KANSAN.COM
SPORTS
13A
=
Women's golf wraps up fall portion of season
EMMA GREEN
@emmalee_green
At the end of the fall portion of its season, the Kansas women's golf team faced many ups and downs through five tournaments.
The team placed third at the Schooner Classic and 12th at the Minnesota invitational, while senior Yupaporn Kawinpakorn had three straight tournament wins.
Made up of six underclassmen and two upperclassmen, the team had to adjust to having less experience than previous years.
"We have a lot of youngsters in the lineup, and so it was a great chance for them to get some [experience]. They kind of got thrown into the fire right out of the gates, and it was a good chance for them to learn what college golf is about," said coach Erin O'Neil. "I know they've learned a
Of those finishes, though, none topped Kawinpakorn, who is known as "Mook."
lot just as far as adding new shots to their bag and dealing with the pressures of competition, so I think we've progressed nicely and had some good finishes in there."
Through five tournaments, Kawinpakorn averaged a career-low 71.21 strokes per round, which helped lead her to three-straight wins at the Schooner Classic, Chip-N-Club Invitational and Palmetto Intercollegiate.
"Obviously [Yupaporn Kawin-pakern] had a great, great fall," O'Neil said.
With one more win, Kawinporkorn could tie the Kansas record for most consecutive tournament wins, set by Holly Reynolds in the 1992-93 season.
In addition to approaching Reynolds's record, Kawinpakorn
already has the most career top-10 finishes (24), career top-5 finishes (14), lowest 54-hole score, and the best two season stroke averages in Kansas women's golf history.
"I never thought about the records at all because I didn't even know to be honest. It's good to know that I'm making something new here, and I'm setting records for somebody else to break. I feel honored to do that," Kawinpakorn said. "I'm happy with the result, but with my game. I still have to improve in a couple areas."
because she was winning by one stroke in Oklahoma. And then when she birdied the last hole, we all came to hug her because she been working so hard for it," Diaz said. "It feels good to have teammates and look out for more than just yourself."
Kawinpakorn also holds the records for best 54-hole score and best 18-hole score at eight-under, which she shot in the first round of the Schooner Classic in Norman, Okla. Freshman Ariadna Fonseca Dia remembers that tournament for that reason — Kawinpakorn's incredible performance.
"We were waiting for Mook
Not only has the women's golf team been successful so far this season, but the golfers also have strong team chemistry, which can be difficult to achieve in an individual sport like golf. Through the help of team dinners, Halloween miniature golf tournaments and other team bonding activities, the Jayhawks have bonded off the course.
"I think the chemistry is very good, which is encouraging when you do add three freshmen after losing four seniors from last year," O'Neil said. "It's a big change in the team dynamic, and for that
chemistry to continue and to actually even improve, it's a great sign for what the future holds."
Unlike most sports, the golf season runs until late October and stops before resuming in March. This leaves a gap that can sometimes cause teams to lose momentum, but it also gives the teams more time to practice.
"If it's too cold and we can't go out there, we'll lose a lot of momentum and lose the feeling of the grass and hitting the ball," Kawinpakorn said. "I would say it's hard for us, but I hope it isn't that cold this year so we can go out and play on grass a little bit, not just the artificial grass because it makes such a difference."
The Jayhawks first tournament of the spring will be the Arizona Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Ariz., where Kawinpakorn will have the chance to tie the Kansas record for most consecutive tournament wins. After that, they will compete in the SDSU Farms Invitational, the DAC/SMU Invitational, and the Texas Tech Invitational before the Big 12 Championship and NCAA Regions.
I try to stick to what I tell the girls, and that's to take it one day at a time and focus on the process. I think during this break it's a good time for us to work with some of the players on swing changes or fine tune things and focus on that." O'Neil said. "Once competition comes, really just taking it one day, one shot at a time, which is cliche but really is true, and not looking too far ahead."
Edited by Jakson Vickery
+
$ ^{1} $The Lipper Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years' Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12, 11/30/13, and 11/30/14 respectively. TIAA-CREF was ranked among 36 fund companies in 2012 and 48 fund companies in 2013 and 2014 with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit the Research and Performance section on tiaa-cref.org, TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., and Nuvene Securities, LLC, members FINRA and SIPC, distribute securities products. ©2015 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. C24849B
Consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Go to tiaa-cref.org for product and fund prospectuses that contain this and other information. Read carefully before investing. TJAA-CREF funds are subject to market and other risk factors.