Indiana University Athletics
Gahm Heads to NCAA Women's Golf Regional
5/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
May 3, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University freshman golfer Lindsay Gahm will represent the Hoosiers as an individual competitor at the 2011 NCAA Women's Golf Central Regional, May 5-7 at the Warren Course in South Bend, Ind.
Gahm is one of six individual competitors in the Central Regional and will begin 54 holes of competition on Thursday, May 5 at 8:55 a.m. ET off hole number one. Gahm will tee off hole number 10 at 1:15 p.m. ET for round two on Friday, and finish up with an 8:55 a.m. ET tee time on Saturday. The top eight teams, and the top two individuals not on those teams, will advance to the NCAA Championships, May 18-21 in College Station, Texas.
The Warren Course opened in the fall of 1999 and was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The par-72 course will play this weekend at 6,208 yards. Gahm is no stranger to the Warren Course, having played there this past fall at the William K. Warren Irish Invitational. Serving as Gahm's first college event, she finished tied for 21st at the Warren Invite with a score of 223 (81-75-77).
"It is a shot-maker's course, which fits really well into Lindsay's game," said head coach Clint Wallman. "She is really good off the tee and her irons are remarkably accurate. It gives her a lot of scoring opportunities.
"For her, having four rounds playing on this golf course is really a huge advantage heading into this regional field."
That tournament started a string of six-straight top-25 finishes for the freshman, highlighted by a tie for third at the Lady Northern Invitational at the Lake Shore Country Club, tallying a 3-under score of 213. Gahm tied for fourth at the Challenge at Onion Creek in Austin, Texas, posting back-to-back rounds of 69 in rounds one and two of the tournament. She also posted a 69 in round two of the Lady Northern for her three lowest rounds of the season.
"Part of her success comes from the intangibles that she carries with her," Wallman said. "She doesn't get too flustered and is decisive and committed on her shots. She plays her game very well and has the ability to adapt her game to the specific golf course."
In 30 rounds of play this season, Gahm has posted a 74.96 strokes average with four top-10 and eight top-25 finishes. Most recently she placed tied for 21st at the Big Ten Championships and was named a second-team All-Big Ten selection, as well as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She is the third Hoosier to earn conference freshman of the year honors, joining Erika Wicoff (1993) and Jennifer Gray (1995).
This is the first time since 1989 (Debbie Lee) that the Hoosiers have had an individual qualifier at the NCAA Regional. Indiana has qualified as a team 11 times, most recently in 2010.
"Lindsay is feeling very prepared," Wallman said. "A big stress relief is she will be done with finals and can focus on just golf. We have done a lot of work over the past week and a half prepping for the Notre Dame course. We looked at the holes she played well and the holes that gave her a little bit of trouble. We also charted out the clubs she would be hitting and we simulated a lot of that at our practice facility and a lot of local courses to prepare her for what she will see.
Players Mentioned
