After a two week break from competitive play, the Wisconsin women's golf team will travel to Norman, Okla., to compete in the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic, their second to last outing before the Big Ten Championships in Pennsylvania. The classic bares the name of the first woman to receive a golf scholarship from the Oklahoma City University. The outing begins Sunday and will finish Monday.
Wisconsin returned from the Betsy Rawls Invitational in Texas just over two weeks ago where they finished 12th out of 18 teams. The standout Badger performance went to sophomore Kelsey Verbeten. Verbeten tied for 29th with a score of 161, 17 over par. The course proved to be a bit of a challenge for all who competed, since not a single golfer shot under par. Top honors went to University of Arkansas senior Stacy Lewis. Lewis finished the course with a score of 151, 7 over par.
If previous outings are any indication of what is to come, Verbeten will continue leading the Badgers at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic. However, her leadership alone will not be enough to drive the team to an impressive finish. Luckily for the Badgers, the team is ripe with strong and consistent golfers to stay competitive every time they hit the greens.
Verbeten may have led the team recently, however it has been senior Katie Elliott who has anchored the team with her experience and skill. As the single senior on the team, Elliott will have the responsibility of keeping the other golfers from getting too excited about the upcoming Big Ten Championships. In order for the team to be successful, Elliot will need to make sure the team takes the upcoming outings one at a time.
Along with Elliott and Verbeten, freshmen Carly Werwie and juniors Jeana Dahl and Natasha Lopez form the core of the team. With the Big Ten Championships less than a month away, they all must be on the top of their game if they wish to make a strong showing as a team. It all starts this weekend with the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic. Their success or failure will have a great impact on their morale leading up to the championships.
Look for the lady Badgers to take their consistency to the next level and come on strong in Oklahoma in preparation for the Big Ten Championships.
