As if being named to the 2018 All-Big East Team and the Big East All-Tournament Team was not enough, Seton Hall women’s golfer Lizzie Win shot for the record books at the Nittany Lion Invitational in September.
Before being named the women’s golf Big East Player of the week, Win put up historic performance in the tournament. She led her team to a fourth place finish and individually place sixth out of 92 participants. It was Win’s body of work in her final two rounds that would demand the attention of her peers.
Win started off day two on the right foot. After shooting par on the previous hole, she stepped up to a par-3. To her surprise, it would take just one stroke to move on with her day. The hole-in-one would be Seton Hall’s first ever in women’s tournament play.
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Photo via SHU Athletics[/caption]
“That was my second hole of the day. I just came off a par and coach was standing up there with me,” Win said. “Hit the shot and it looked to have the distance. It hit once and then I didn’t see it after that. My parents were there, and I saw their hands go up as they started screaming. Then, I started screaming too.”
As great of an effort as it was, the junior had experienced the feeling once before. Though, this time, she could not have dreamt of a better setting.
“This wasn’t my first hole-in-one. I had one in high school but this one was far more satisfying,” Win said. “It was in a summer tournament in high school and my team wasn’t even there. This time around my teammates, coach and parents were there for it with me.”
Most would expect a golfer to be astonished by something as rare as a hole-in-one. While Win was certainly caught off guard, it was for an entirely different reason.
“Sammie Staudt is recognized for two hole-in-ones in a single nine-hole round,” Win said. “It’s unheard of. On the way to the course that morning, we were talking about it because it was the exact day she had hers, September 23. So, it’s crazy that it happened considering we were talking about it two hours prior. My mind was blown.”
For the tournament, Win shot a 216 (76-70-70). Her total score is tied for the lowest three-round score in Pirates history. The third round marked Win’s fifth-career below-par round. That also would tie her with Maddie Sager for the most in Seton Hall history.
“When she saw that she screenshotted it and sent it to me. It’s friendly competition and will only push us to be better,” Win remarked.
While placing sixth in a tournament is no small-accomplishment, Win believes that she’s right on track to jump even higher.
“Every season we meet with our coach to set goals for the season. I made it one of mine to get top-10 at every tournament, so I guess we’re one-for-one now,” Win said. “I’ve never won a tournament individually so that’s definitely in the back of my mind. As a team, we’re capable of winning every tournament we’re in.”
Following a visit to Princeton University, Seton Hall will move on to New Haven, Conn. to compete in the Yale Women’s Intercollegiate Tournament beginning on Oct. 5.
Anthony Talarico can be reached at anthony.talarico@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @ant_tal.
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