Arizona Wildcats women's golf explained

Arizona Wildcats women's golf
Founded:1979
University:University of Arizona
Athletic Director:Dave Heeke
Coach:Giovana Maymon
Coach-Tenure:1st
Conference:Big 12
Location:Tucson, Arizona
Course:Tucson Country Club
Par:72
Yards:7,022
Nickname:Arizona
Color1:Cardinal
Color2:Navy
Ncaachampion:1996, 2000, 2018
Ncaarunnerup:2002
Individualchampion:Susan Slaughter (1990)
Annika Sörenstam (1991)
Marisa Baena (1996)
Jenna Daniels (2000)
Ncaamatchplay:2018
Ncaaappearance:1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
Conferencechampion:Pac-10/12
1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2015
Individualconference:Pac-10/12
Annika Sorenstam (1992)
Leta Lindley (1994)
Marisa Baena (1996)
Jenna Daniels (1998)
Lorena Ochoa (2001)

The Arizona Wildcats women's golf is considered one of the best in all of women's collegiate golf, dating back to their first season in 1979. Since they have won three national championships in 1996, 2000, and 2018. The Wildcat Women have also had four individual national champions with Susan Slaughter in (1990), Annika Sörenstam in (1991), Marisa Baena in (1996) and Jenna Daniels in (2000).

On August 4, 2023, Arizona announced it would join the Big 12 Conference along with Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah beginning in the 2024-25 academic year.[1]

Members of the Wildcat women's program have gone on to success on the LPGA Tour, led by 8-time LPGA Player of the Year Annika Sörenstam and 4-time LPGA Player of the Year Lorena Ochoa. Sörenstam is regarded as one of the best female golfers in history.[2] Before stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season, she had won 90 international tournaments as a professional, making her the female golfer with the most wins to her name. She has won 72 official LPGA Tour tournaments including ten majors and 18 other tournaments internationally, and she tops the LPGA's career money list with earnings of over $22 million—over $2 million ahead of her nearest rival while playing 187 fewer events.[3] The winner of a record eight Player of the Year awards, and six Vare Trophies given to the LPGA player with the lowest seasonal scoring average, she is the only female golfer to shoot a 59 in competition. She holds various all-time scoring records including the lowest season scoring average: 68.6969 in 2004. Representing Europe in the Solheim Cup on eight occasions between 1994 and 2007, Sörenstam was the event's all-time leading points earner until her record was surpassed by England's Laura Davies during the 2011 Solheim Cup. Sörenstam also was captain of the 2017 European Solheim Cup team. In 2003, Sörenstam played in the Bank of America Colonial tournament to become the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event since 1945.

Lorena Ochoa was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for 158 consecutive and total weeks (both are LPGA Tour records), from April 23, 2007, to her retirement on May 2, 2010, at the age of 28 years old. As the first Mexican golfer of either gender to be ranked number one in the world,[4] she is considered the best Mexican golfer and the best Latin American female golfer of all time.[5] [6] Ochoa was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.[7]

Yearly record

Source[8]

SeasonCoachConferenceNCAA
Pac-10/12
1981JoAnne Lusk4th14th
1982JoAnne Lusk3rd13th
1983JoAnne Lusk3rd11th
1984Kim Haddow4th
1985Kim Haddow4th
1986Kim Haddow5th
1987Kim Haddow4st12th
1988Kim Haddow5th8th
1989Kim Haddow3rd4th
1990Kim Haddow2nd7th
1991Kim Haddow2nd3rd
1992Kim Haddow1st2nd
1993Kim Haddow8th14th
1994Kim Haddow6th
1995Kim Haddow/Rick LaRose4th12th
1996Rick LaRoseT-3rd1st
1997Rick LaRose1st3rd
1998Rick LaRose1st3rd
1999Todd McCorkle2nd4th
2000Todd McCorkle1st1st
2001Greg Allen1st8th
2002Greg Allen1st7th
2003Greg Allen2nd7th
2004Greg Allen3rdT-15th
2005Greg Allen4th
2006Greg Allen5th17th
2007Greg Allen4thT-14th
2008Shelly Haywood4th23rd
2009Shelly Haywood4th16th
2010Shelly Haywood/Laura Ianello1st5th
2011Laura Ianello2nd15th
2012Laura Ianello3rd
2013Laura IanelloT-4th8th
2014Laura IanelloT-2ndT-7th
2015Laura Ianello1stT-5th
2016Laura Ianello4thT-9th
2017Laura Ianello4th
2018Laura IanelloT-3rd1st
2019Laura Ianello2nd6th
2020Laura IanelloSeason canceled due to the
Coronavirus Pandemic
2021Laura Ianello4thT-7st
2022Laura IanelloT-5th
2023Laura Ianello 4th T-9th
2024Laura Ianello 6th
TotalPac-10/12:83

Team tournament wins (84)

Source:[9]

Individual champions

Source:[10]

NCAA

Arizona has had four individuals claim the NCAA Individual Championship on four occasions.

