DEARBORN, Mich. – It was an incredible run for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference-represented Findlay Oilers at the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship as the program advanced into the quarterfinal round of match play at TPC of Michigan.
The Oilers had started the playoffs with a Great Midwest Championship title in Lexington at the University Club of Kentucky and then carved out a runner-up team finish at the NCAA East Regional in Carmel, Ind.
Also advancing out of that phase was Tiffin’s Alice Putoud, who was one of the top individuals in the field not from a qualifying team.
Together, Findlay and Putoud took their talents to TPC Michigan, the final stage of the journey in the NCAA postseason format. The Oilers were second, fourth and finally third, at the end of stroke play to earn the No. 3 seed in match play, which is reserved for only the top eight programs remaining out of stroke play.
Findlay fired a cumulative score of 900 (300-301-299) at the end of 54 holes. Senior Meredith Wipper was the ringleader with a third-place finish and posted a 3-over par 219 (76-68-75).
Great Midwest Player of the Year Jill Schmitmeyer also recorded a top 10 performance and she tied for ninth with a 222 (73-74-75). Senior Kristina Kniesly was tied for 31st, junior Danbi Kim was 38th and Great Midwest Freshman of the Year Gabby Woods would end stroke play in 63rd with a 244.
Tiffin’s Putoud, just the third individual in conference history to advance to the final stage of the NCAA Championships with Malone’s Christina Williams and Trevecca Nazarene’s Alexa Rippy, finished tied for 50th after two rounds (87-73).
Just outside of Detroit, TPC of Michigan, endured some difficult weather conditions that made scores tough across the board. Frost delays happened more than once and winds whipped up to more than 30 mph in some cases to wreak havoc on distance.
All five of the Oilers starters were top eight finishers, earning automatic all-conference team status, at the Great Midwest Championship 54-hole event at the Big Blue Course.
On Friday, match play had the Oilers seeded third against No. 6 seed St. Mary’s (TX) from the Lone Star Conference. Findlay had only trailed Limestone and Lynn at the end of stroke play. The reset button pressed going into match play really gives any team in that final eight a chance to shine as eventually, it was No. 5 seed Dallas Baptist defeating Lynn in the match play championship final.
Woods defeated her opponent up five strokes and Wipper defeated hers up by two strokes. It was a tough matchup for Kniesly, who went head-to-head with Madison Dibildox, a transfer from Division I LSU. Kim was edged out by only one stroke and Schmitmeyer had a narrow margin of two strokes vs. her opponent.
The Oilers advanced to match play for the second time as a Great Midwest member institution. Findlay also advanced to the quarterfinal round after finishing eighth in stroke play at the 2019 NCAA Championship in West Palm Beach, Fla.