UK WGolf Bids Farewell to Three Seniors, Looks Ahead to the Future
LEXINGTON, Ky. – When the final names flashed across the television screen last week on the NCAA regional selection show and Kentucky was not one of them, reality that the 2017-18 season was over had finally set in for the Wildcats.
The team had hung on to hope of sneaking in, but the writing on the wall – the Golfstat rankings – had already let the Wildcats know that they weren’t getting in after getting edged out of match play at the Southeastern Conference Championship.
Sure, there was disappointment, but it was a different feeling of dissatisfaction because of what the 2018 senior class had done. Isabelle Johansson, Grace Rose and Ale Walker have raised the bar so much so that missing the postseason and feeling disappointment also had a sense of accomplishment to it. They’ve been a key part in making the postseason six times in the eight-year Golda Borst Era, changing the annual expectations for the program.
Perhaps no one changed those expectations more than Johansson, who immediately raised the bar in her first year.
After joining the team midway through her freshman season, Johansson qualified for the NCAA Championships as an individual, becoming the first Wildcat to qualify for the NCAA Championships since Heather Kraus in 1998. It would be the start of one of the most successful careers in UK women’s golf history.
Johansson would go on to post the best single-season scoring average in school history in her junior season with a 73.42 average (with complete records dating back to 1987). She also recorded more rounds of par or better (12) in her junior year than any other Wildcat.
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It was tough for Johansson to match that record-setting season in 2017-18, but she had a successful season nonetheless, finishing just a fraction off the team lead for stroke average. Considered the rock of the lineup, 26 of her 28 rounds were used towards the team score this season. She added five more rounds of par or better to get to 22 in her career, second in program history. She’s one of 16 Wildcats to have won an event in her career.
Next up for Johansson will be a professional career, who will likely split time – at least initially – between playing in Europe and in the U.S.
“Bella has worked incredibly hard to put her mark on this program throughout her career,” Borst said. “It was a big adjustment for her coming from a small town in Sweden to a big University like Kentucky. I had to work hard to convince her that she could come to our program and really make a difference. But she made the decision to come and I’m unbelievably proud of her for believing in herself and for becoming the player that we all knew she could be. Bella has raised the bar for Kentucky and for that we are thankful. She is such a dedicated and genuine individual and I can’t wait to watch her compete at the next level.”
Rose’s career arc was one of development. No one in the senior class improved more than Rose over her four seasons, and perhaps no one was as consistent over the final two years.
The sister of another former UK women’s golfer, Ashlee Rose, Grace Rose played early and often for the Wildcats with nine appearances her freshman season. She broke through her sophomore year with a team-high two top-20 finishes, including a career-low 67 on the final day of the Landfall Tradition.
In her junior year, Rose won individual honors in the Battle of the Bluegrass vs. Louisville, tied Johansson for the most rounds of par or better (six) and finished behind only Johansson’s school-record stroke average.
Rose played in all 11 events as a senior and tied for the team lead with a 74.8 stroke average. She was UK’s best golfer in the fall, when she tied for first at Kentucky’s Bettie Lou Evans Invitational. She rallied from four shots behind in the final round of the Bettie Lou to share championship honors. Rose would end with three top-20 showings in 2017-18 and led the Wildcats with six rounds of par or better.
“Grace has truly been a leader for our program in the last couple of years, both on and off the course,” Borst said. “Her growth as a player has been tremendous and when she was challenged on the course a couple of years into her career, she responded with toughness and determination. She became determined to become one of our top players and she put in the work to do so. Just as with Bella, she has helped raise the bar at Kentucky and I am proud of her for pushing herself to become better each day and for helping us become a better team.”
Walker put up solid numbers as well, but her career will be defined by perseverance.
After becoming a mainstay in the lineup her freshman and sophomore seasons, including 10 events in 2013-14, adversity struck in the form of nagging injuries. Walker was sidelined for the back portion of her sophomore season in 2014-15 and then missed all of 2015-16 while she rehabbed from the injury.
