#23 @MUWomensGolf Announces Signing of Dutch National Champion Marit Harryvan
1/12/2016 3:45:00 PM | Women's Golf
Harryvan won the U22 and U16 national titles in the Netherlands
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women's Golf announced the signing of Marit Harryvan (Winschoten, Netherlands) on Tuesday. Harryvan is a two-time Dutch national champion in the U22 (2014) and U16 (2012) divisions. She will join the team for the spring semester and is eligible to compete immediately for the No. 23 Tigers.
"We came across Marit early this summer at the European Championships and thought she was fantastic," head coach Stephanie Priesmeyer said. "She has really good length off the tee, is physically strong, has a tremendous work ethic with her game and is a fierce competitor on the golf course. Those are great qualities to have to compete in the SEC."
Harryvan won the St. Andrews Ladies Open in 2013 and was a participant in the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, where she placed 13th. She is a three-time European girls team championship player (2013-15) and finished second in the Dutch National Stroke Play Championship in 2014.
"Marit has traveled the world playing golf and that will be a huge asset for her as she transitions here to play Division I college golf," Priesmeyer noted. "She has been part of the Netherlands national team for three years and already has a great concept of what team golf is all about. When she was on her campus visit this fall, it was pretty clear that she fit in with our team and her personality is going to be wonderful with the group of young women that are already here."
During the fall schedule, Mizzou won two of its five tournaments, including a 39-under par showing at the Johnie Imes Invitational on Sept. 28-29, which fell two strokes shy of the NCAA tournament record. The Tigers led the nation with 241 birdies during the fall slate, which was 32 more than any other team. Mizzou also recorded the best final round scoring average (71.72) in the country and tied for the lead nationally with a 3.42 average in subpar strokes per round and six eagles during the fall slate.
"This is the first time we have had a player join us at semester and we are looking forward to her joining our family," Priesmeyer said. "Haelena Schwemmer graduated in December and begins working full-time in St. Louis in a couple of weeks and we look for Marit to come in and fill that void that is here with Haelena graduating."
Golfweek has ranked Mizzou No. 23 in the nation heading into the spring schedule that begins with the UCF Challenge on Feb. 7-8 in Orlando, Florida.
"We believe we have a great group of young women that are really putting everything together on and off the course at the right time," Priesmeyer added. "We had a record-breaking fall on the course and tied our team record with 3.46 grade point average in the classroom. Mindy [Coyle] and I could not be more proud of the work and effort that the team has put into their golf and school, and we are pumped about the spring season getting started."
– MIZZOU –
Players Mentioned
