Indiana University Athletics
Women's Golf Season In Review
12/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Dec. 8, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - During the fall season, the Indiana women's golf team gave a glimpse of the excitement surrounding the future of its program. The Hoosiers improved individually and as a team throughout the season with several highlights including a tournament victory and a hole in one.
In addition to the hole-in-one and individual medal honor, there were many other feats accomplished during head coach Clint Wallman's second season at the helm of the program. For the first time since the second round of the 2004 Big Ten Championship, the Hoosiers broke the 300 mark for single-round team score in the second round of the Lady Northern Invitational with a tally of 297. In fact, IU hovered around the 300-stroke mark throughout the fall, which was a tremendous improvement from a year ago.
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 "I have a tremendous amount of confidence that we can reach the Regionals. We have our work cut out for us because our ranking is not where it needs to be. However, we have the talent to do it."
Head Coach Clint Wallman
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"I am extremely pleased with how our team performed during the fall season," said Wallman. "We had some high points and we got better throughout the season. From our first tournament to the last fall tournament, we dropped our per-round average by 15 shots, so I think as a team that is a great accomplishment. We had Shannon (Johnson) winning her first collegiate golf tournament which was a great plus. We had Elaine (Harris) with her first top-10 finish ever. Elaine averaged a 75 per round in her last three events which is fantastic. With our finish at the Lady Northern, we showed we can play with anyone in the country. We beat solid teams and that was really neat to see. There are a lot of positives we can take from the fall."
 Sophomore Elaine Harris ranked second on the team in scoring average during the fall season.  |
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The Hoosiers also had their highest tournament finish since that same 2004 Big Ten Championship (second) finishing fifth out of twelve teams in the Lady Northern, which was hosted on the IU Championship Golf Course. In fact, IU improved its team score throughout the season, and finished the fall wish an average round team score of 312.
Individually, the Hoosiers showed how bright the future is, displaying incredible improvement from a season ago. Indiana boasted four individual players who averaged 80 or under per round, compared to a year ago when only one golfer achieved that average. If that number stays the same at the end of the campaign, it will be the first such occurrence since the 2003-04 squad. Furthermore, senior transfer Shannon Johnson recorded an average of 74.64 per 18 holes. If that number stays the same at the end of the season, it would rank as the third-best single season average in school history. The scary thing for other teams is Wallman thinks the best is ahead.
"Shannon has had a fantastic career," said Wallman. "It is a privilege for me to have her finish her career at Indiana. With that being said, I definitely think she is one of the premier golfers in the nation. She did not play up to her standards during the fall. She had a great fall by most people's standards, but she did not play as well as she wanted to. I think her lowest finish was 25th and she had a couple of top-10s and a win. I think she is ready to have an outstanding final semester. She knows this is her final semester--her last shot. She is going to put every ounce of effort that she has to prepare herself for this spring."
 Senior Katie Carlson became the first Hoosier in school history to record a hole-in-one during tournament play. |
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Along with her per-round average, Johnson led all Hoosiers with two top-10 finished and five top-25 results. She also had a team-low 18 hole (71), 36 hole (143), and 54 hole (218) score. Sophomore Elaine Harris also showed much improvement. After finishing last year's campaign with an average of 81.60, the San Francisco, Calif., native ranked second on the team with an average of 77.64, including one top-five and two top-25 results.
A pair of freshmen were the other two Hoosiers to hold an 18-hole average of 80 or under. Tiffany Hockensmith played in three of the five tournaments and carded an average of 77.75, while Amber Lindgren had an 80.07 per 18 holes during the fall.
With all the above facts, Wallman knows he has reason to be excited.
"The highlight of the fall season for me is seeing the team progress and making that turn where they believe they can compete with upper level teams in the conference and nationally," Wallman said. "Each player had highlights this season. Between a hole-in-one, some great stretches of golf and players breaking through, it was fantastic to witness the growth of the team. My hope is they will take the confidence of knowing they can do it, put it into practice and then apply it during tournaments."
The fall could not have gotten off to a better start than the outcome of the season-opening Notre Dame Invitational on Sept. 10-11. Johnson overcame a three-stroke deficit to earn co-medalist honors with a 7-over par 223 at the sixth annual event. After carding rounds of 72 and 76 during Saturday's opening 36 holes, Johnson fired a 75 on Sunday's final round to tie Notre Dame's Noriko Nakazaki for top honors.
"I am really excited," Johnson said after the tournament. "I thought I played decent and I was excited to finally be playing collegiate golf again. I think it really helps to play for a team with such good chemistry and for a coach who believes in your abilities as a player."
After playing three years at the University of New Mexico, Johnson captured the first tournament medalist honor of her career, besting her previous career-high finish of 2nd at the 2004 Mountain West Conference Championships.
