With fierce focus and determination, Husky women’s golf team rises to the challenge, making huge strides — on and off the course
With one phenomenal shot after another, three freshmen and two seniors made jaws drop the world over with an epic performance at the 2016 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship, upsetting Stanford to win the first national title in the UW program’s history.
“More than the trophy, I’m just so proud and impressed with the way these phenomenal players have all grown. And I know they can grow more,” says Coach MaryLou Mulflur, who’s led the team for 33 years.
MaryLou beams bright smiles when recounting the huge strides her five starters have made. She saves some of her most glowing words of praise for freshman Sarah Rhee, who came back from three holes down and three holes to play in the championship — twice!
“To see her in September and to see her now makes my eyes well up,” MaryLou says. “She’s gained so much confidence.”
Looking back on the championship and on her first year in college, Sarah says: “I’ve learned to play smarter golf, to be more strategic. I’ve learned how to stay calm and to play past the bad shots. I’ve grown immensely, not just as a golfer, but as a student as well, and as a person.”
She and her teammates owe it all to MaryLou, who was named 2015-16 National Coach of the Year by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association just one week after the championship.
MaryLou gushes gratefully about the profound impact that donors have had on the golf program, calling the Husky Golf Center and the Playground at Washington National “two vital pieces in our puzzle that have had an immediate and, what is sure to be, lasting effect on our program’s continued success.”
There’s no telling how much more MaryLou, her staff and players can accomplish with their single-minded quest to be the best they can be every day, on or off the golf course.
“It’s not about outcomes,” MaryLou says. “It’s about the process of learning and getting better because you want to get better.”
Your impact on developing winning teams
Your investment in Husky Athletics builds championship teams. The most coveted recruits come to the UW because we have great coaches and academic support, outstanding facilities and state-of-the-art training opportunities — all made possible by your gifts. Donations from generous Tyee Club members give student-athletes access to advanced technology to support their optimal performance, from sports psychology to conditioning, nutrition to strength training. Learn more about the impact you can make on developing winning teams through The Game Changer Campaign for Husky Athletics.
