The numbers say they will finish fourth in the Big Ten Championships, but the Wildcats have other plans.
No. 36 Northwestern enters the tournament in Madison, Wis., ranked behind No. 8 Purdue, No. 13 Michigan State and No. 18 Ohio State. In last season’s Big Ten Championships, NU finished fourth behind those same teams, but coach Emily Fletcher has set a higher target this time.
“We want to finish no worse than top three,” Fletcher said.
The Cats are familiar with their rivals and with the golf course. In the Lady Northern Invitational held on the same course last September, NU competed with all of its conference rivals, placing fourth, behind Purdue, Ohio State, and Michigan State.
The Lady Buckeye Invitational last week contained all the Big Ten teams, minus Purdue and Michigan. NU finished third, behind Ohio State and Michigan State. But rather than let past finishes deter them, the Cats will draw confidence from it.
“When we were paired with Ohio State and Michigan State (on the final day of the Lady Buckeye), our girls weren’t out of their elements,” Fletcher said. “Playing with strong teams has made them comfortable with where they fit in, so I think it has been helpful.”
In the tournaments leading up to last weekend’s tournament, the Cats played in tough fields, which included opponents such as No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Duke, and No. 7 Arizona. And after leading Michigan State for two rounds in last week’s tournament, the team is high on confidence.
“I think we proved to ourselves that Michigan State is definitely beatable next week,” junior Rebecca Lederhausen said after last week’s tournament. “And Ohio State is not too far away either.”
The tournament comes at the perfect time for junior Kelsey Lindenschmidt. Coming off a career-best finish in the Lady Buckeye, placing third overall, Lindenschmidt enters a tournament that has drawn big performances from her.
As a freshman in 2008, she finished first for the Cats, tying for 28th overall. Last year, Lindenschmidt unlocked the top-ten for the first time in her collegiate career, finishing atop NU’s scoreboard.
“I expect good things,” Fletcher said. “She’s been playing quite well this spring. She hasn’t been putting very well, so if she putts better so I think she can contend and I expect a top-ten finish out of her.”
Fletcher also has high hopes for freshman Lauren Weaver, who has had NU’s best score in half the team’s tournaments this season. Though Weaver recorded her season-worst 25-over 241 in the Lady Buckeye, Fletcher thinks Weaver can achieve something only one player in NU program history has managed.
“I think she can win the Big Ten title with a really high finish,” Fletcher said. “She’s a really dedicated player, great work ethic, very competitive.”
Alice Kim won the 2007 Big Ten title for the Cats, as the team finished fifth. The then-junior entered the Big Ten Championships with a 74.93 average, which is a fifth of a stroke better than Weaver’s 75.13 average so far.
Lederhausen, freshman Anne Ormson, sophomore Alex Lederhausen, and sophomore Kylie Fuller will complete NU’s six-member lineup.
“We’re just continuing developing everyone’s game, getting everyone to peak at the right time,” Fletcher said. “We play all season to play at our best now.”
