The lady Badgers golf team returned from Columbus, Ohio, late Sunday evening, toting their clubs and their second-straight fifth-place finish. Wisconsin competed in the Lady Buckeye Invitational this past weekend and with two straight impressive performances, the Badgers are primed for the upcoming Big Ten Championships.
The invitational can be considered a preview for the Big Ten Championships as eight of the 11 Big Ten teams competed at Columbus. Wisconsin finished fifth overall, but it finished fourth among Big Ten teams, beating Penn State, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota.
Out of the six golfers Wisconsin sent to Ohio, four finished in the top 25. Freshman sensation Carly Werwie put up another remarkable performance, leading the Badgers for the second-straight outing. She shot a 74 in the first round Saturday and put up a score of 76 later that day, earning her a tie for seventh place after day one. Her first day score of 150 was six over par.
Werwie added two strokes to her second round score in the third round, finishing with a 78, six over par. Her total score of 228, 12 over par, placed her in a tie for eighth place overall at the completion of the invitational. Anticipation for success is high after Werwie's recent phenomenal performances, and she is a golfer to keep an eye on at the Big Ten Championships.
Senior Katie Elliott came in second among the Badgers and tied for 12th overall. For Elliott, the invitational embodied her entire season. She golfed three strong consistent rounds of golf, finishing with a score of 231, 15 over par. Elliott shot 78 in round one, 76 in round two and finished with a 77 in round three.
Going into the Big Ten Championships, the question is not whether Elliott will or will not golf well. The question is whether she can take her consistency to a new level of play in her final golf postseason as a Badger.
Werwie is not the only young Badger competing at a high level lately. Sophomore Kelsey Verbeten finished third among the Badger golfers and tied for 14th overall. Her overall score of 232 put her only one stroke behind Elliott, mostly due to her second-round score of 82.
Junior Natasha Lopez swung her way into the top-25 finishers overall because of a spectacular third-round score of 74. Lopez shot an 84 in the first round and a 79 in the second, finishing in a tie for 25th.
Junior Jeana Dahl shot an 87 in the first round but improved immensely in the second and third rounds. She put up a score of 80 in the second round and finished the third round with a score of 76. Dahl finished the invitational in a tie for 41st with a total score of 243.
Junior Isabel Alvarez rounded out the Badger golfers, tying for 60th with a score of 251. She golfed a consistent three rounds, putting up an 84, 82 and 85.
After the Lady Buckeye Invitational, few can argue the Badgers are not prepared for the Big Ten Championships. Of the eight Big Ten teams competing in Columbus, only Ohio State had more golfers in the top 25, with five. Wisconsin hopes to continue its hot streak at the Big Ten Championships, which begin this Friday.
