Honors & Awards
- Stampede at The Creek Champion (2021)
- Three Career Top-10 Finishes (1, 2023-24)
- 11 Career Top-25 Finishes (2, 2023-24)
- Tied for 17th at Big Ten Championship (2022)
- Tied for 28th at Big Ten Championship (2024)
- Tied for 33rd at Big Ten Championship (2021)
- Tied for 58th at Big Ten Championship (2023)
- Tied for 45th at NCAA Columbus Regional (2021)
- Tied for 47th at NCAA Raleigh Regional (2023)
- Big Ten Golfer of the Week (Sept. 13, 2023)
- Big Ten Golfer of the Week (Oct. 6, 2021)
- Big Ten Golfer to Watch (2021, 2022, 2023)
- Slovakian Player of the Year (2022, 2023)
- Two-Time Slovak U18 Junior Champion
- Slovak Elite National Team Member (2021-present)
- Slovak National Team Member (2016-present)
- Academic All-Big Ten (2022, 2023)
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023; Spring 2021, 2022, 2023)
- Nebraska Sam Foltz 27 Hero Leadership Award (2023)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2022, 2023)
Best Career Finish: 1st (Stampede at The Creek, 2021)
Career Stroke Average: 75.70
Senior (2023-24)
The first Slovakian women’s golfer in Husker history, Michaela Vavrova has been a leader and consistent performer for four seasons in the lineup, helping Nebraska to a pair of NCAA Regional berths in 2021 and 2023.
She entered her senior season with the No. 8 career stroke average in school history and immediately started shaving strokes off her game with a career-best 205 (-11) to tie for fifth at the Sam Golden Invitational (Sept. 11-12). Vavrova shattered her previous career-best tournament total by 11 strokes by notching consecutive rounds of 69-68-68 on the par-72, 6,413-yard layout of the Oakmont Country Club in Corinth, Texas. Her 205 marked the third-best three-round individual tournament score in school history, trailing only a pair of 202 (-14) totals by Kate Smith (2018 Westbrook Spring Invitational) and Kelli Ann Strand (2022 Green Wave Classic). It marked Vavrova's third top-10 finish and the 10th top-10 showing of her Husker career.
Vavrova's performance at the Sam Golden Invitational earned her the second Big Ten Golfer-of-the-Week award of her career (Sept. 13, 2023).
She was Nebraska's top finisher again at the Mary Fossum Invitational in East Lansing, Mich. (Sept. 17-18). Vavrova took 28th with a 223 (72-77-74) in an 84-player tournament field that featured nine 2023 NCAA Regional-qualifying teams. She helped the Huskers to a tie for sixth on the par-72, 6,370-yard layout at Forest Akers West Golf Course.
Vavrova claimed her 11th career top-25 finish by tying for 23rd as Nebraska's No. 2 finisher at the Dale McNamara Invitational (Oct. 9-10). She closed with a three-round total of 219 (+3) that included rounds of 74, 72 and 73 on the 6,246-yard layout at the Golf Club of Oklahoma in Broken Arrow.
She closed the fall with a three-round score of 228 (+12) to tie for 77th in an NCAA-caliber 96-player field at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. (Oct. 27-29). Vavrova ranked second among the Huskers with a 72.92 stroke average over 12 rounds in the fall of 2023.
Vavrova did not compete in the UCF Challenge to open the spring season, but she was named the Slovakian Women's Golfer of the Year for the second straight season in February. She returned to Nebraska's lineup for the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational in Sarasota, Fla. (Feb. 18-19). After settling for an 83 in challenging scoring conditions, she bounced back for a second-round 75 to tie for 72nd in the rain-shortened event at the Palm Aire Country Club.
She produced a three-round total of 219 (+3) that included a final-round 69 (-3) to tie for 62nd at the Westbrook Spring Invitational (Feb. 25-26) on a par-72, 6,248-yard layout at the Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Ariz. Vavrova followed with a 229 (73-80-76) to tie for 67th at the Briar's Creek Invitational in Johns Island, S.C. (March 11-12), before tying for 61st with a 231 (76-76-79) at the Florida State Match Up in Tallahassee (March 15-16).
