Womens Golf 1994-2014
Susan Watkins played for Pat Weis from 1979 to 1981. She then served as Weis' assistant from 1981 to 1992 before taking over the head coaching job in 1993.
Susan was on the Longhorns' tennis team in 1977, but a knee injury forced her to change her sport to golf. Starting in 1978, she received golf instruction from Harvey Penick and eventually developed enough golf skills to walk onto Weis’s Texas golf team. This was followed by years as a golf pro at some prestigious country clubs.
Coach Susan Watkins 1993- 2007
Following Weis’ retirement, Susan Watkins became the second head coach in the history of the UT Women’s Golf program. In 10 years, her teams finished in the top 10 eight times, including one second-place finish in 2002 and a third-place finish on three other occasions. As Coach, the Horns won four SWC championships and the first Big 12 Championship in 1997.
Watkins was named Big 12 Coach of the Year for 2001-2002. Her teams won the SWC and Big 12 Championships six times ( 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004).
Five of her players earned All-American honors.
Coach Susan Watkins
In Susan’s first two seasons as head coach of the Longhorn women’s golf team, Watkins put together an impressive record, highlighted by 22 top 10 finishes and two SWC championships, as well as two top 10 finishes in the NCAA tournaments.
1994-Coach Susan Watkins- team wins SWC
Susan Watkins inherits some great players from Pat Weis. Susan was the assistant under Weis in 1981 and 1982. This team finishes 2nd in three tournaments . Horns also finish 2nd in the Golf World Collegiate tournament. Nadine Cash, Lisa Balch , Nicole Cooper and Angela Wray all place high in tournament play during the year.
Placed 9th in the NCAA Championship
Nadine Ash finished in tie for 6th place in the NCAA individual rankings in 1993 and 1994.
Nicole Cooper was Conference player of the Year in 1993 and 1994.
The team won 5 tournaments in 1994. Texas finishes 2nd by one stroke at the Betsy Rawls tournament.
1995-Coach Susan Watkins SWC champs and 8th in the nation
1995 women's golf front Wray, Cooper, Johns, middle Santos, Leeds, Waterhouse back Watkins , Balch, Ash, asst. coach Leach (2)
Women’s golf is on a roll winning 9 out of the last 10 SWC championships. Ash, Cooper, Angela Wray and Kori Johns are all conference .
Returning are All-American Nadine Ash and Nicole Cooper. Each is tabbed a preseason All-American by Golf Week.
1996-Coach Susan Watkins Team claims victory in two tournaments including the SWC championship and placed 3rd in the NCAA Championship.
Heather Bowie finished as #1 NCAA National Championship medalist in 1997 and was the Honda Broderik Award for National Collegiate Golfer of the year. She also finished #1 in the NCAA individual rankings in 1997. Heather Bowie (1996-1997) was conference player of the year.
Kelli Kuehne finished tied for 10th in the NCAA individual rankings in 1996 and was an All American.
Nicole Cooper is player of the year in the SWC.
KELLI KUEHNE 1995-1996 Conference player of the year.
– Texas Women's Golf alum Kelli Kuehne (1995-96) was selected to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, the organization announced this week.
At Texas, Kuehne won the 1995 Rolex Fall Preview, the 1996 Southwest Conference individual championship, and tied for 10th at the NCAA Championship to earn All-America status.
Kuehne, honored in the amateur player category, won the 1994 U.S. Girls' Junior, the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1995 and 1996, the British Ladies Amateur in 1996, and played on the 1996 Curtis Cup team before joining the LPGA Tour. On May 30, 1999, Kuehne won the LPGA Corning Classic.
Honors as of 1995
1996 - Coach Susan Watkins- 4th SWC Champion in a row.
1996 women's golf (front) McGowan, Waterhouse, Lee middle Johns, Bowie, Leach, back, Leeds, Wray, Santos, Kuehne , Zadina, Watkisn
Jenny Lee had a falling out with Coach Watkins, and she chose not to play in the SWC championship, Regional championship, or the NCAA national tournament. Unfortunately, that decision probably cost Texas the National Championship.
The team loses the NCAA national playoff for the National Championship by one stroke.
Kuehne was the 11th back-to-back winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 7th woman to hold the U.S. Women’s Amateur and British Ladies Open Amateur Championship.
Kuehne, a freshman and 19 years old, decides to turn pro, and Lee decided after the 1996 season to go pro. Kuehne’s pro debut was with her partner Tiger Woods.
The team has its first regular-season title since 1993.