As a team, the Hoosiers (321-332-321) finished in a tie for 11th in the 17-team field, collecting a 974. The Fighting Irish claimed the tournament title with a nine-stroke victory on the par 72, 6,003-yard Warren Golf Course. The Irish led wire-to-wire en route to their victory, carding a team score of 929 (311-306-312) to finish ahead of runner-up Toledo (938) and third-place Georgetown (945).
After the dramatic start to the season, the Hoosiers headed to Michigan State to compete in the Mary Fossum Invitational. Things continued to look up as IU finished with a season-best round of 313, and closed tournament play with a total of 953 (322-318-313) to place 15th overall. As a team, the Hoosiers improved every round at the tournament, while also recording two of the team's three lowest rounds of the fall campaign.
Johnson again led the Hoosiers for a second consecutive tournament, as she tied for 13th overall with a 225 (74-74-77).
From there, the Indiana women's golf team hosted the Lady Northern Invitational, which was held on the par-72, 6,142-yard IU Golf Course. The Hoosiers had their best finish under Wallman, closing play in fifth overall with a 909 (307-297-305).
The 12-team field battled through remnants of Hurricane Rita, competing in driving rains and gusty winds throughout the round, making course conditions difficult. The rain lasted throughout the morning, with the elements worsening as the round went on. With standing water on several of the greens in play, the tournament officials were forced to delay the tournament for approximately 25 minutes while greens were cleared of standing water.
This time, it was sophomore Elaine Harris who led the Hoosiers. Harris shattered her previous 54-hole personal best (234 set at the 2005 Central District Invitational) with a 223 (75-75-73) to finish tied for 12th overall. Senior Shannon Johnson was two strokes behind Harris with a 225 (79-72-74) to place in a tie for 17th. Freshman Amber Lindgren was the third Hoosier to place in the top 25, coming in a tie for 23rd, carding a 229 (73-75-81).
The Hoosiers traveled to the Shootout at the Legends where Senior Katie Carlson aced the 169 yard 7th hole and helped the Hoosiers to an 11th-place tie at the Shootout at the Legends. IU finished with a three-round score of 921 (305-303-313) on the par-72, 6,076-yard Legends of Indiana Golf Course.
"I am really excited about the hole-in-one," Carlson said after her round. "I started off poorly, so it felt good because it was a big momentum swing in my round. When I first hit the shot I wasn't too thrilled about it to be honest. I was hoping it would get over a bunker and once it did, it kept rolling and went in. It was especially exciting because my parents were here watching, so they had a chance to see it."
The Livonia, Mich., native, used a 4-iron to hit her shot. Carlson would go on to finish tied for 70th overall with a 239 (77-81-81).
Johnson led the Hoosiers, carding a 2-over par 218 (71-72-75), and tied for fifth overall. It marked the second top-10 finish for her this season, and her ninth round of 75 or below.
Harris shot a 229 (79-73-77) to finish tied for 35th, improving her consecutive run of sub-80 rounds to eight. True freshman
 Head coach Clint Wallman discusses strategy with freshman Amber Lindgren. |
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The Hoosiers closed out the fall portion of their 2005-06 schedule with a sixth-place tie at the Nittany Lion Invitational in State College, Pa. The Hoosiers carded a 617 (308-309) on the par-72, 6,068-yard Penn State Golf Course.
Harris once again paced the Hoosiers with a fourth-place tying 148 (75-73) to finish just four strokes off the lead. Meanwhile, senior Shannon Johnson posted a 154 (78-76) to tie for 20th, while freshman Amber Lindgren tied for 28th with a 157 (78-79).
Indiana will open the spring season in grand style when it travels to Puerto Rico to compete at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 24-26. IU will also make trips to Rio Verde, Ariz., to compete at the Rio Verde Invitational (March 2-3) and Las Vegas, Nev., to do battle at the UNLV Spring Invitational on March 13-15. The spring is also highlighted when the IU Championship Golf Course serves as host to the 2006 Big Ten Championships. It will be the first time since 1996 and the third time in school history that the Hoosiers will host the Championship.
With so many exciting moments and high achievements that occurred during the fall portion of the schedule, the Hoosiers are certainly a team on the rise. According to Wallman, this team could definitely earn a spot in the postseason.
"I have a tremendous amount of confidence that we can reach the Regionals," Wallman said. "We have our work cut out for us because our ranking is not where it needs to be. However, we have the talent to do it. We also have the schedule set up so that if we have some good tournaments, we will be right back in the mix. Then it is just up to execution. As a staff, we are preparing the girls to execute and do the best they can in the spring season. If we have a great spring season, we will be right there. I told our team we have the opportunity to get ourselves in the picture."