She tied for 29th with a 228 (+12) along with teammates Miu Takahashi and Arden Louchheim at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational (April 13-14). Vavrova's effort at Ohio State included a second-round 73 on the 6,319-yard, par-72 layout of the Scarlet Course in Columbus.
Vavrova closed the 2023-24 season by leading the Huskers with a tie for 28th at the Big Ten Championship in Havre de Grace, Md. She led Nebraska in all three rounds with scores of 74, 73 and 73 to finish at 220 (+4) at the Bulle Rock Golf Course.
Vavrova finished 2023-24 with a career-best 74.48 stroke average over 29 rounds on the season.
Junior (2022-23)
Vavrova capped her junior season with a tie for 47th at the NCAA Raleigh Regional with a 230 (78-76-76) on the par-72, 6,324-yard layout at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course. She finished with a career-best 75.80 stroke average that ranked No. 5 among juniors in Nebraska history. She also tied for 58th at the Big Ten Championship with a 233 on the par-71, 6,045-yard layout at the Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, Pa. (April 21-23). She was Nebraska’s No. 4 finisher at the conference tournament.
Vavrova made her first appearance of 2022-23 by competing as Nebraska’s No. 5 golfer at the Badger Invitational (Sept. 18-20). She put together solid rounds of 75-75-74 to finish with a three-round total of 224 to help the Huskers to the tournament title. Vavrova tied for 34th individually while helping the Huskers post an 863 (-1) team score on a 6,248-yard layout at the University Ridge Golf Course in Wisconsin.
She notched her first top-25 finish of the season by tying for 22nd with teammate Megan Whittaker at the Dale McNamara Invitational in Broken Arrow, Okla. (Oct. 10-11). Vavrova closed the tournament with a then-career-best third-round score of 70 (-2). She helped the Huskers to a runner-up finish at the Dale McNamara Invitational, falling by just one stroke to the team champs from Tulsa on the 6,302-yard layout of the Cedar Ridge Country Club.
Originally slated to be in Nebraska’s five-player lineup at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational, Vavrova was moved into a role as an individual competing outside the Husker lineup while battling a health issue in Lawrence. She managed a tie for 60th (201) in challenging scoring and weather conditions that eventually shortened the tournament to just 27 holes.
She closed the fall strong with a tie for 32nd with a season-best 219 (+3) at the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Fla. (Oct. 31-Nov. 1). Vavrova’s performance on the 6,162-yard layout at the Biltmore Golf Club included a career-best-matching final-round 70 (-2).
Vavrova opened the spring with a 226 (72-77-77) to tie for 53rd at the FAU Paradise Invitational in Boca Raton, Fla. (Feb. 6-7). Vavrova’s opening-round 72 (E) helped the Huskers to a runner-up team finish, trailing only No. 19 Vanderbilt, in a 14-team field that featured 11 top-100 teams.
She fired a career-best 66 (-6) in the final round of the Westbrook Spring Invitational to fly 30 spots up the leader board on the final day of competition to tie for 20th with a career-best 216 (E). Vavrova’s performance helped the Huskers capture the team title in a 14-team field that featured 12 top-100 teams, including No. 24 Ohio State.
Vavrova managed a 237 (79-77-81) to finish 77th at the Lady Buckeye Invitational (April 15-16). She tied for 55th with a 227 (74-80-73) at The Bruzzy in Ardmore, Okla. (April 1-2). Vavrova’s final-round 73 helped the Huskers take sixth in a loaded field that featured 14 top-100 teams on the par-70, 5,976-yard layout at the Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club.
She also tied for 79th in a 90-player field at the Briar’s Creek Invitational in South Carolina (March 13-14) and added a tie for 63rd with a 220 (73-72-75) at the Mountain View Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz. (March 17-19).
Vavrova capped a strong summer of 2022 by competing for Slovakia at the Women’s Amateur Team Championships in Paris in late-August. She was the top Slovakian finisher (three-player lineup) in the tournament that featured 56 of the world’s best teams. She was named the 2022 Slovakian Women’s Player of the Year in February of 2023.
Vavrova was named a Big Ten Golfer to Watch for the second straight season prior to 2022-23, joining Husker teammates Megan Whittaker and Kelli Ann Strand on the list announced on Aug. 31, 2022.
