Oilers March On | Earn Trip to Medal Match Play
Eureka, Mo. - The University of Findlay women's golf team, the defending national champions, concluded the stroke play portion of the 2023 NCAA Division II National Championship, which is being held at Fox Run Golf Club in Eureka, Missouri, on Thursday, May 18. Starting the day in second place, the Oilers ended the day in a tie for third after a round of 297 (+9). Their 54-hole score of 880 (+16) is the fifth-lowest in school history and is the lowest 54-hole score for UF at the national championship.
Most importantly, Findlay has secured its' place in the top eight, earning a trip to the medal match play portion of the event for the fourth time. Findlay and Dallas Baptist, which posted the lowest score in stroke play for the second consecutive season, are the only two programs in the country to have earned a trip to medal match play each year since the format was initiated in 2019.
Medal match play pits a player on one team against a player from the other, one on one. The lowest score between those two players earns a point for their team. All five players in the lineup play and the most points wins the match and advances.
On Thursday, the Orange and Black got a big-time performance from junior Gabby Woods who finished with a historic 54 holes. Woods wrapped up stroke play with a 214 (-2), tied for the fourth-best 54-hole score in program history, and earned the distinction as the individual national runner-up, finishing in a tie for second on the leaderboard. Sitting at even par through 13 holes, Woods drove the green on the par four 16th and sank the short eagle putt to get to two-under. She made par on her final two holes to secure a final round score of 70 (-2), her second sub-par round of the tournament. It is the highest individual finish for the Oilers since Kasey Petty ('16) finished as the national runner-up in the 2016 national championship.
Also snagging a spot in the top-ten and earning all-American status was fifth-year senior Jill Schmitmeyer. The St. Mary's, Ohio native made birdie on three of her first seven holes and finished the front nine at one-under. She would finish the day with a 75 (+3), giving her a 54-hole score of 218 (+2) which is tied for eighth-best in program history. She would end the event in a tie for eighth.
Ending the tournament in a tie for 14th was sophomore Mary Kelly Mulcahy who, following the round, was announced as a first team all-American by the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA). M. Mulcahy posted a final round 72 (E) to finish with a 220 (+4).
In a tie for 59th was sophomore Erin Mulcahy who would fire a final round 81 (+9) for a 54-hole total of 232 (+16) and in a tie for 79th was freshman Hayley Dye who shot 80 (+8) and finished with a three-round score of 236 (+20).
Despite tying for third, the Oilers have been deemed the fourth seed by virtue of a tie break. That seeding will pit Findlay against Lynn University which is ranked number one in the latest WGCA Top-25. It is the second consecutive year that the Oilers have been matched up again the nation's top-ranked team in the opening round of medal match play. Last year Findlay defeated Dallas Baptist in the opening round by a score of 3-2.
The two teams will tee off at 8:00 am CT. First out will by Schmitmeyer who will be followed by M. Mulcahy. Woods, Dye, and E. Mulcahy will round out the lineup.
