a 5-over at the Westbrook Invitational.

Sophomore Hanna Hawks was the recipient of the Total Short Game Award presented by Associate Head Coach Katy Nahm. The award speaks for itself as Hawks excelled in shots around the green in competition and practice. A 2022 All-Big 12 Academic First Team selection, Hawks played in four tournaments this past season, with her best finish coming at the Rapsodo Match in the Desert, finishing 7-over.

The Marilynn Smith MVP was awarded to two Jayhawks, Pooratanaopa and Heinlein. A Kansas alum, Marilynn Smith was one of the original 13 founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and was a 22-time champion on the LPGA Tour.

Pooratanaopa finished the season with three top-10 finishes, tying for 10th in three tournaments – the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Showdown, the Golfweek Red Sky Classic and the Rapsodo Match in the Desert. Heinlein, who also received the Jayhawk Award, recorded three top-10 finishes this past season, tying for seventh place twice – at the Ron Moore Invitational and at the Westbrook Invitational. The Jayhawk Award goes to an outstanding contributor to the program both in the classroom and on the course. Both Pooratanaopa and Heinlein were 2022 All-Big 12 Academic First Team selections.