Sophomore (2021-22)
Vavrova continued as one of Nebraska’s top players as a sophomore in 2021-22. She closed her second season at Nebraska by tying for 17th at the 2022 Big Ten Championship. She opened the conference tournament with a then-career-best 68 (-3) to sit atop the leader board after the first 18 holes. She added a 73 (+2) in the second round to remain in the top five heading into the final 18 holes of competition at the Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, before closing the tournament with a three-round total of 220 (+7).
Vavrova competed in 27 rounds for the Huskers throughout the season and finished with a 76.37 stroke average. She ended the season with four top-25 individual finishes, including a pair of top-10 showings.
Vavrova capped a strong fall of 2021 by tying for 10th with a career-best-tying 217 (+1) to help Nebraska to a runner-up team finish at the White Sands Intercollegiate in the Bahamas (Oct. 22-24). Her performance on the 6,415-yard layout of the Ocean Club at Paradise Island included a then-career-best 69 (-3) in the second round, sandwiched between rounds of 74. Her 69 was part of a season-best 280 (-8) in the second round for the Big Red in the Bahamas. Her overall performance was her second top-10 finish of the fall and the fifth top-25 finish of her young career.
She stormed to her first collegiate tournament title with a then-career-best 217 (+1) over three rounds at Indian Creek in Elkhorn, Neb. (Oct. 4-5). Her performance included a 71 (-1) in the second round and an even-par 72 in the final round, after opening with a solid 74 on the 5,988-yard layout. Her effort at the Stampede earned her the first Big Ten Golfer-of-the-Week award of her career (Oct. 6).
Her performance in Elkhorn propelled her back into Nebraska’s lineup for the Dale McNamara Invitational (Oct. 11-12), where she helped the Huskers to a runner-up team finish in a 13-team field by tying for 56th individually. Her three-round total of 233 included a final-round 74 (+2) on the 6,200-yard layout at The Golf Club of Oklahoma.
Vavrova opened her second season in the lineup at the Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Sept. 13-14). She tied for 65th (233) in a loaded 16-team field that included 12 teams that advanced to 2021 NCAA Regional play. Her second-round 75 (+4) was a season best. She earned a second lineup spot for the Huskers at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational in Manhattan, Kan. (Sept. 20-21), finishing 42nd (235) in a 62-player field. She did not compete at The Molly Collegiate (Sept. 27-28).
Her 75.67 stroke average over 15 fall rounds ranked fourth among the Huskers.
She opened the spring by going 0-1-2 at the Big Ten Match Play (Jan. 31-Feb. 1), before finishing 84th at the Tulane Classic with a three-round total of 253. Vavrova bounced back with a 219 (76-69-74) at the Westbrook Spring Invitational (Feb. 27-28) that included a career-best-tying 69 (-3) in the second round. She tied for 30th individually with teammate Miu Takahashi in Arizona to help the Huskers to a runner-up finish in a loaded 14-team field. She did not compete at the Briar’s Creek Invitational (March 14-15), but returned to Nebraska’s lineup at the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational (April 15-16). She tied for 25th with a 235 (83-77-75) in challenging scoring conditions against a strong field at the Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio.
Freshman (2020-21)
In her first season of collegiate golf, Vavrova proved herself as one of Nebraska’s top golfers, competing in all 21 rounds in the lineup during the spring of 2021. She capped her true freshman year as NU’s No. 2 individual finisher at the NCAA Columbus Regional, tying for 45th with a three-round score of 229 (78-75-76) on the 6,358-yard, par-72 layout of Ohio State’s Scarlet Course.
Vavrova was instrumental in propelling the Huskers to their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2008, by producing Nebraska’s No. 5 individual finish at the 2021 Big Ten Championship. She finished in a tie for 33rd in the 78-player field with a three-round total of 224 (76-75-73) on the 6,300-yard, par-72 layout at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio. Her final-round 73 helped the Huskers to a season-best 281 (-7) on championship Sunday, allowing Nebraska to secure a tie for second.
NU’s team performance marked its best-ever Big Ten finish and the best conference finish by a Husker women’s golf team since taking second at the 1984 Big Eight Championship.