1997 pending-Coach Susan Watkins
Longhorns placed 10th in the NCAA Championship.
Coach Watkins challenged Heather Bowie and Jennifer Waterhouse to assume the leadership roles of the team. The Horns did not make the NCAA championship tournament for the first time since 1986. Heather Bowie joined Charlotta Sorenstam and Debbie Petrizzi as the only other Longhorn to win an individual national title. The team won the Big 12 conference for the first time. Heather Bowie was player of the year in the Big 12, and she won the 1997 Honda Award as the National Golfer of the Year.
In 7 tournaments the team’s highest standing was 6th place.
At the regionals, Heather Bowie shot a school-record 67 . Heather played for the Sun Devils national title teams in 1994 and 1995.
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1998- Placed 9th in the NCAA Championship- Coach Susan Watkins
Coach Watkins states that Laura Blessey and Salimah Mussani are the leaders of the 1998 team.
It is Texas’s 13th appearance at the NCAA tournament in 17 years.
Laura Blessey is top returnee that started 3 sophomores and two freshmen. Texas fell just short of gaining its 6th straight conference title. At the West regional Texas posted its best 3 round score of the season to tie for 5th and qualify for the NCAA tournament. Texas placed in the top 10 in every tournament in 1998.
The golf team is victorious in two tournaments
Amy Sands leads the team in fairways hit in regulation play.
Mussani, for the year, averaged 75.7 strokes which was second to Waterhouse on the Longhorn team. Saliman Mussani made the Big 12 Conference all-tournament team, the Big 12 Conference All-Academic First Team, and the Big 12 Commissioner’s honor roll. Mussani finished in 42nd place at the NCAA tournament.
Laura Blessey led the Horns at the NCAA tournament with a 72 hole of 297.
Three Horns finished the season ranked in the top 50- Mussani, Waterhouse, and Blessey. Four Horns made the All-Big 12 Academic team- Mussani, Sewell, Waterhouse, and Sands.
1999 The team placed 3rd in the NCAA Championship -Coach Susan Watkins
Outlook” Watkins says this is her best team since taking the job at Texas.
Horns finished two strokes short of Oklahoma State for the Big 12 championship.
1999 women's golf NCAA West Regional's Dufour, Meadows, Blessey- May 1999- Randy Meadows helps the Horns qualify for the NCAA championship at the west regional tournament. Meadows was ranked in the 40 best women collegiate golfers by the MasterCard Collegiate Golf. Meadows 75.3 stroke average was second-best in the conference in 1999. She was named Big 12 newcomer of the year.
2000- team placed 3rd in the NCAA Championship and won one tournament.- Coach Susan Watkins
Front McCarroll, Blessey, Second, Reese, Dufour, third , Lissiak Meadows, fourth row, Cernick, Sowers, Back row, Asst. Freitag, Sewell , and Coach Watkins.
2001-pending -Coach Susan Watkins- 3rd at the NCAA tournament
Kristan DuFour makes the All-American team.
The golf team was victorious in one tournament, and placed 2nd in the NCAA Championship tournament.
2001 women's golf Jessica Reese, Lisa Ferrero, Perry Swenson, Janice Olivencia
2002-Runner up for the National Championship-Coach Susan Watkins
At the regional tournament in East Lansing , Mich Texas tied for 2nd . It was Texas best finish in school history at regionals.
Topping the charts 2002 - Bring on the Rain
The Nationally ranking list had Janice Olivencis #17, Kristin Dufour #29, Lisa Ferrero #32, and Randi Meadows #74.
Olivencia was named to the All-America team becoming the 15th golfer honored in school history.
Kristin Dufour finished her collegiate career by shooting a 67 in the final round of the NCAA championship. Sherry Lissiak returned to the team. She was granted a medical redshirt the previous year with a back injury.
Elizabeth Mundinger was a walk-on who competed in two tournaments.
UT’s team score of 285 during the third round at the NCAA Championship marked the lowest 18-hole round in the 17-year history of Longhorn women’s golf.
Sophomore Janice Olivencia earns All-American honors. She was the 15th women’s golfer in school history to earn this honor.
2003-Coach Susan Watkins- 3rd at the NCAA tournament
Winners of two tournaments including the Big 12 Championship and placed 6th in the NCAA Championship.