She returned to the lineup in 2016-17 after missing nearly a year and a half of action and posted solid numbers, including tying for fourth in the stroke-play portion of the East & West Match Play Challenge in Ann Arbor, Michigan. But just when it looked like Walker was rounding into form with a 1-under-par 71 at the Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, injuries struck again.
Walker withdrew from the UCF Challenge early in the spring season and wouldn’t play again in 2016-17. She got off to a hot start in her redshirt senior season with a 54-hole career low (3-over-par 216) at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in Knoxville, Tennessee. She had to withdraw from the Bettie Lou after contending for the lead early because of the same injury, but she would return for the spring season and carded a career-best 75.8 stroke average. She played a key part in arguably UK’s best performance of the season at the Clover Cup in Mesa, Arizona, a third-place showing.
“Ale has been an impact player for us over the years,” Borst said. “She came in with high goals and it’s been great to see her grow as a person and player through her five years at Kentucky. Ale has certainly faced a lot of adversity throughout her career but she has always pushed forward and persevered. She’s been a leader for us on and off the course and we are looking forward to seeing how far she takes her game at the next level.”
Replacing those three seniors won’t be easy for Borst moving forward, but she does have reinforcements on the roster ready to make their mark.
Leonie Bettel, who will be a senior in 2018-19, will be the unquestioned leader of the Wildcats next season after tying with Rose for the best stroke average this past year. The transfer from NC State made a smooth transition in her first season at Kentucky, leading the Wildcats with four top-20 finishes and two top-10 showings down the stretch as UK tried to get back in the postseason picture.
Bettel carded five rounds of par or better and fired the lowest 18-hole round of the season with a 65 at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship. She also clinched a match-play upset of No. 16 Kent State with a match-clinching victory on her second playoff hole.
Bettel was Kentucky’s strongest player down the stretch until sophomore Sarah Shipley came on late. Shipley posted top-10 finishes in two of her last three tournaments, won her match in the victory over Kentucky State and carded her two best 54-hole scores late in the spring.
She actually ended up with the best stroke average of the spring. When her breakout sophomore season was all said and done, Shipley recorded career bests in stroke average (75.3), 18-hole low (68), 54-hole low (219) and top-20 finishes (two). UK used her score in all 17 rounds.
Josephine Chang will return for her junior season and look to recapture the confidence that saw her post eight rounds of par or better her freshman year. Junior Claire Carlin was a regular in the lineup this season and played in a career-high eight events. Freshman Sarah Fite also showed promise and improvement in her first season with four appearances.
Reinforcements will also be on the way in signees Ryan Bender and Casey Ott, both considered to be the top prospects out of their respective states.
Bender, a two-time Courier Journal Girls Golfer of the Year, dominated the Kentucky junior scene at Sacred Heart Academy, including winning the Kentucky High School Athletics Association 2017 individual state championship. Ott also won her state championship in 2017, rallying from a seven-shot deficit to win the Arkansas Class 7A title in September. She’s won the Wendy’s Arkansas Golfer of the Year honors twice.
Saying goodbye to Johansson, Rose and Walker won’t be easy, but the Wildcats hope to build upon the legacy and expectations they’ve built and raise the bar even higher in their absence.
“It’s always tough to see three seniors leave, especially when we didn’t get to finish the season the way we wanted to,” Borst said. “Ale, Grace and Bella have given their all for Kentucky, but now it’s up to our younger players to step into a larger role and take Kentucky to the next level.
“Our seniors made their mark on our program; now it’s time for the next class to make theirs. Leo has showed what she is capable of. There is greatness in her; she just has to continue to stay focused and believe in herself. Sarah Shipley stepped into a big role at the end of the season when we needed her. I look to her to continue on this path and it wouldn’t surprise me if we see her become one of our strongest players next year.
“I also look to Claire, Josephine and Sarah Fite to be ready to compete in the fall. All three of them have improved in different areas of their games over this last year and I know they will be ready to step up for Kentucky come September. They have a great passion for our university and are ready to step into the lineup and continue on the path that our seniors started us on.
“Our goals remain the same, to compete for and win championships. The path there is not easy and sometimes there are setbacks. But we will move forward and I know that our team will be steadfast in our commitment to making Kentucky one of the best programs in the country.”
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s golf team, follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
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