July 19, 2005
The first NCAA Championship appearance in school history and three tournament wins highlighted a historic 2004-05 season for the University of Missouri Women's Golf Team. Under the guidance of fourth-year head coach Stephanie Priesmeyer, Mizzou continued to establish itself as one of the elite programs in the country advancing to the NCAA Central Regional for the third straight year and qualifying for NCAA Championship play for the first time in the history of the program.
The Tigers opened the fall in fine style winning the Lady Northern Classic. Mizzou fired two rounds of 300 or better in the tourney and was paced by senior All-American Honorable Mention honoree Maria Ohlsson who picked up her first career win and the first individual tourney victory by a Tiger since the spring of 2001. She also set two school records at the tourney firing an all-time low round of 66 in the second round on her way to a Mizzou record 54-hole score of 214.
Not far behind Ohlsson in the standings was junior and fellow All-American Honorable Mention honoree Denise Knaebel, who finished in a tie for 2nd with a three-round total of 219 after rounds of 73, 72 and 74. The second-place finish equaled a career-best mark for Knaebel. Senior Mindy Bullard also made her best showing of the year at the Lady Northern as she fired a 223 finishing the tourney in a tie for eighth. Following the win, the Tigers were the No. 1 team in the country the following week according to Golfstat.com.
Mizzou would go on to its second top-three finish in as many tournaments two weeks later, finishing in a tie for third at the rain-shortened Jeannine McHaney Invitational. With the second round washed away by a rainstorm, Ohlsson's opening-round 70 and Knaebel's third-round 73 led them both to the top 10 as they finished fourth and sixth respectively.
Knaebel continued her blazing play in the Tigers' first tournament of October at the Mason Rudolph Invitational. After struggling to an opening round of 77, the Moberly, MO, native shot a 72 in the second round followed by a 67 (the second lowest round ever by a Tiger) in the final round to move into a tie for third while equaling her career-best 54-hole total of 216. Ohlsson also was solid finishing in 10th with a 218 with rounds of 71, 72 and 75 at the par-72, 6,254-yard Vanderbilt Legends Club. With rounds of 300, 291 and 291, the Tigers also continued to re-write the school record books with a three-round total of 882 setting a new team record for 54 holes.
A trip to Fayetteville, AR, was next for Mizzou for the Lady Razorback Invitational. The trip south also marked the resurgence of junior Kelli Strubinger. After not qualifying for the Tigers' first tourney of the fall and not finishing better than 36th in her first two tournament appearances, Strubinger would be outstanding in the second and third rounds firing 74 and 70, respectively to finish in a tie for 5th. Strubinger's performance led the Tigers to their fourth top-five finish of the fall.
With four top-five finishes in as many tournaments played so far during the fall, the Tigers looked to finish strong at the Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational. Despite two more top-ten finishes by Knaebel (T-5th - 218) and Ohlsson (T-7th - 219) the Tigers faltered a bit at the highly competitive event finishing in eighth to round out the fall.
A Spring in their Step and Winning on their Minds
The Tigers returned to their winning ways to begin what would be a historic spring season as they picked up their second win of the year at the Central District Invitational in Parrish, FL. All five Tiger competitors finished in the top 16 in the tourney as Mizzou set yet another school record for 54 holes with an 879. The win was the Tigers fifth under Coach Priesmeyer during her four years.
Ohlsson continued her red-hot play from the fall leading the way at the Invitational, finishing in a tie for fourth with a 54-hole total of 218. Strubinger recorded her second top-10 finish of the season finishing in a tie for ninth place while firing a career-best total of 221.
After a seventh place finish at the Betsy Rawls to open the month of March, the Tigers traveled to Tuscon, AZ, for the Mountainview Invitational. Four Mizzou players finished in the top 25 including Ohlsson, who finished in tie for eighth with a spring-season low of 217. Mizzou used three sub-300 rounds at the Mountainview to finish in third with a total of 881, just three strokes off the school 54-hole team record.
Riding the momentum of their sixth top-three finish of the season, the Tigers dominated the field at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic in Norman, OK and picked up their third win of the season. Mizzou fired an 889, which was bolstered by a second-round 290. Strubinger was outstanding at the Maxwell registering her best finish as a Tiger as she fired a 222 for the tournament while recording a second place finish. The Weldon Springs, MO, native improved each round with a 76 in round one, a 74 in round two and an even-par 72 in round three. All told, four of the five Tigers playing in the tournament finished in the top 10 as the Tigers continue their roll toward the post season.
The Tigers entered the Big 12 Championships playing some of its st golf of the season with three top-three finishes in four spring tournaments. Mizzou went on to finish in fourth at the gathering of Big 12 schools, its second top five finish at the event in the last three years. Ohlsson and Knaebel continued to sparkle for the Tigers as Ohlsson finished in a tie for fourth with a total of 223. Ohlsson has now finished in the top five in each of the last two Big 12 Championships. She and Knaebel also received great news at the Big 12 pre-tournament as both were named to the All-Big 12 First team. It marked the first time in school history that two Tigers earned spots on the five-person team.
After recording one of the best seasons in school history, the Tigers were invited to participate in NCAA Regional competition for the third straight year and for the seventh time in the last eight years. Mizzou was magical at the Central Regional especially in the opening round firing a 291 on its way to the best finish in regional play in school history (3rd - 291-312-302=905). With the top eight teams advancing to NCAA Championships play, the Tigers would make the trip to Bend, OR, for the Championships for the first time in school history.
The Tigers would represent themselves well at the Championships, finishing 16th with a four-round total of 1,205. Knaebel was Mizzou's top individual finisher in 34th with a total of 298. Knaebel improved in every round with rounds of 78, 75, 74 and a final round one-under par 71. Mizzou continued to make big news following their landmark season as Coach Priesmeyer was named the NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year while Ohlsson and Knaebel earned All-American Honorable Mention recognition. The Tiger leaders were only the second and third players in school history to receive honorable mention honors.
The record-setting 2004-05 season, which saw the Tigers stay in the top 20 for the entire year, was yet another indicator that Mizzou Women's golf has joined the country's elite. Whether it is advancing to the NCAA Championships for the first time or having three players named to the National Golf Coaches Association All-Scholar team, the University of Missouri, has become a place where the top players have decided to take the program to new heights.