Janice finished as 18th, 10th, 6th, and 22nd at the NCAA National Championships in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. She finished tied for 6th in the NCAA individual rankings in 2003 and tied for 10th in 2002 and was Conference players of the year (2001-2002),
Jessica Reese was medalist at the Betsy Rawls' Invitational and set the record for the lowest 18 hole round. (67)
2003 women's golf Sherry Lissian, Jessica Reese, Elizabeth Mundinger
The Longhorns have put themselves in the National Championship hunt the last four year, with one runner up finish in 2002, and three 3rd place finishes in 2000, 2001, and 2003.
2004- pending Coach Susan Watkins
Arnett, Olivencia, Salazar, Swenson, Anderson, Prust, Best. Ferrero, Watkins
2005- pending Coach Susan Watkins
2005 women's golf Swenson, Ferrero, Salazar
Mariana Salazar is team MVP
2005 Perry Swenson was Academic MVP.
The Weis Cup reunion golf tournament started
2002 women's golf Randi Meadows, Kristin Dufour
2006- pending Coach Susan Watkins
Kristin Walla was the Team Academic MVP
Kelley Louth was team MVP (no picture)
2007- pending Coach Susan Watkins
Kristin Walla said, “ our coaches are trying to make sure that we have fun and enjoy the game while we play; because golf is so mental, it is important to have a positive and enjoy the moment attitude while you play to do your best”. Kelley Louth , the co-captain, was the leader of the team.
2007 golf team placed 17th in the NCAA Championship.
Julia Best All-Big 12 in 2006 but did not play in 2007 due to injuries. Kelley Louth also suffered some injuries in 2007. Krista Walla led the team in three events in 2007.
Julia Best is the Captain of the team.
Watkins Reflections
Watkins served as head coach until 2007. During her Texas coaching career, thirteen UT women golfers turned professional and went on to the LPGA Tour. Martha Richards, a former assistant coach under Watkins, began her first season as the UT women’s golf head coach in the 2007-2008 season. MORE INFORMATION PENDING
Coach Martha Richards 2008-2013
Martha was Assistant Coach at Texas 1998-2000;
At Vanderbilt she received 2004 Golfweek National Coach of the Year; and
was 2 time SEC Coach of the year (2003-2004)
2008- Coach Martha Richards 17th at the NCaa championship
Ashley Rollins qualified for the 2007 U.S. Women’s open. The Horns were ranked 25th in the nation. .
2008 women's golf Julia Best, Kelley Louth, Ashley Rollins, Angela Akins
It was Texas’ first appearance in the NCAA Championship since 2004.
The Short game practice area is dedicated to Coach Weis at the University of Texas Golf Club.
2009- Coach Martha Richards- Placed 23rd at the NCAA Championship
This was Texas's 19th overall appearance at the NCAA championship.
Shared co-medalist against Texas State. Louth rejoins the team after recovering from a wrist surgery in 2008. She will be able to compete for a 5th season because of a medical hardship waiver.
Shannon Fish
2010- pending Coach Martha Richards
Team places 3rd in the Big 12 . Nicole Vandermade is the top Longhorn and the Horns get an at large bid to the NCAA as a #10 seed. They place 3rd at regionals and finish at 16th in the NCAA tournament championship.
2010 women's golf back row, Fish, Sepmoree, Vandermade, Coach Parson and Richards, Tomerlin , Richards, Stephens, front row, Dubreuil, Rosenfeld, Pressel, Nunez (2)
left Desiree Dubreuil and right Nicole Vandermade
2011-Coach Martha Richards
2011 team won one tournament and placed 13th in the NCAA Championship. Nicole Vandermade was the winner in the 2011 Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational.
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2012- Coach Martha Richards
Placed 21st in the NCAA Championship
Madison Pressel was the Big 12 tournament Medalist and holds the record for lowest score (65) in the History of Texas Golf and lowest score for 54 holes (208). She was a 2011 Golf Week magazine All American
2013 Coach Martha Richards -
Coach Ryan Murphy 2014- Present
Ryan Murphy, previously an assistant coach with the Texas Men’s Golf team, took over the role of head coach in 2014-2015 season.
He was assistant to Head Coach John Fields Men's Golf team
Named the Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year in 2013
Excels in recruiting
Golf at Texas is heavily influence by Kate Golden. In 1985- 1989 she is a leader of one of the best teams in Longhorn golf history, she is involved in the Weis Cup tournament. From 2005- 2007 she was on the LPGA Player Executive Committee.
Kate Golden represents a midas touch in Longhorn golf history
Coach Ryan Murphy
He was assistant to Head Coach John Fields Men's Golf team;
Named the Jan Strickland Assistant Coach of the Year in 2013, and
Excels in recruiting.
Bertrine talks about Kate Golden
Coach Ryan Murphy