2024-25 Shocker Women's Golf

[1972Shocker]

Women’s Golf Inks International Duo

Head Women's Golf Coach Tom McCurdy added a pair of international signees to the 2024 Shocker recruiting class in France native Amelie Paul and England native Amy Knotts on Monday afternoon.

"Amelie brings consistency to the table," said McCurdy. "She's always posting numbers that would be good to have in a team score."

"In our meetings with her, she has always been super positive and smiling," said McCurdy. "I think she's going to bring a good and positive dimension to our team dynamic."

"She brings good experience with her, and I think that she will come in and challenge for spots in the lineup right away."

"Amy has a really good mind for the game of golf," said McCurdy. "Growing up in Britain, she's had to play and adapt to lots of different elements and that will help with her consistency anywhere we play in the country."

Knotts won the England Girls U18 East Regional Championships with a score of two-under across two rounds of play. She also won the England Girls U18 Champion of Champions event with a score of two-over across two rounds player.

"It's her mind that is her biggest asset," said McCurdy. "She's posted some really good scores and tournament results and I think that she'll add depth as well as bring a different type of game to our team next season.

Paul and Knotts join Germany native Lara Stifter as the 2024 Shocker women's golf signees and the team roster for 2024 now sits at eight.

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Looks like Coach McCurdy going international to try to become more competititve in the AAC.

Half of the 2024-25 roster as it currently stands are international players from Australia, Germany, France and England to go along with 2 Kansans, one from Wichita, a Nebraskan and a Oklahoman.

Let's hope it works out well.

[1972Shocker]

[1972Shocker]

Not sure if it is descriptive of her game but pretty solid name for a golfer:

Sammy only played in 9 of 23 tournaments during her 2 years at Troy totaling 30 rounds. As a freshman her stroke average was 76.33 and as a sophomore it was 77.67 for an overall average of 77.00.

That could put her in the hunt for some starting 5 opportunities, especially if she could improve on that just a little it.

[1972Shocker]

Shocker Jr. Brooklyn Benn won the 36-hole Oklahoma Golf Association Stroke Play Championship shooting 69-73 = 142 which I believe is even par on Tulsa's Meadowbrook CC course.

I have no idea about the quality of the field but Brooklyn was 5 shots clear of her closest competitors and the only player not over par for the 2 rounds combined. Seems like a good result.

Scoreboard: https://www.golfleaguegenius.com/pag...und_id=1173567

[1972Shocker]

2024-25 WGLF Schedule

Dates	Tournament Name	Host	Golf Course/ Location
9/9-9/10	The Powercat Invitational	Kansas State	Colbert Hills Golf Course, Manhattan, Kan.
9/23-9/25	Golfweek Red Sky Classic	Golfweek	Red Sky Ranch Golf Club, Eagle, Colo.
10/4-10/6	Ron Moore Intercollegiate	Denver	Highlands Ranch Golf Club, Denver, Colo.
10/20-10/22	Diamante Intercollegiate	Little Rock	Diamante Golf Club, Hot Springs Village, Ark.
2/3-2/4	Texas State Invitational	Texas State	Vaaler Creek Golf Course, San Marcos, Texas
2/21-2/23	Rio Verde Invitational	Western Michigan	Quail Run Golf Course, Rio Verde, Ariz.
3/2-3/4	MountainView Intercollegiate	Missouri	MountainView Golf Course, Tucson, Ariz.
3/14-3/16	Red Rocks Invitational	Northern Arizona	Oak Creek Country Club, Oak Creek, Ariz.
4/7-4/8	The "Mo" Morial Invitational	Texas A&M	Traditions Club, College Station, Texas
4/14-4/16	AAC Championship	The American	Southern Hills Plantation Club, Brooksville, Fla.

"I'm really excited for this year's schedule," said McCurdy. "We're playing in several new to us events and events we haven't played in for a very long time. Our strength of schedule this year compared to previous years is very strong."

"This year, we're going to see quite a few teams that we don't normally get to play against and teams from different regions as well," said McCurdy. "If we go out and perform well, playing against this strong competition will give us great chances to improve our national ranking."

Coach McCurdy's 2024-25 roster consists of eight players, split evenly with four returners and four newcomers. Juniors Mackenzie Wilson and Kate Tilma headline the returning group, joined by graduate student Sarah Lawson and junior Brooklyn Benn , while international freshmen additions Amy Knotts, Amelie Paul, and Lara Stifter, join Troy transfer Samantha Straight to round out the roster.

