Women's Golf
Marissa Wenzler - Women's Golf - University of Kentucky Athletics

MarissaWenzler

  • class Junior
  • Hometown Dayton, Ohio
  • Major Finance
  • High school Centerville High School

Career Stats Breakdown

Chip Shots

Favorite course: Lake Nona Golf & Country Club (Orlando, Fla.)
Dream foursome (including herself): Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy
First time she broke par: Sophomore year in high school sectionals
Favorite club: Any wedge
Favorite golf movie: The Greatest Game Ever Played
Favorite golfer: Nelly Korda
Favorite food: Bibibop
Favorite TV show: Gossip Girl
Favorite book: How Champions Think
Favorite class: Math
Nickname(s): Wenzler, MKW, Marty
Superstition(s): Can’t change my ball midround when I’m playing well, even if it has scuff marks

Career Awards / Honors:
2023-24 CSC Academic All-District Team
2023-24 SEC Community Service Team
5x WGCA All-American Scholar (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
4x SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll member (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
2019-20 SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll

Finished her five-year career with the University of Kentucky women’s golf program ranked third in career par-or-better rounds in program history (37).

2023-24 (Graduate): Capped the season on a 7-over for T34 at the NCAA East Lansing Regional, turning in an even-par 72 in the first round … Turned in scores of 76, 77 and 71 to place T57 (+14) at the SEC Championship (par 70), also helping Kentucky finish in fifth place and reach the match-play quarterfinals for the first time since the inception of the NCAA Championship format six seasons ago … Closed out the regular season with a 2-over-par 218 for T24 at the Clemson Invitational, including earning a 3-under-par 69 in the first round and a 1-under-par 71 in the second round … Turned in scores of 72, 74 and 69 to finish a team-best T19 (215, +2) in the elite field at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (par 71) … Recorded a first-round 71 to help record a 6-over tournament total at the NEXUS Collegiate for T15 finish … Put together a 75-79-73 for a T72 finish at the UCF Challenge … Defeated Maddie May in 21 holes in the Kentucky vs. Indiana Match Play event to begin the spring season … Concluded the fall schedule with the first top-10 finish of her career on a 1-under-par 215 for T10 at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational … Grabbed a 9-over for T33 at the tough Blessings Collegiate Invitational before the event was suspended because of weather … Had back-to-back 71s to begin her time at the Mason Rudolph Championship, finishing with a 1-over-par 217 for T35 … Had an under-par showing in the season opener at the Cougar Classic (par 71), recording a 73, 69 and 70 for a 1-under-par 212 and a share of 34th place.

2022-23 (Senior): Fundamental in helping UK break four team school records in 2022-23, including the top two 18-hole rounds in school history (271, -17 and 275, -13), 54-hole tournament (830, -34) and single-season scoring average (289.6) … Concluded the season with a 74.8 scoring average (33 rounds, 2,460 strokes) in 2022-23 … Earned two top-20 finishes on the season … Named to the 2022-23 Frank G. Ham Society of Character …. Selected for the Supporting Role Award at this season’s CATSPY’S … Had one of the best tournaments of the season at the NCAA Pullman Regional, earning a 74, 75 and 68, tying her 18-hole career best, to assemble a 1-over-par 217 for a share of 37th place … Recorded a 23-over-par 239 at the SEC Championship to finish 65th … Had a stellar tournament in the regular-season finale, putting together three straight rounds of 72 for an even-par 216 and a share of 19th place at the Clemson Invitational … Punched in a 1-over-par 73 in the first round of the Florida State Match Up, recording a 17-over-par 233 overall to finish T33 … Fired off a second-round 71 at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate for a 14-over-par 227 tournament total and a share of 66th place … Turned in a 21-over-par 234 to finish T74 at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge … Had a remarkable showing in the spring opener at the UCF Challenge, carding three rounds of par-or-better with a 70, 71 and 72 for a 3-under-par 213 and a share of 26th place … Helped Kentucky to back-to-back tournament titles to close out the fall season at the Illini Women’s Invitational and Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational, while also helping the Wildcats to a school-record 830 (-34) at the Illini Women’s Invitational … In the fourth tournament of the season, she collected rounds of 75, 76 and 76 for an 11-over-par 227, tying 43rd place at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational … Producing the best 54-hole tournament total of her career at the Illini Women’s Invitational, including recording a career-best 68 in the first round, she also reported rounds of 69 and 71 to put together an 8-under-par 208 for 11th place … Had a nice showing at the start of the Mason Rudolph Championship, turning in a first-round 72 and second-round 73, capping the tournament on a 7-over-par 223 and a share of 38th place … Began the season with a first-round 72 at the Cougar Classic (par 71), rallying for a 10-over-par 223 for T72.

