Grey Bruce Golf News

Strong start in Oklahoma

Two top-30 finishes for Taylor Schmidt

Taylor Schmidt earlier this season at Stone Tree Golf & Fitness Club near Owen Sound.

Kincardine's Taylor Schmidt tied for 28th to help her University of Oklahoma women's golf team to a 7th place tie at the 12-team Alamo Invitational in San Antonio, Texas.

Competing in just her third collegiate tournament, Schmdit shot 77 (+5) in the Oct. 27 event, which was shortened from 54 holes to 18 because of thunderstorms. She shot 3-over on the front nine and 2-over on the back to finish third on her team.

The tournament was played at the 6,323-yard Briggs Ranch Golf Course.

The Sooners fired a single-round 304 (+16) in their final fall tournament to finish just two strokes out of fourth place. Tennessee won the team title with a 289 (+1), while the Volunteers' Nathalie Mansson and Notre Dame's Annie Brophy shared first-place individual honors.

"We have learned a lot about each individual this fall and we know what we need to work on this offseason in order to reach our goals," first-year OU head coach Veronique Drouin said in a story on www.soonersports.com

Ellen Mueller continued her streak of stellar performances by shooting an even-par 72 to tie five others for fourth place. It marked her second top-five finish in OU's four fall tournaments, and fifth of her career. Mueller finished just two strokes back of Mansson and Brophy.

OU sophomore Kelly Short tied for 19th place with a 3-over 75. It was her third career top-20 finish.

Sophomore Brooke Collins tied for 48th with an 80 (+8), while senior Andrea Sellmeyer finished 59th with an 89 (+17).

It was Schmidt's second top-30 finish as she ended up in a tie for 23rd in her second tournament - the Windy City Collegiate event in Glenview, Illinois on Oct. 5-7.

In that event she shot rounds of 75-74-75 to finish with a +8 total. It was the second best result on her team, which ended up 13th in the 15-team event. The top Sooner was Ellen Mueller, who shot 73-72-73 and tied for 9th.

"Taylor played well considering she was injured," said coach Drouin.

Schmidt received a mild concussion and whiplash in a minor car accident on campus prior to the event.

Purdue was the top team and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que. was the individual medallist, shooting 68-69-74 for a -5 total.

At her first event, Schmidt tied for 56th place in a field of 96 golfers at the Dick McGuire Invitational in Alburquereque, New Mexico on Sept. 19-20.

"I set personal goals for myself going into my 1st tournament in New Mexico and with the hard work and dedication I have been putting in I am seeing some progress and I have already altered some of my goals to challenge myself further," Schmidt said in a recent email.

While pleased with her consistency, she's aiming for even better results. "...I know deep down in my heart I have the ability to go even lower!"

And so does her coach, who is pushing her in ways she's never seen or felt before. "She's AWESOME!," Schmidt said. "She is positive but yet still strict enough to see major improvements being made. What she instills into all of us is showing through already and she's wonderful for my game."

Her teammates have also provided her with positive feedback. "My teammates already feel like my sisters and we all get along so great! They are positive individuals as well and we have all learned ways to push one another in a healthy way. I just love them!"

The first couple of weeks in Oklahoma were challenging for Schmidt, especially being away from her family for the first time, but "once you get through that, you're good to go," she said.

"You are so busy with school, practice, workouts, and qualifying that time totally flies." She said the people are friendly and easy to get along with and Oklahoma now feels like her home away from home. "I love it here," she said.

The Sooners' spring season will commence with the Lady Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 7-10 in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.