The results were far from what coach Emily Fletcher expected, and she didn’t hesitate to brush off Northwestern’s disappointing seventh place finish at the Big Ten Championships this weekend.
“I told the team (Sunday), ‘You’ve got about five minutes to get over this, and then we’re looking ahead to regionals,'” Fletcher said.
The team was certainly upset with its struggles at the Donald Ross Course in French Lick, Ind., but Fletcher said she is determined to focus on the positives aspects and look two weeks ahead to the upcoming regionals of the NCAA Championships.
This weekend saw a shift in the strong performances when the newcomers to the greens brought the strongest game. The charge was led by freshman Hana Lee’s surge into a tie for 18th place in her inaugural performance at the Big Ten Championships. The finish was her third top-20 performance of the season, and Fletcher said she was not surprised Lee finished so high.
“I feel really good about Hana’s game,” she said. “She’s got a lot of confidence, and she’s right where she needs to be right now.”
Lee led the Cats all three rounds of the tournament, finishing the first round in 11th and the second in 14th.
“It doesn’t matter how big the tournament is. I go into a tournament feeling like it’s any other,” Lee said. “When you’re playing more difficult courses like the one we played on, you just need to stay patient and not get ahead of yourself.”
She said she believes her success was propelled by the presence of assistant coach Beth Miller at each hole along the way, as well as her focus on remaining patient throughout the tournament.
Lee shot a 12-over 228 to earn the honor of the Cats’ leading scorer, followed by junior Anne Ormson with a 13-over 229. Ormson’s score was good enough for a tie at 20th place, her first top-20 finish of her NU career.
The trio of top scorers was rounded out by freshman Brittany Mai, who shot a 15-over 231 to end up in 27th place.
Fletcher said she is extremely proud of the way all three girls focused on their game this weekend, especially in regards to the relative inexperience of Lee and Mai.
“I haven’t had two freshmen able to step it up like they have,” she said, “and in that sense, we’re seeing the most talent that we’ve had in my coaching career.”
The Cats took third place in last year’s Big Ten Championships, fueled by top-three finishes by senior Alex Lederhausen and junior Lauren Weaver. Lederhausen finished in 61st place this year, and Weaver ended up in a tie for 32nd. Both girls struggled more than normal, but Fletcher said they remained in good spirits at the conclusion of the tournament.
The coach said Lederhausen was disappointed with her final appearance at Big Ten Championships but knows she has another chance to play to the best of her ability at the upcoming regional competition.
“We’re not going to beat ourselves up over a performance that was less than we’d hoped it would be,” Fletcher said. “I have full belief we’re doing the right things in their attitudes and their energy, and we just need to turn this corner.”
