After the first day of the Big Ten championships, the outlook was bleak for Northwestern women’s golf team. Tied for 10th through 36 holes, the Wildcats trailed leader and eventual champion Ohio State by 28 strokes. With only two rounds to go, the Cats had their work cut out for them.
But it turned out all NU needed was a little more time and a little more Elizabeth Burden to climb up the rankings and secure a third-place finish.
“We have always been behind at every tournament this season, and this time we were able to make it up — and it was Big Tens, so that was really nice,” Burden said.
The senior led the Cats with a seventh-place individual finish with a 9-over 301, only seven strokes behind co-champions Karen Dennison of Indiana and Allison Hanna of Ohio State. Burden’s strong play earned her an individual berth in the NCAA Regional Championships May 8-10.
For her efforts, NU’s top finisher in eight out of 10 tournaments this season was awarded second-team All-Big Ten honors.
“Elizabeth is just starting to peak at the right time,” NU coach Chris Regenberg said. “Her short game was good, her long game was solid — she’s a very, very accomplished player.”
But Burden had her own struggle to the top of the leaderboard. After a windy first day, she sat in 18th place. But after shooting an even-par 73 on Saturday, she swung up to 13th place and concluded the weekend with a 1-under 72.
The team followed suit, climbing to eighth place after Saturday’s round before securing third on Sunday.
Ohio State ran away with the team title with a 26-over 1,194. But only 11 strokes separated third-place NU from 11th-place Penn State.
“The event was close as far as team scores and the standings — it was a really tight tournament, except for Ohio State,” Regenberg said. “We were pleased to come out where we did, considering our opening didn’t put us in the best of places. After the first day, we were able to turn it around pretty well.”
Burden wasn’t able to change NU’s luck by herself. Both Burden and Regenberg credited the entire squad for coming back from a mentally taxing first half to rise seven places in the rankings.
Sophomore Ina Kim tied a Big Ten record in the third round, shooting a 3-under 70, before finishing in ninth place at 10-over.
Although Regenberg said that Kim didn’t, “reach her potential” during the tournament, she said Kim’s third round was a “very, very solid round of golf,” especially because Kim has been battling a hand injury all spring.
“It was a lot of golf for her to endure, since she has been battling an injury and I respect the fact that she played each round hard, despite the fact that it must have been uncomfortable,” Regenberg said.
While the Cats were not selected to compete in the NCAA Regional Championships for the first time in four years, Burden will head to Lincoln, Neb., to try to secure one of two individual spots in the NCAA Championships at Purdue.
Regenberg said that this is “incredibly honorable” considering only four individuals are chosen to play in each of the three regional tournaments. They are selected by a formula that is based on performances throughout the season that is then reviewed by a regional selection committee.
“It’s really sad that I won’t be there with the rest of the team — it won’t really be the same,” Burden said.
The six other Cats may have to put away their clubs for the time being, but their accomplishment this weekend will not be soon forgotten.
“Everybody played their role, and we really had a team effort going,” Regenberg said. “It was a fun climb.”
