Honors & Awards
- All-Big Ten (Second Team, 2023)
- One Career Tournament Title (Green Wave Classic, 2022)
- 54-Hole School Record (202, -14, Green Wave Classic, 2022)
- Nebraska Freshman Record (65, -7, Green Wave Classic, 2nd, 2022)
- Nebraska Career Stroke Average Record (71.67)
- Nebraska Season Stroke Average Record (72.05, 2022-23)
- Nebraska Freshman Stroke Average Record (72.05, 2022-23)
- 10 Career Top 10 Finishes (4, 2023-24)
- 17 Career Top 25 Finishes (8, 2023-24)
- Tied for 20th at Big Ten Championship (2023)
- Tied for 40th at Big Ten Championship (2024)
- Tied for 30th at NCAA Raleigh Regional (2023)
- Big Ten Golfer of the Week (Sept. 15, 2022; Oct. 11, 2023; Feb. 7, 2024)
- Big Ten Golfer to Watch (2022, 2023)
- WGCA Scholastic All-American (2023)
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2022, 2023; Spring 2023)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2023)
- Three-Time Idaho Class 2A State Champion (2019, 2020, 2022)
- U.S. Women's Amateur Qualifier (2023)
- Women's Western Amateur (Round of 32, 2023)
- U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier (2022)
- Girls Junior Americas Cup Runner-Up (2021, 2022)
- Two-Time Idaho Women's Player of the Year (2021, 2022)
- Idaho Women's Match Play Champion (2022)
- Idaho Women's Amateur Champion (2021)
- Idaho Women's Amateur Runner-Up (2018, 2022)
- Idaho Junior Amateur Champion (2019)
Best Career Finish: 1st (Green Wave Classic, 2022)
Career Stroke Average: 71.67
Sophomore (2023-24)
After claiming All-Big Ten honors in a record-setting first year on the course for the Huskers as a true freshman in 2022-23, Kelli Ann Strand helped lead an experienced Nebraska lineup as a sophomore.
Strand produced one of her best performances of the season and second-best showing of her college career, as she took second at the Dale McNamara Invitational (Oct. 9-10). Strand closed with a 206 (-10), that included a season-best 66 (-6) in the second round on the 6,246-yard layout at the Golf Club of Oklahoma in Broken Arrow. Her performance also included an eagle on the par-5, 484-yard 18th hole in the final round. Her performance in Oklahoma earned her the second Big Ten Golfer-of-the-Week honor of her career on Oct. 11.
She opened the spring by claiming Big Ten Golfer-of-the-Week honors again (Feb. 7) after tying for sixth with a 210 (-6) at the UCF Challenge (Feb. 3-5). Strand fired rounds of 70-68-72 at on the 6,367-yard layout at the Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando.
Strand continued to play solid golf by tying for 11th at the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational in Sarasota, Fla. (Feb. 18-19). She produced an even-par 144 on the 6,191-yard layout at the Palm Aire Country Club in the rain-shortened 36-hole event, including a second-round 68 (-4).
She was even better the following week at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, Ariz. (Feb. 25-26), where she finished fifth with a season-best 204 (-12) that included a season-best-tying 66 (-6) in the opening round. Strand added rounds of 70 and 68 to finish just two strokes out of first place. She added a tie for 11th with an even-par 216 (71-74-71) at the Briar's Creek Invitational in Johns Island, S.C. (March 11-12), before tying for ninth with a four-under-par 212 (67-67-78) at the Florida State Match Up in Tallahassee (March 15-16). It was her 10th career top-10 finish as a Husker.
Strand missed the first tournament of her career by sitting out the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational (April 13-14) to rest an injury ahead of the Big Ten Championship. She returned to the lineup as Nebraska's No. 2 individual finisher at the conference tournament in a tie for 40th at 224 (+8) with rounds of 76, 74 and 74.
She owns a team-best 71.17 stroke average over 29 rounds, which is on pace to smash her own Nebraska season record of 72.05 set in 2022-23. She enters the postseason at No. 98 in the national individual rankings, and has played 10 of her 16 spring rounds at or below par with seven rounds of 70 or better.
Strand closed the fall with a team-best 71.08 stroke average over 12 rounds after tying for 15th with a 213 (-3) in an an NCAA Tournament-caliber 96-player field at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. (Oct. 27-29). She finished with consecutive rounds of 72, 71 and 70 on 6,194-yard layout at the Country Club of Landfall.
