Huskers Close Fall in Battle at the Beach

The Nebraska women's golf team caps its 2019 fall campaign by competing in the Battle at the Beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Nov. 1-3.

The 16-team event hosted by TCU begins Friday, Nov. 1 with a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m. (CT)/8:30 a.m. (MT). The 54-hole tournament continues with a second round at 10:30 a.m. (CT) on Saturday, before concluding with a shotgun start for the final round on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 8:15 a.m. (CT). 

Live scoring for the tournament, which includes LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt from the SEC, along with Kansas State, Texas Tech and TCU from the Big 12, along with Iowa and Nebraska from the Big Ten, will be available at BirdieFire.com.

Senior Kate Smith leads the Big Red to the Battle of the Beach. The senior from Detroit Lakes, Minn., is coming off a tie for second at the rain-shortened Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational in Sammamish, Wash., Oct. 8-9. Smith carries a 72.63 stroke average through eight fall rounds, after notching the 15th top-10 tournament finish of her career.

Megan Whittaker continues to make impressive improvements in her game. The sophomore from Elkhorn, Neb., tied for 16th at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invite for the first top-20 finish of her career. Whittaker ranks second among the Huskers this fall with a 75.00 stroke average after posting a 77.81 stroke average as a true freshman.

Freshman Leah Herzog has joined Smith and Whittaker in the Husker lineup for every round this fall. Herzog carries a 76.75 stroke average through eight rounds.

Battle at the Beach
Host: TCU
Location: San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico
Course: Club Campestre San Jose (Par 72, 6,280 Yards)

Start Times
Friday, Nov. 1, 10:30 a.m. (CT) - Shotgun
Saturday, Nov. 2, 10:30 a.m. (CT) - Shotgun
Sunday, Nov. 3, 8:15 a.m. (CT) - Shotgun
Live Scoring: BirdieFire.com

Tournament Field (16 Teams)
Augusta        
Denver
Indianapolis    
Iowa        
Kansas State  
LSU        
Missouri        
Nebraska        
Ole Miss        
San Jose State    
TCU        
Texas A&M    
Texas Tech        
UAB
Vanderbilt        
Virginia Tech

Nebraska Lineup
1. Kate Smith
2. Megan Whittaker
3. Leah Herzog
4. Haley Thiele
5. Kirsten Baete
IND - Hannah Thiele

Smith on Her Way to Record Senior Season for Nebraska
Kate Smith is taking aim at her best season yet, as she reaches the final fall tournament of her four-year career.  

Smith has played 95 rounds and owns a Nebraska-record 73.61 career stroke average. She owns a team-best 72.63 average through eight rounds, with six of eight rounds at or better than par (72).

Last season, Smith's 73.52 stroke average was a school record. In 2016-17, Smith set the Nebraska freshman record with a 73.90 stroke average while earning a spot in the 2017 NCAA Regional field.

The senior from Detroit Lakes, Minn., finished 2018-19 No. 223 in the GolfStat player rankings. She owns 22 career top-25 individual tournament finishes, including 15 top-10 showings. She has also won three career Big Ten Golfer-of-the-Week awards.

In 2017-18, Smith smashed a school record with her 14-under-par 202 at the 2018 Westbrook Spring Invitational (Feb. 25-26). She added the second-best tournament in school history with her 208 (-8) at the 2019 Westbrook Spring Invitational (Feb. 24-25) to finish as the runner-up.

She has fired 28 rounds better than par in her career, including a school-record 64 (-8) in the second round of the 2018 Westbrook Invite.
 
Whittaker Putting Finishing Touches on Impressive Fall
Megan Whittaker has continued her upward trajectory for each tournament of the fall season in 2019. The sophomore from Elkhorn, Neb., is coming off her first career top-20 finish after tying for 16th at the rain-shortened Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational, in Sammamish, Wash., Oct. 8-9. Whittaker has established herself as a consistent contributor in the Husker lineup this fall, posting Nebraska's No. 2 stroke average (75.00). 

Herzog's fall stroke average is nearly three strokes per round better than her 77.81 average from her freshman campaign.

So far in 2019-20, Whittaker has set her collegiate best with an opening-round 72 at the Golfweek Conference Challenge. She also set a collegiate tournament best with a 225 at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invite before shooting an even better 221 at Golfweek.

Freshman Herzog Helping Solidify Husker Lineup
Leah Herzog has provided a consistent threat for Nebraska by competing in every round in the Husker lineup in her first semester on campus.

The true freshman from Red Wing, Minn., ranks third on the team with a 76.75 stroke average while joining Kate Smith and Megan Whittaker as the only Huskers to compete in all eight rounds this fall.

Herzog's fall included a Nebraska true freshman-record 66 (-6) in the opening round of the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Wolcott, Colo., Sept. 23.

Herzog was named Minnesota Ms. Golf in May before leading Red Wing to a Class 2A state team title. She posted a 69.4 scoring average as a high school senior and finished as the Class 2A individual runner-up. She was a four-time all-state selection.