Season Review: 2015-16 Michigan Women's Golf
6/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
June 9, 2016
• Big Ten Conference: 6th Place
• NCAA Regional: 6th Place
• NCAA Championship: Tie-18th Place
• Record: 88-81-2 overall, 24-13 Big Ten
"We can look back on our season with great pride in our accomplishments together as a team. This wonderful group of young women set out to make their mark on this program and elevate Michigan women's golf to a nationally prominent program." -- U-M head coach Jan Dowling
In one of the best seasons in program history, the University of Michigan women's golf team capped off a record-breaking campaign with its first NCAA Finals appearance in 14 years. The Wolverines posted three top-five finishes in four events during the fall season, highlighted by U-M's record-breaking 29-under-par performance in the fall finale, the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown (Oct. 25-27). The postseason started with a sixth-place showing at the Big Ten Championships, leading to U-M's first NCAA regional bid in four years. With another sixth-place finish, the Maize and Blue advanced to the NCAA Finals for just the second time in program history. Heading to Eugene, Oregon, and Eugene Country Club for a shot at the national title, the Wolverines tied for 18th, just missing the first team cut by four shots.
Team Highlights
• Michigan averaged 295.56 per team round, becoming the first team in program history to close a season with a sub-300 average. The old record (302.53) was set during the 2009-10 season and was nearly seven (6.97) strokes more than this season's tally. U-M posted five sub-par team rounds in 2015-16, including a school-record 275 (-13) in the first round of the Las Vegas Showdown (Oct. 25-27).
• Michigan smashed the 36-hole tournament team record with a 584 total in the stroke play qualifier at the East & West Match Play Challenge. The tally lowered the U-M record by nine strokes. With an 835 (-29) total at the Las Vegas Showdown, the Wolverines shattered the 54-hole team record, establishing a new mark by 30 shots. In addition, U-M set its Big Ten Championships 54-hole record with a 865 (+1) total -- 17 shots better than any other conference tournament tally.
• For the first time in 11 years, Michigan had multiple selections on the All-Big Ten teams as Grace Choi received first team honors and Catherine Peters was named to the second team. Choi is the first Wolverine to earn first team honors in six years (Ashley Bauer, 2010). The last time U-M had multiple All-Big Ten selections was in 2005 when the Wolverines had three -- Brianna Broderick (1st), Laura Olin (1st) and Ali Stinson (2nd).
• Every veteran Wolverine averaged more than one stroke better than any of her previous best single-season scoring average, led by Emily White and Catherine Peters both improving by better than 2.5 strokes per round. The scoring averages and improvements (2014-15 average in parentheses):
» Emily White: 75.34, -2.57 (77.91)
» Catherine Peters: 74.25, -2.51 (76.76)
» Grace Choi: 73.75, -1.89 (75.64)
» Kathy Lim: 75.43, -1.45 (76.88)
» Megan Kim: 74.94, -1.10 (76.04)
• Emily White became U-M's 28th individual medalist after defeating Clemson's Lauren Stephenson on the second playoff hole for the win at the Yale Women's Intercollegiate (Oct. 9-11). It was the first time White led U-M at an event in her career. She won with a career-best 211 (-2) 54-hole tally. In addition to White's trophy, U-M claimed a second individual title when Kathy Lim won the individual match play bracket at the East & West Match Play Challenge (Sept. 20-22).
Individual Highlights
• Grace Choi, an All-Big Ten first team selection, finished her third season carrying a 73.75 per round average -- the second best single-season mark in program history. She tied the U-M single-round record with a 65 (-7) in the second round of the Las Vegas Showdown (Oct. 25-27), helping her set, along with teammate Catherine Peters, U-M's 54-hole record at 205 (-11). She added the U-M 36-hole record with a 139 (-5) at the East & West Match Play Challenge (Sept. 20-22) and became the first Wolverine to finish under par at a 54-hole Big Ten Tournament with her tally of 215 (-1).
• Catherine Peters, an All-Big Ten second team selection, closed her final season with U-M's third best single-season average of all-time at 74.25, 2.5 strokes better than her previous best. After not posting a sub-par round in her three prior seasons, she posted five this season including back-to-back career-best tallies of 68 (-4) in the first and second rounds of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown (Oct. 25-27). Those rounds helped her set, along with Choi, U-M's 54-hole record of 205 (-11). Leading U-M back to the postseason, her tie for fifth at the NCAA Alabama Regional was the top finish by a Wolverine in the postseason, helping her to WGCA All-Regional team honors.
• Megan Kim was one of three Wolverines to start every event as she set the U-M sophomore scoring record with a career-best 74.94 per round average. She carded a career-best 66 (-6) in the first round of the East and West Match Play Challenge (Sept. 20-22). She added new career-best totals for a 36-hole tournament (142) at the East and West Match Play stroke play qualifier and 54-hole tournament (216, E) at the Big Ten Championships (April 22-24).
• In her second season, Emily White recorded U-M's first win in head coach Jan Dowling's career, winning a playoff to capture the Yale Women's Intercollegiate (Oct. 9-11). She recorded the team's largest improvement in scoring average with a 75.34 per round mark, 2.57 better than her freshman season (77.91). Starting 10 events, she added new career bests for single round (67, -4) in the second round of the Hurricane Invitational (Feb. 29-March 2), 36-hole event (149) at the East and West Match Play Challenge (Sept. 20-22), and 54-hole event (211, -2) at the Yale Women's Intercollegiate.
Coming to Ann Arbor by way of Brussels, Belgium, Elodie Van Dievoet started six of seven events and was in the lineup for all three of U-M's postseason events. She closed her first season with a 77.20 per round average and saved her best for last, carding a career-best 69 (-3) in her final round of the season at the NCAA Finals (May 20-22). Her only other sub-par round of the season was a 71 (-1) in the second round of the Big Ten Championships (April 22-24).
Yale Women's Intercollegiate medalist Emily White with Yale coach Chawwadee Rompothong
Honors and Awards
Grace
Choi
Catherine
Peters
Emily
White
Megan
Kim
Kathy
Lim
Big Ten Conference
All-Big Ten First Team: Grace Choi
All-Big Ten Second Team: Catherine Peters
Sportsmanship Award: Grace Choi
Big Ten Golfer of the Week
Emily White (Oct. 14)
Women's Golf Coaches Association
All-Regional: Catherine Peters (Shoal Creek Regional)
Tournament Medalist
Emily White (Yale Women's Intercollegiate)
Academic All-Big Ten
Grace Choi, Jr., economics
Megan Kim, So., international studies
Kathy Lim, So., sport management
Catherine Peters, Sr., physical education
Communications Contact: Tom Wywrot
