Lau Named Women's Golf Program's First WGCA First Team All-American
5/25/2022 7:30:00 PM | Women's Golf
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. -- University of Michigan women's golf senior Ashley Lau was honored Wednesday (May 25) as the Wolverines first-ever Women's Golf Coaches Association All-America first team selection. It is the second honor for Lau after earning honorable mention accolades last season.
"Honestly, I have never really given much thought to getting an honor such as this," said Lau. "When coach told me over the phone, I was so happy. It just serves as a confidence booster for me and where my game is. Of course, something like this isn't just on me. My teammates pushed and challenged me to become the best person and golfer I can be. So, this is an honor for all of us."
In a record-breaking season and a year full of firsts, Lau was named the program's first-ever Big Ten Golfer of the Year as well as an All-Big Ten first team selection. She was instrumental in the Wolverines claiming four tournament titles, including U-M's first Big Ten championship. Hosting the NCAA regional in Ann Arbor, Lau guided the Maize and Blue to a tie for third and a second straight trip NCAA Finals in Scottsdale, Ariz.
"The results speak for themselves, and of course, Ashley has an incredible skill set," said U-M head coach Jan Dowling. "However, what people don't see is the dedication, drive and her ability to show up each and every time we teed it up this season. As well, her self-belief is so strong, and she is rarely ever rattled. She's a wonderful teammate and a special player for all these intangible reasons.
"She's one of the best 12 players in the country this year, and that is incredibly special. And, she's now the first Michigan golfer to accomplish this great honor. We competed against some great teams and players all season long, and she clearly stacks up. We are very proud of her, and she is making her mark on our program."
While the Wolverines posted their second straight top-20 national finish, Lau, and teammate Hailey Borja, advanced as individuals to the final round of stroke play, while each tied for 13th with 292 finals totals.
Adding to her record-breaking season, Lau became the first Wolverine to win the Mary Fossum Award for the lowest scoring average in the Big Ten. A three-time medalist this season, Lau carried a 71.84 average to set the Michigan single-season scoring record by almost two full strokes.
Lau had nine sub-70 scores among her team-best 15 sub-par rounds and she carded a career-low score 66 (-4) in the final round of the VyStar Gators Invitational, which helped her rally for the individual win and set a new U-M record for a 54-hole tournament (203, -7). She later added a career-low (to par) with a 67 (-5) in the first round at the Indiana Invitational, where she went on to win the individual title for a second straight year. She led U-M in six of 12 events this season and earned four Big Ten Golfer of the Week accolades -- giving her a program-record five in her career. Her four career individual titles are also a program record.
Lau's two WGCA honors joins her with Elodie Van Dievoet, who earned U-M's first selection with her second-team honor in 2017, as the only Wolverines to earn All-American honors.
Women's Golf Coaches Association First Team All-Americans
Amari Avery, USC
Hannah Darling, South Carolina
Rachel Kuehn, Wake Forest
Alexandra Forsterling, Arizona State
ASHLEY LAU, MICHIGAN
Ingrid Lindblad, LSU
Polly Mack, Alabama
Natasha Andrea Oon, San Jose State
Emma Spitz, UCLA
Chiara Tamburlini, Mississippi
Beatrice Wallin, Florida State
Rose Zhang, Stanford
Players Mentioned