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The Shocks haven't exactly excelled against their weaker, mostly mid-major schedules in the past. The Shocks were 9th out of 12 teams in the AAC last year.

Kate Tilma and Mackenzie Wilson are by far the most solid returners from last year. Kate lead the Shocks with a stroke average of 74.2 with Mackenzie 2nd at 75.6. Brooklyn Benn had a stroke average of 78.3 over 18 rounds last year but she she averaged 76.3 last spring after averaging 80.3 last fall. Brooklyn also recently won the Oklahoma Golf Association Stroke Play Championship shooting even par 142 over 2 rounds. So perhaps she is ready to step into a more dependable role this year.

Lauren Thiele who averaged 76.8 strokes over 20 rounds last year has transferred to Nebraska.

Sarah Lawson, as a 4th year junior last year, only played 5 events last year and did not play in the AAC Championships and averaged a team worst 79.7 strokes per round. So Coach McCurdy will most likely need to rely on the 3 freshman and the junior transfer from Troy to fill out his starting 5. Sammy only played in 9 of 23 tournaments during her 2 years at Troy totaling 30 rounds. As a freshman her stroke average was 76.33 and as a sophomore it was 77.67 for an overall average of 77.00.

Who knows whether or not the German, French and English imports will be able to contribute as 1st year players.

[1972Shocker]

WGLF Preview: The Powercat Invitational

The Shockers and head coach Tom McCurdy are looking forward to the new season with four new additions to the 2024-25 roster, two of which will be making their Shocker debuts in the lineup.

Dates: Monday, September 9 – Tuesday, September 10
Host: Kansas State
Location: Manhattan, Kan.
Venue: Colbert Hills; Yardage: 6,439 yards; Par: 72
Live Scoring: Clippd

The Field – 16 Teams: Austin Peay, Bethune-Cookman, Bowling Green, Central Arkansas, Cincinnati, Dayton, Houston Christian, Incarnate Word, Jacksonville State, Kansas State, North Dakota, North Texas, Northern Colorado, Southern Mississippi, UTRGV, Wichita State

The first Shocker lineup of the year features the two top Shockers from last year in Kate Tilma and Mackenzie Wilson, as well as additional returner Brooklyn Benn, who turned in a strong summer campaign, headlined by a win in the Oklahoma Golf Association's Women's Stroke Play Championship at Meadowbrook Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma on August 6. True freshmen Amelie Paul and Lara Stifter round out the lineup, carrying strong qualifying rounds into Monday's tournament.

Newcomer and Troy transfer Sammy Straight will make the trip with the team and compete as an individual.

Shocker Five:

Kate Tilma (Jr.) – Second year Shocker…Transferred from Kansas State…Played in all nine tournaments in first season as a Shocker…Lowest stroke average on the team at 74.2 which is second lowest in team history...Led team in birdies with 69...Finished as top Shocker in five tournaments, including four in the fall...Competed in all four fall tournaments in her first fall as a Shocker...Posted the Shocker's only top-5 individual finish of the fall at the Payne Stewart Memorial...One of three Shockers to post multiple top-20 finishes in the fall.

Brooklyn Benn (Jr.) – Third year at Wichita State…Competed in six events last season…Shined at AAC Championship setting career low 18- and 54-hole scores in the tournament...Recorded team's first eagle of the season and first of her career at Payne Stewart Memorial on Sept. 11...

Amelie Paul (Fr.) – Won Grand Prix d'Aix Provence and Grand Prix de Valgarde in 2023...
Ranked as high as 139th in France and 1953rd in the world...Finished as high as eighth in French Girls Championships

Mackenzie Wilson (Jr.) – Third year Shocker…Has competed in all 20 tournaments in previous two years at WSU…Second lowest stroke average among Shockers last season at 75.6…212 54-hole score at Diamante Intercollegiate in October was the second best 54-hole score in team history

Lara Stifter (Fr.) – Named Top 15 Girls Golfer in all of Germany...Competed in the German First National League…

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Interesting mix of players for the Lady Shocks. A hometown girl, an Oklahoman, an Australian, a French Mademoiselle and a German Fräulein. Let's how the team's international flavor gives it a boost on the golf course.