Northwestern University Athletics
NU Begins Play at 2012 Big Ten Championships Friday
4/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
April 25, 2012
2012 Big Ten Championships
Dates: Friday, April 27-Sunday, April 29
Course: The Donald Ross Course at French Lick Resort • French Lick, Ind.
Length: 6,156 yards (Par 72)
Field (12 teams/Golfstat.com Women's Rankings): Northwestern (43), Illinois (56), Indiana (73), Iowa (81), Michigan (61), Michigan State (25), Minnesota (83), Nebraska (66), Ohio State (16), Penn State (85), Purdue (34), Wisconsin (70)
TV Info: Big Ten Network (airs on Sunday, May 13 at 10 a.m. CT)
Golfstat.com Live Scoring • Donald Ross Course
Northwestern Season Stats 
• Women's Golf Record Book
EVANSTON, Ill. – Postseason is just around the corner and the Northwestern women's golf team is ready for action. The 'Cats head to the 2012 Big Ten Championships this Friday-Sunday (April 27-29) looking to finish at the top of the 12-team conference tournament.
There will be a number of changes at the 2012 Big Ten Women's Golf Championships. This year's event features both the men's and women's Big Ten championships staged at the neutral site French Lick Resort, located in southern Indiana, marking the first time that both events will compete at the same time and at a neutral site. Also, the women's championship will play a 54-hole format (18 holes each day), which is a change from the previous 72-hole tournament (36-18-18).
The women's championship will be played on the historic Donald Ross Course at the French Lick Resort. Golfweek Magazine ranked the Ross course No. 2 among the "Best Courses You Can Play" rankings in the state of Indiana. The Ross course, along with the highly acclaimed Pete Dye course, which is the site for the men's tournament, has hosted a number of elite players and golf events. The Donald Ross course hosted the prestigious LPGA Championship in 1959 and 1960. In addition, the Ross course also hosted the 1924 PGA Championship won by Walter Hagen.
Last year, the 'Cats had one of their best showings at Big Ten's, playing in their own backyard as hosts at the Lake Shore Country Club in Glencoe, Ill. Thanks to three placing in the top 10, NU finished third, posting the best Big Ten championships score in school history at 35-over 1,187 (72-holes).
Junior Lauren Weaver (Scottsdale, Ariz./Cactus Shadows) and senior Alex Lederhausen (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) had stellar performances for NU, finishing second and third, respectively. Both had two rounds under-par, including one round each in the 60's. Lederhausen shot a career-low 4-under 68 in the second round while Weaver posted a 3-under 69 in round three.
Sophomore Devon Brown (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) also finished in the top-10, placing eighth. She finished the tournament on a high-note with a 1-under 71 in the fourth round, finishing 9-over 297.
All three have consistently started for Northwestern this year, along with freshmen Hana Lee (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Wilson) and Brittany Mai (Poway, Calif./Poway) who will be playing in their first Big Ten championship event.
With the addition of Nebraska, this year's tournament features a 12-team field. Northwestern heads into the weekend as one of the more highly-ranked conference squads at No. 43 in the latest Golfstat.com Women's Rankings. Ohio State is the highest-ranked Big Ten team at No. 16 while last year's Big Ten champions, Michigan State, comes in at No. 25. Purdue is No. 34 in the rankings.
Last weekend, Northwestern played against seven other Big Ten schools at the Lady Buckeye Invitational. Fueled by Lauren Weaver's second-round ace, just the fourth hole-in-one in school history, and three in the top-20, NU took sixth in the team race. The 'Cats placed ahead of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Penn State and Illinois while Ohio State and Michigan State finished first and second, respectively.
Fans have the opportunity to watch both the men's and women's Big Ten championships on the Big Ten Network on a tape-delay basis. The 2012 Big Ten Men's Golf Championships will air at 9 a.m. CT on Sunday, May 13, with the 2012 Big Ten Women's Golf Championships directly following at 10 a.m. CT.
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