Strand opened her second season as a Husker by tying for 13th with a 209 (-7) at the Sam Golden Invitational to record her 10th career top-25 finish. Strand carded three rounds better than par (70-68-71) on the par-72, 6,413-yard layout at the Oakmont Country Club in Corinth, Texas. She helped Nebraska to a tie for fifth in a 12-team field that featured seven 2023 NCAA Regional-qualifying teams.
She tied for 32nd with a 225 (72-77-76) at the Mary Fossum Invitational in East Lansing, Mich. (Sept. 17-18). Her three-round total on the par-72, 6,370-yard layout at the Forest Akers West Golf Course helped Nebraska to a tie for sixth in a 15-team that featured nine 2023 NCAA Regional teams.
Strand owns 36 career rounds better than par, including 18 in 2023-24.
Strand competed in the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur in August of 2023, after advancing to match play at the Women’s Western in July. She was a 2023 WGCA Scholastic All-American.
Freshman (2022-23)
Strand captured second-team All-Big Ten honors while putting together the best season by a freshman in Nebraska history in 2022-23. She closed her first year as a Husker by leading the Big Red with her tie for 30th at the NCAA Raleigh Regional (May 8-10). Strand’s three-round score of 220 (74-74-72) on the 6,324-yard, par-72 layout at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course matched the best regional score by a Husker in school history.
Strand’s effort at the NCAA Raleigh Regional followed her tie for 20th individually at the Big Ten Championship in Pittsburgh, Pa. (April 21-23). She closed the three-day event with a 223 (74-72-77) on the par-71, 6,045-yard layout at Fox Chapel Golf Club.
Strand, who ended her first season at Nebraska with a 72.05 stroke average over 38.5 rounds, not only smashed the Nebraska freshman stroke average record (73.90, Kate Smith, 2016-17) but also Smith’s overall season school record (72.18, 2019-20). Smith was an All-American and Big Ten Champion at Nebraska as a fifth-year senior in 2020-21. Strand notched nine top-25 finishes, including six top-10 performances while carding 18 rounds better than par.
The star from Challis, Idaho opened her Husker career with a record-setting collegiate debut on her way to an individual victory at the Green Wave Classic in New Orleans (Sept. 12-13). Strand set the Nebraska freshman record with a second-round 65 (-7) while tying the school record for best 54-hole tournament score with a 202 (-14) on the 6,158-yard layout at the Bayou Oaks South Course. Strand opened with a 67 (-5) before adding a 70 (-2) in the final round to claim a two-stroke win over LSU’s Latanna Stone, a three-time All-American and three-time Palmer Cup participant.
Strand helped the Huskers to a school-record three-round team total of 835, smashing the previous team mark by eight strokes (843, Westbrook Spring Invitational, 2018).
She added a second consecutive top-five finish by tying for fourth with a 213 (-3) while helping Nebraska to a team title at the Badger Invitational (Sept. 18-20). After getting off to a slow start with a 77 to sit in a tie for 50th through 18 holes, Strand rebounded with rounds of 69 (-3) and 67 (-5) to climb 46 spots in the standings over the next 36 holes.
Strand made it three top-five finishes in a row to begin her career by tying for third with a 215 (-1) to help Nebraska to a runner-up team finish at the Dale McNamara Invitational (Oct. 10-11). After opening with a 76, Strand closed with rounds of 70 (-2) and 69 (-3) on the 6,302-yard layout of the Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Okla.
She tied for 26th (195) at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational. In challenging conditions throughout the tournament, which was shortened to 27 holes, Strand tied for Nebraska’s third-best individual finish. Strand closed the fall in a tie for 37th at 220 (+4) in a talented field at the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Fla. (Oct. 31-Nov. 1). She finished the fall season with a team-best 72.07 stroke average and produced eight rounds better than par.
Strand got her first spring season at Nebraska off to an impressive start with a seventh-place finish at the FAU Paradise Invitational. She fired three consecutive rounds better than par (70-70-71) to finish at 211 (-5). She helped the Huskers to a runner-up team finish in a 14-team field that featured 11 top-100 teams.
She was even better in the second tournament of the spring, carding three more rounds better than par to lead Nebraska to its second tournament title of the season with her fourth top-five individual finish of the year. Strand fired rounds of 71-69-69 to close in fifth place at 209 (-7), helping the Huskers to a championship in a 14-team field that included 12 top-100 teams, including then-No. 24 Ohio State.
