Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Seek Eighth Big 12 Title
April 21, 2011 | Cowgirl Golf
April 21, 2011
Cowgirl Golf Looks For Third Big 12 Title In Four Years
Oklahoma State's women's golf team will look to pick up its third crown in four years at the Big 12 Championship this weekend at The Club at Old Hawthorne. The sixth-seeded Cowgirls will be paired with No. 4 seed Texas A&M and fifth-seeded Colorado for their first round on Friday. The trio will begin on the No. 1 tee at 8:50 a.m. (CST) at the par-72, 6,204-yard layout. The 54-hole event will consist of 18 holes each day beginning with Friday's first round and concluding on Sunday.
OSU At The Big 12 Championship
OSU leads the league with its seven Big 12 crowns. The Cowgirls first won the event in 1999 in Boulder, Colo. OSU then began its run of three consecutive championships with its victory in 2001 in Harvester, Iowa. After winning the 2002 tourney in Manhattan, Kan., the Cowgirls closed out their string with their triumph in Columbia, Mo. in 2003. OSU won the 2005 title in Austin, Texas before claiming the 2008 title on its home course, Karsten Creek, in Stillwater. In 2009, OSU repeated with a victory at The Rawls Course in Lubbock, Texas.
Cowgirls At The Big 12 Championship
OSU has been as equally successful in the individual Big 12 race as it has been in the team race, having seven players claim medalist honors during the history of the event. In 1999, Maria Bodén became the first Cowgirl to win the event and regained the title in 2001. Emma Zackrisson grabbed top honors in 2002, while Annie Thurman followed two years later with back-to-back victories in 2004 and 2005. Jaclyn Sweeney won the event in 2008 before Caroline Hedwall took top honors last year to become the school's most recent champion.
Big 12 Championship Pairings
Friday, April 22
1st tee
8:00 a.m. No. 1 Iowa State, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Oklahoma
8:50 a.m. No. 4, Texas A&M, No. 5 Colorado, No. 6 Oklahoma St.
10th tee
8:00 a.m. No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 8 Kansas, No. 9 Baylor
8:50 a.m. No. 10, Nebraska, No. 11 Kansas State, No. 12 Missouri
For days two and three, the low three teams shall be paired together while the remaining nine teams will be paired in threesomes according to their finish in the previous rounds. When play begins off the No. 1 and No. 10 tees, start times shall be made in a horseshoe arrangement according to the previous day's finish.
Big 12 Rewind ... 2010 Big 12 Championship
OSU could not overcome a final round surge by Texas A&M at the Big 12 Championship as the Cowgirls finished second at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club. OSU began the day with a 10-shot lead, but its third-round 308 was not enough to hold off the Aggies. A&M posted a closing 296 for a 32-over total of 896. The Cowgirls finished at 897, while Texas was third at 905. OSU's Caroline Hedwall claimed medalist honors and set a Big 12 Championship record with a three-round score of 6-under par 210, bettering the previous mark of 212 set by current OSU head coach Annie Young in 2005 and Texas' Heather Bowie in 1997. Hedwall closed with a 73 to finish eight shots clear of Baylor's Hannah Burke and earn her fourth victory of the year. The sophomore also extended her string of consecutive top-five finishes to six-straight events. With the Cowgirls trailing by a shot, Hedwall holed a lengthy birdie putt at the 18th to keep OSU's hopes at a playoff alive. However, A&M's Sarah Zwartynksi made an impressive save for par after getting up and down from a greenside collection area and holing a clutch par putt to seal the team title. OSU freshman Victoria Park joined Hedwall on the all-tournament team after finishing alone in third at 3-over 219. Park closed with a 78 to earn her best career finish and the fourth top 10 of her career. Freshman Courtney McKim also posted a 78 to tie for 18th at 227, while freshman Eyglo Oskarsdottir closed with a 79 and tied for 51st place at 241. Freshman Hillary Wood rounded out the lineup with an 81, putting her in 59th place at 246.
What 2 Watch 4
The Cowgirls have only finished lower than third once in the event and that was a fifth-place showing in 1997 ... in addition to their seven titles, the Cowgirls have finished second four times and third twice ... OSU will be looking to crown its eighth individual champion in the event as well … the Cowgirls have finished first or second at the event the past six years ... Hillary Wood is the lone player in the OSU starting five to have started at a Big 12 Championship, finishing 59th as a freshman last year.
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