Findlay in Second at DII National Championship in Detroit
Dearborn, Mich. – The University of Findlay women's golf team, ranked 11th in the country, teed off just before noon on Tuesday, May 11 at the 2021 Division II Women's Golf National Championship held at TPC Michigan, just outside of Detroit. It is the Oilers fifth time making the national championship as a team in the last seven years that the event has taken place. Findlay, battling chilly temperatures and wind gusts of more than 30 mph, led for much of the first round and wrapped up the day in second place after posting a 300 (+12), just one shot behind Limestone University who leads after shooting 299.
The Oilers were led by Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Freshman of the Year Gabby Woods who began her day three-under through eight holes. She made a bogey on nine, but at the halfway point, had her name at the top of the individual leaderboard in her first-ever national championship round. Woods was one-over with three to play and made a birdie, her fifth of the day, on the par-5 17th hole to lead to a round of 72 (E). That score has Woods tied for fifth individually, two shots off the lead. She is the only player in the top five that does not have a golfstat.com top-100 ranking.
Junior Jill Schmitmeyer, who was named G-MAC Player of the Year a week ago, is also in the top-ten through 18 holes. The St. Mary's, Ohio native was rock steady all day as she made 11 pars en route to a first-round score of 73 (+1). Schmitmeyer played the front at even-par before making bogey on the tenth. Two birdies and two bogeys over the final four holes gave her a 37 (+1) on the back, wrapping up her round at one-over and in eighth on the leaderboard.
Playing in her second national championship event, senior Meredith Wipper, an all-American a season ago, had a roller coaster front-nine, making one par, three birdies, four bogeys, and a double-bogey to shoot a 39 (+3). The Oilers' veteran steadied herself on the back-nine, including a birdie, her fourth of the day, on the par-four 18th hole, just one of two birdies by all players on the 18th and final hole. Wipper finished with a 76 (+4), good enough to place her in a tie for 15th.
Junior Danbi Kim finds herself in a tie for 29th on the individual leaderboard after shooting a 79 (+7) in her first national championship experience. The Columbus, Indiana native was tied for fourth in the field in par 3 scoring, playing the short holes at even-par.
Rounding out the Oilers lineup was senior all-American Kristina Kniesly. Kniesly was three-over on her front nine before shooting a 43 (+7) on the back nine for a first-day total of 82 (+10). That score has her in a tie for 56th on the individual leaderboard.
The second round for Findlay will begin tomorrow at 10:30 am.
Wednesday Tee Times
10:30 – Kristina Kniesly
10:41 – Danbi Kim
10:52 – Meredith Wipper
11:03 – Jill Schmitmeyer
11:14 – Gabby Woods