2021-22 (Junior): Tied for 69th at the UCF Challenge with a 5-over-par 221 … Lost 3 and 2 to Louisville’s Mairead Martin in the Battle of the Bluegrass at Club Pelican Bay in Naples, Florida … Appeared in three events in the fall and recorded a 74.6 scoring average, including two under-par rounds … Tied for 51st at The Ally at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi, with a score of 10-over par … Enjoyed her best tournament since her freshman season with an ever-par 216 (69-77-70) at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational … Fueled by a career-low-tying 3-under-par 69 in the first round, tied her career-best 54-hole score to tie for 26th at the UNC Finley Course in Chapel Hill, North Carolina … Made her 2021-22 debut with a 13-over-par 229 at the Mason Rudolph Championship, tying for 73rd at Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tennessee.

2021 Summer: Strong summer highlighted by winning the Western Women’s Amateur at Park Ridge Country Club in Park Ridge, Illinois … Came out on top of the 32-player match-play bracket with a sudden-death victory on the 20th hole over Oklahoma State’s Maddison Hinson-Tolchard … Also won the stroke-play portion of the Western Women’s Amateur with a two-round score of 8-under par to finish atop the 120-player field … Qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York and advanced to the round of 32 … Knocked off the No. 1 seed in the match-play portion of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, Rachel Kuehn, with a 1-up victory … Made match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur via a 12-for-2 playoff in stroke play with a birdie … Played in the North & South Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst No. 6 in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

2020-21 (Sophomore): Averaged 75.7 strokes in 10 tournaments … Four rounds of par or better … Played in Kentucky’s first NCAA Championship finals appearance in 29 years … Key contributor at the national championship with a 54-hole score of 8-over par (74-77-73) to tie for 59th at the Grayhawk Golf Club’s Raptor Course in Scottsdale, Arizona … Helped Kentucky to its first NCAA Championship finals berth since 1992 at the NCAA Columbus Regional … Tied for 63rd with a score of 15-over par at the Ohio State University Golf Club Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio … Tied for 63rd at the Southeastern Conference Championship with a score of 11-over par at Greystone Golf & Country Club’s Legacy Course in Birmingham, Alabama ..With a score of 11-over par, tied for 47th at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic at the University Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana … Tied for 49th at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic with a score of 15-over par at UGA Golf Course in Athens, Georgia … Tied for 52nd with a score of 15-over par at the Florida Gators Invitational at Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Florida ..Tied for 70th at the UCF Challenge with a score of 13-over par but opened the event at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, with a 1-under-par 71 ..Averaged 75.1 strokes in nine fall rounds with three rounds of par or better … Team used her score in eight of nine opportunities in the fall … Finished off the fall season strong by leading the Wildcats at the Liz Murphey Fall Collegiate Classic … Tied for 22nd at the Liz Murphey Fall Collegiate Classic with a score of 5-over par, including a 2-under-par-70 in the second round, at the UGA Golf Course in Athens, Georgia … With a score of 10-over par, including an even-par 72 in the second round, tied for 53rd at The Ally at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi … Tied for 31st at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational with a score of 13-over par, including a 2-under-par 70 in the second round, at the Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