NCAA Individual Champion
Susan Slaughter
Annika Sörenstam
Marisa Baena
Jenna Daniels

Regional

NCAA West Regional Championship
1996 Marisa Baena
1999 Jenna Daniels
2001 Natalie Gulbis
2008 Alison Walshe
NCAA Central Regional
2004 Erica Blasberg

Conference

Arizona has had five separate golfers win a conference title on five separate occasions.

Pac-10/12
1991 Annika Sörenstam
1994 Leta Lindley
1996 Marisa Baena
1998 Jenna Daniels
2001 Lorena Ochoa

National honors

Source[11]

NCAA Coach of the Year

Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year

U.S. Women's Amateur champions

National College Player of the Year

Pac-10/12 Player of the Year

National Freshman of the Year

Pac-10/12 Freshman of the Year

Curtis Cup

All-American (selected by WGCA)

WGCA Academic All-American

Individual scoring record

Source:[12]

Low 18-hole total in relation to par
PlayerDateScore
Haley MooreOct 26, 201764 (−8)
Therese WarnerMar 8, 202165 (−7)
Gigi Stoll 65 (−7)
Wanasa ZhouMar 11, 201765 (−7)
Haley Moore Sep 13, 201665 (−7)
Low 18-hole aggregate total
PlayerDateScore
Haley MooreOct 26, 201764 (−8)
Therese WarnerMar 8, 202165 (−7)
Gigi Stoll 65 (−7)
Wanasa ZhouMar 11, 201765 (−7)
Haley Moore Sep 13, 201665 (−7)
Low 54-hole total in relation to par
PlayerSeasonScore
Wanasa Zhou2016–17203 (−13)
Manon Gidali 2011–12204 (−12)
Haley Moore2016–17206 (−10)
Lorena Ochoa2001–02206 (−10)
Krystal Quihuis2016–17206 (−10)
Low 54-hole aggregate total
PlayerSeasonScore
Wanasa Zhou2016–17203 (−13)
Manon Gidali 2011–12204 (−12)
Haley Moore2016–17206 (−10)
Lorena Ochoa2001–02206 (−10)
Krystal Quihuis2016–17206 (−10)
Career scoring average (min. 2 seasons played)
PlayerAverageYearsRounds
Lorena Ochoa70.852000–0260
Vivian Hou71.952019–2141
Erica Blasberg72.322002–0461
Haley Moore72.452015–19118
Yu-Sang Hou72.482017–2196
Single-season scoring average (Min. 18 rounds played)
PlayerYearsRounds
Lorena Ochoa70.132001–0230
Vivian Hou70.682019–2019
Vivian Hou71.402016–1730
Lorena Ochoa71.562000–0130
Jenna Daniels71.701999–0034

Notes and References

  1. News: Robbins . Robert C. . University of Arizona Will Join the Big 12 Conference in 2024–25 . University of Arizona Athletics . August 4, 2023.
  2. Web site: Official Career Wins . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070125181051/http://www.lpga.com/content/OfficialWins.pdf . 25 January 2007 . 7 March 2007 . LPGA.
  3. Web site: LPGA Tour Career Money List . 4 June 2022 . LPGA Tour.
  4. News: Say Hello to the Ochoa Era . The Washington Post . 27 April 2007 . Leonard . Shapiro . 27 April 2007.
  5. Web site: 5 Great Hispanic Golfers . Man Made . Harper . Lane . 15 September 2010 . 23 December 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150224044614/http://www.mademan.com/mm/5-great-hispanic-golfers.html . 24 February 2015 . dead .
  6. News: La familia Ochoa, del golf al tenis . ESPN Deportes . Juan Ignacio . Ceballos . 16 June 2011 . 23 December 2015 . es.
  7. Web site: Love III gets Hall of Fame call: Woosnam, Mallon, Ochoa, Longhurst also included in Class of 2017 . PGA Tour . 18 October 2016.
  8. Web site: Arizona women’s golf MEDIA GUIDE . Arizona Wildcats. PDF.
  9. Web site: Arizona Women's Golf Media Guide . 7 .
  10. Web site: Arizona Women's Golf Media Guide - Page 8 .
  11. Web site: 2021-22 Arizona Women's Golf Media Guide . 9 . Arizona Wildcats.
  12. Web site: 2021–22 Arizona Women's Golf Media Guide. 12. Arizona Wildcats. PDF.