Nov. 17, 2010
Michelle Butler has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Mizzou Women's Golf team in the fall of 2011. Butler is the third player signed by the Tigers, following Alina Rogers and Laura Kraft, who signed NLIs last week.
Butler had a nine-hole stroke average of 35.4 in 2010 at Northside Christian High School in St. Petersburg, Fla. and set the school record with a nine-hole round of 33, which she has shot twice. Butler finished sixth at the 2008 Florida State Finals, after and an 11th-place finish in 2007. She won the High School District Tournament in 2007.
"Michelle is the highest ranked junior golfer we have signed here since former Tiger standout Julia Potter," Mizzou Head Coach Stephanie Priesmeyer said. "She is ranked No. 37 in the 2011 class and has a ton of national experience that will prepare her well for the college golf experience. She is a leader in her school and for her high school golf team. Michelle was drawn to Mizzou after her official visit. She was very impressed with how Mizzou supports the student-athlete academically, as well as athletically."
Butler has recorded seven America Junior Golf Association top-10 finishes and was invited to play in the AJGA Rolex Junior Golf Championship and the Rolex Tournament of Champions. She won the 2008 Ryan Wells Memorial at Innisbrook and had runner-up finishes at the 2010 AJGA Steelwood Tournament and the 2008 AJGA Junior at Aspen. She finished sixth at the 2010 GolfWeek Invitational and took third at the 2008 Christmas Classic at Innisbrook.
She is a member of the National Honors Society and Distinguished Scholars Program and has been the student body Chaplin for three years. Butler received the NCSI award for distinguished achievement in academics, fine arts, athletics, leadership, Christian character and Christian service.
"Michelle is the final student-athlete that we will sign for this class and it is a very strong class for us," Priesmeyer said. "We feel like we will have a tremendously strong team next fall with our new signees as well as the team members that will return. [Assistant] Coach [Mindy] Coyle and I are very excited about the future of the program."