2020 Summer: Breakthrough summer that included two championships and two runner-up finishes … Qualified for the prestigious U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, where she tied for eighth in stroke play with a two-round scorer of even par and advanced to match play at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland … Qualified for the U.S. Women’s Am by tying for second place at the Ladies National Golf Association Amateur Championship, where she posted a three-round total of 4-under par at the Tennessee Grasslands Golf and Country Club in Gallatin, Tennessee … Began the summer with a title at the Metropolitan Amateur Championship … Won the Metropolitan with a 36-hole total of 5-under par, including a final-round 68, at Wetherington Golf & Country Club in West Chester, Ohio … Also won the Heritage Classic with a score of 2-under par at Heritage Hill Golf Club in Shepherdsville, Kentucky … With a final-round 68 at the Golfweek Myrtle Beach Collegiate, surged into second place at 1-under par the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina … Made it to the round of 16 in the 120th Women’s Western Amateur at Prestwick Country Club in Frankfort, Illinois, and finished sixth in stroke play … Also advanced to the round of 16 at the 118th Women’s North & South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

2019-20 Freshman: Sensational freshman season in which she was a major contributor to Kentucky’s national rise … Appeared in a team-high-tying six events during the shortened season … Posted a 73.18 stroke average, the second-best mark on the team and the third-best single-season mark in school history … Among the team leaders with three top-20 finishes and a top-10 showing … Played a key part in UK’s two team championships … Tied for third on the team with six rounds of par or better … Team used her score in 15 of 17 rounds, tied for the team high … After opening the Moon Golf Invitational with a 72, tied for 32nd with a score of 4-over par at the Duran Golf Club in Melbourne, Florida … Surged up the leaderboard on the final day of the Puerto Rico Classic with a career-low 69 … Thanks to the 69, tied for 12th at the Rio Mar Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico at 2-over par (75-74-69) … Enjoyed the best weekend of her college career with career bests in virtually every major statistical category to help UK to a second-place finish at the Cardinal Cup … Recorded a then-18-hole career best (70) in the third round, a 54-hole career best (216) and career-best finish (tied for sixth) with a score of even par (74-72-70) at the University of Louisville Golf Club in Simpsonville, Kentucky … Tied for 68th at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational at the UNC Finley Golf Course with an 8-over-par 224 … Fired a 71 in the first round in Chapel Hill, North Carolina … In her second collegiate start, helped UK to its second straight championship of the season at the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational at the University Club of Kentucky in Lexington … Tied for 13th with a 3-over par 219 (72-73-74) … Helped Kentucky to a season-opening championship at the Minnesota Invitational in Woodbury, Minnesota, in her first collegiate tournament … Tied for 25th with a score of 147, 3-over par, at the Prestwick Golf Club … Opened her career with a 74 and then followed it with a 73.

2019 Summer: Played in the Girls Junior PGA Championship in Hartford, Connecticut … Tied for second place at the Memorial Junior hosted by Sung Hyun Park.

Before UK: Highly regarded signee with a lot of upside … Entered college career as the No. 37-ranked prospect in the class of 2019 by the American Junior Golf Association … Considered top 100 by Golfweek … 2018 Ohio High School Athletic Association state champion … Fired the second-lowest two-round total (138) in Ohio state history to win the championship … Eight top-10 finishes and five top-five showings in 2018 … 72.4 scoring average in 2018 … Two-time Ohio All-State First Team selection … Owner of nearly every major school record … Led Centerville High School to third place at the 2018 state championship this season, plus sectional and district championships … Placed second at the Strategic Communications/Justin Thomas Junior Championship in April 2018 … Top-50 finish at the ANNIKA Invitational USA in January 2019 … Played in the 2018 Rolex Girls Invitational.

Personal: Born Sept. 3 in Dayton, Ohio … Daughter of Michael and Lisa Wenzler … The youngest of three siblings, who include a sister, Amber, and a brother, Ryan … Calls Centerville, Ohio, home … Attended Centerville High School … Her brother, Ryan, played at Wright State and in PGA Tour events …  Member of the Spanish Honors Society in high school … Won her school’s Scholar Athlete Award … Active outside of golf and school while in Centerville, participating in Spanish Club, Lunch Buddies, Elk Connectors and Marketing Block Program in high school … Signed with UK over Louisville … Her favorite memory entering college was winning the DI Girls OHSAA state championship … She considers her brother her biggest influence  … Major is finance.

Why she chose UK: “I loved everything about UK. The coaches are incredible and the golf team made me feel very welcomed on my visit. The school itself is beautiful and it truly felt like home.”

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