Vavrova produced a breakthrough performance at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational in Tucson (March 8-9), matching Kate Smith for the team’s top individual score with a then-career-best three-round total of 219. Vavrova’s effort in Arizona included a then-career-best 70 (-2) in the second round.
She followed with her first career top-20 finish at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate (March 14-16). Her three-round score of 228 included three consistent rounds of 76 in challenging scoring conditions at the English Turn Golf and Country Club in New Orleans. Vavrova’s steady play helped the Huskers capture their first team tournament title since the spring of 2019.
Vavrova added a second consecutive top-20 finish with her season-best tie for 19th at the Indiana Spring Invitational (April 17-18). In a loaded 98-player field, Vavrova totaled 221 (74-75-72) including an even-par final round to help the Huskers tie for sixth in a 16-team field that featured 14 top-100 teams.
She finished with NU’s No. 4 stroke average (76.33) through 21 rounds. She shot 76 or better in 14 of her final 15 rounds of the season.
Vavrova opened her collegiate career at Nebraska by earning a lineup spot at the season-opening SMU Trinity Forest Invitational in Dallas (Feb. 1-2). She finished as the No. 4 Husker at the event with a three-round total of 237 (80-79-78) to tie for 55th in a loaded 14-team field. Vavrova earned her second lineup spot at the Bruin Wave Invitational, where she was Nebraska’s No. 4 finisher with a three-round total of 245 in extremely challenging scoring conditions. Vavrova shot a 77 (+5) in the final round to help the Huskers climb the leader board in a talent-rich 15-team field. She took 49th overall in an 82-player field.
During the fall season, Vavrova finished as the No. 2 female at the Wells Fargo Nebraska Open in Lincoln, trailing only teammate Alice Duan at the event. The Nebraska Open featured top professionals and men’s collegiate players across the Cornhusker state, and Vavrova and Duan made the cut to compete in the championship round against the men at the event.
Before Nebraska
A member of the Slovakian National Team since 2016, Vavrova joined the Slovakian Elite National Team in 2021. She has represented Slovakia three times at the European Championships.
In addition to several victories in junior tournaments in Slovakia, Vavrova has an extensive international background, competing in many tournaments in Italy and such events as the ANNIKA Invitational Europe and the European Girls’ Team Championship in Sweden, the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy in England, the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open, the European Ladies’ Team Championship, the Austrian Stroke Play U21 and the Junior Orange Bowl International, Doral Publix Junior Classic and the IMG Academy Junior World Championship in the United States.
Personal
The daughter of Angelika Vavrova and Igor Vavro, Michaela was born Oct. 10, 2000, in Bratislava, Slovakia. She has a younger sister, Zuzana. Michaela, who is a hospitality, restaurant and tourism management major, is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. She is a seven-time member of the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. She also earned spots on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2022 and 2023.
She began playing golf at the age of 9, and credits much of her success and commitment in the game to her grandfather, who has served as a coach, caddy and all-around support system as a golfer.
“My first feelings about Lincoln and the University of Nebraska were amazing. Everything is so nice, safe and clean,” Vavrova said. “I really like the system and program for students the university has. It is very important for me to have friendly, helpful and nice people around me, and I met a lot of them during my official visit.”
Vavrova's Career Statistics
|
Year |
Rounds |
Strokes |
Avg. |
Low 18 |
Low 54 |
|
2020-21 |
21 |
1,603 |
76.33 |
70 |
219 |
| 2021-22 | 27 | 2,062 | 76.37 | 68 | 217 |
| 2022-23 | 35.5 | 2,691 | 75.80 | 66 | 216 |
| 2023-24 | 29 | 2,160 | 74.48 | 68 | 205 |
|
Totals |
112.5 |
8,516 |
75.70 |
66 |
205 |
Career Bests
Best Tournament Finish - 1st (Stampede at The Creek, 2021)
Best Event (Strokes) - 205 (Sam Golden, 2023)
Low Round - 66 (Westbrook, 3rd, 2023)
Low First Round - 68 (Big Ten Championship, 2022)
Low Second Round - 68 (Sam Golden, 2023)
Low Third Round - 66 (Westbrook, 2023)
Career Rounds Under Par - 12