She led the Huskers with a tie for 18th in a 90-player field at the Briar’s Creek Invitational in South Carolina (March 13-14). Strand closed with a three-round total of 218 (74-70-74) on the par 72 layout at The Golf Club at Briar’s Creek.
Strand notched her sixth top-10 finish of the season by tying for ninth in a 90-player field at the Mountain View Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz. (March 17-19). Her three-round total of 208 (-8) was her second-best as a Husker, including a second-round 66 (-6) at the Mountain View Golf Club.
Strand tied for 40th in a loaded 84-player field at The Bruzzy (April 1-2) in Ardmore, Okla. She finished with a three-round total of 224 (77-72-75) on the par-70, 5,976-yard layout at the Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club. She led Nebraska with a tie for 12th at 216 (E) in challenging scoring conditions at the Lady Buckeye Invitational (April 15-16), including her 18th round better than par this season with an opening-round 70 (-2) on the 6,319-yard layout at the Scarlet Course.
She ended her season ranked No. 113 nationally by both GolfStat and Golfweek.
During the summer of 2023, Strand qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles (Aug. 7-13). She won the USGA Qualifier in Sundre, Alberta, Canada with a 69 to claim her spot and join teammate Miu Takahashi in the 123rd U.S. Women’s Amateur. Strand also advanced to the round of 32 at the Women’s Western Amateur Championship at White Eagle Golf Club in Naperville, Ill. (July 18-22). She tied for 16th through 36 holes of stroke play, including an opening-round 67 (-5).
Before Nebraska
Strand captured three consecutive Idaho Class 2A state championships and never lost an individual high school match at Challis High School while playing for her uncle Eric Strand in the small town of approximately 1,000 residents. Kelli Ann won the 2022 2A title with a state Class 2A record 129 (64-65, -15) through two rounds, which was good for a 21-stroke win.
She was one of 24 members of the USA Today High School Sports Awards Golf Team in 2021-22.
Strand captured her second Idaho Class 2A individual high school state championship in May of 2021 with a two-round total of 135 (66-69). Strand’s nine-under-par score at Circling Raven Golf Course in Worley, Idaho, allowed her to win the title by 25 strokes over the second-place finisher.
She also won the 2A state championship as a freshman in 2019. The 2020 championship was canceled because of COVID-19.
In October of 2021, Strand won the Idaho Golf Association Women’s Championship, firing a two-day total of 142 (72-70).
In August of 2019, Strand added a title at the Idaho Junior Amateur in the girls 15-18 age group by 13 strokes with a three-round total of 209 (66-71-72). It was her third Idaho Junior Amateur title.
In the summer of 2018, Strand placed second at the Idaho Women’s State Amateur in Boise with a three-day total of 228, just four strokes behind the champion. At age 14, Strand was the youngest golfer in the women’s field.
During the summer of 2021, Strand led Idaho to a runner-up finish at the Girls Junior Americas Cup at Banbury Golf Course in Eagle, Idaho. Strand fired a 64 in the second round to help Idaho finish with a team score of 610 (-16), just three strokes back of the champions from Team Mexico. Southern California finished third at 614 (-12).
Personal
The daughter of Matt and Stephanie Strand, Kelli Ann was born on March 22, 2004. She has an older brother, Lane, who was also an Idaho Class 2A state champion and is a standout college golfer at Northwest Nazarene. Kelli Ann was also the class valedictorian at Challis in a class of 14 seniors that included just one other female.
An accounting major, Strand was a WGCA Scholastic All-American in 2023. She has earned three spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. She was also a member of the 2023 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.
Strand's Career Statistics
|
Year |
Rounds |
Strokes |
Avg. |
Low 18 |
Low 54 |
| 2022-23 | 38.5 | 2,774 | 72.05 | 65 | 202 |
| 2023-24 | 29 | 2,064 | 71.17 | 66 | 204 |
|
Totals |
67.5 |
4,838 |
71.67 |
65 |
202 |
Career Bests
Best Tournament Finish - 1st (Green Wave, 2022)
Best Event (Strokes) - 202 (Green Wave, 2022)
Low Round - 65 (Green Wave, 2nd, 2022)
Low First Round - 66 (Westbrook, 2024)
Low Second Round - 65 (Green Wave, 2022)
Low Third Round - 67 (Badger, 2022)
Career Rounds Under Par - 36