Women’s Golf Summer Recap

The Gators made their presence known on the course this summer

Matthew Hutchison

8/23/2021

When the 2020-21 season came to end for the Florida women’s golf, the group used this summer to grow while collecting individual and team accolades, making strong tournament runs and playing on one of golf's biggest stages.

I’m really proud of the how the girls competed this summer. In addition to their great play they gained valuable experience that will help the team this year. Their commitment to getting better every day is evident and we are looking forward to this season!

Head Coach Emily Bastel Glaser

Heading into her senior year, Jenny Kim started things off for the Gators right away in June. She earned medalist honors and the No. 1 overall seed in match play at the WSGA Amateur. Eventually making it to the semifinals. A month later, Kim finished T5 at the FSGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship.

Shortly after Kim’s quick start, Annabell Fuller began her dominant summer with a quarterfinals finish at the British Amateur. Another deep tournament run came at the end of July as she secured the No. 1 overall seed after finishing 6-under through the first two rounds of stroke play at the English Women’s Amateur. Fuller advanced all the way to the semifinals while her mom was on the bag, but it was just a small spotlight with what was on the turn.

Fuller continued her remarkable summer as she made her major championship debut at the AIG Women’s Open. She earned the first reserve spot after winning the top spot in a sudden death playoff against nine players for four reserve spots. The junior finished T12 (+1) in qualifying and narrowly missed an automatic qualification by one stroke.

Ready for another day of @annabellfuller1 at the @AIGWomensOpen ??#GoGators ?? | #AIGWO | #WorldClass

pic.twitter.com/srAfGVIrbz
— Gators Golf (@GatorsGolf) August 20, 2021

A Second Team All-SEC member last year, she shot 1-under (71) in round one highlighted by a bogey free back nine. Playing at the Carnoustie Golf Links - one of the toughest links courses - Fuller erased a bumpy start to her round two with three birdies on the final nine to end 2-under (34). She finished even (144) to sit T45 and was one of three amateurs and one of two current collegiate golfers (Lauren Walsh, Wake Forest) to make the cut. In her final round, the Gator dominated the back nine again. Shooting under par (-1) for the third time.

Fuller will conclude her summer tour at the Curtis Cup (Aug. 26-28) representing Great Britain and Ireland for the second time.

The open was like a dream come true. Playing alongside the best in the world instead of watching them was amazing. I was able to compare my game so I'm so excited to get back and use what I've learned this semester

Annabell Fuller

Outside of her individual performances, Fuller was a member of Team England and helped them win two team tournaments - European Ladies' Team and R&A Home Internationals Championships.

However, Fuller wasn’t the only Gator at the European Ladies’ Team Championships that took home hardware. Clara Manzalini led Team Italy to a third place finish. The senior also took 2nd at the Italian Ladies Amateur Stroke Play and placed 5th at the Golf Flanders LETAS event Belgium, which is a professional tournament on the development tour - LET Access Series - of the Ladies European Tour.

It wouldn’t be the only time Gators crossed paths in the summer. Maria Escobar, Ester Fägersten, and Manzalini all played at the European Ladies Amateur Championship in July. Fägersten was the clubhouse leader after round one turning in a 6-under-par while Escobar was narrowly behind her at 3-under for T5. A week prior, Fägersten helped her club team, Hills Damelit, win the Swedish Team Championships.

Back stateside, Maisie Filler and Jackie Lucena both made appearances at the Women’s Western Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Amateur. The newest Gator, Lucena, made the cut and qualified for match play at the Western Am as she was the runner-up in 2020.

The duo again took the course together to begin the month of August in the U.S. Amateur as this time it was Miller who qualified and made it to match play while associate head coach Janice Olivencia served as her caddie.

Off the course, Florida also made a presence. Kim presented and shared her summer internship experience with Pepine Realty in Gainesville as part of the Gator Internship program.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to intern through the UAA. I am fairly new to real estate so interning at Pepine Realty has helped me further my interest and experiences. I was able to make new connections along the way as well, which will be an advantage in my future career."

Jenny Kim