NCAC Championships Preview: Women's Golf

NCAC Championships Central | NCAC Golf Championship Series Central | Kenyon Host Site

The Outlook: The North Coast Athletic Conference Championship Series is set to take place the next two Saturdays, with Kenyon College hosting this Saturday's 18-hole event at the par-71, 5,805-yard Denison Golf Club. Next week, the teams will compete in event two at the par-72, 5,805-yard Westbrook Country Club. More information on NCAC Championships can be found on the NCAC's Championships webpage and the NCAC Golf Championship Series webpage. Live scoring links can be found on Kenyon's championship webpage.

Spectator Policies: There are NO spectators permitted at Denison Golf Club. Spectators will be permitted at Westbrook Country Club and they will be expected to adhere to universal masking and social distancing at all times.

A Look Back at the Last NCAC Championships: Wooster placed fourth at the 2019 NCAC Championships, where then-sophomores Megan Gronau and Tongtong Wu earned second-team All-NCAC honors after tying for ninth-place. Wu shot an 83 in the opening round and followed that up with an 85. Gronau closed with an 82 – Wooster's lowest round of the championships – after an opening 86.

Gronau in Search of Third All-NCAC Certificate: Wooster's had just one three-time All-NCAC performer in program history, and that's alumna Emily Howerton, who earned second-team honors at the 2015 NCAC Championships and honorable mention certificates in 2016 and 2017. Gronau has a chance to join Howerton, as the Scots' No. 1 posted a breakthrough showing with a team-low 265 at the 2018 NCAC Championships. Gronau's 15th-place finish earned the neuroscience major an honorable mention certificate as a rookie.

Senior Sendoff: April 4 marked Wooster's final competitive round at its home track, Wooster Country Club. Gronau, a senior, made it one to remember with a 76, a score tied for the second-lowest in program history. Gronau played the back-nine at the par-72, 5,803-yard course at 1-under-par. She moved to even-par for the back-nine with a birdie on the par-5, 420-yard 13th hole. After three consecutive pars followed that birdie, Gronau put another circle on the scorecard with a birdie on the par-4, 299-yard No. 17. A week later, Wu finished at 159 during a 36-hole dual against Allegheny College. Wu, who upped her program record for medalist honors to four with that showing, shot a 77 in the final round, with that score tied for the 10th-lowest round in program history. Wu has three 36-hole scores in the program's top-10, and she's one of two players in program history with three 36-hole tournament scores of 159 or better.

Scots Go Low: Wooster turned in its best round of the season on April 10 at the par-70, 5,603-yard Windmill Lakes Golf Club. At that point, it was the Scots' lowest round of the spring by 11 strokes. Gronau's clubhouse-leading 78 was spearheaded by two birdies, and there were four total on the day from the entire field. Wu and first-year Melissa Cooke carded 82s in that round, with Cooke's score ranking as a collegiate best.

Season-Lows Propel Scots Past Gators: A trio of season-lows were the difference on April 3, as Wooster edged out Allegheny 346-349 in an exciting dual match at the par-71, 5,714-yard Raccoon Hill Golf Club. Hole No. 14 played a big role in that outcome. There, Wooster's scoring golfers – Gronau, Cooke, junior Kayla Audette, and Wu – combined for a 17, five strokes better than Allegheny's four scorers. That hole was crucial in the final outcome. Allegheny pulled back within three strokes on hole No. 15, and then the four scorers for each team carded a combined 53 over the final three holes. Gronau (84), Cooke (85), and Audette (88) were the Scots with season-lows in that round.