College Golf Wrap Up: Exceptional Spring Season
By Tom Lang
College golfers in Michigan had some great individual and team results in the spring of 2023 – in fact the accolades kept coming after the college season wound down in late May so we had to wait until now to share it all.
MSU Women Win NCAA Regional in Florida, a Program First
The MSU Women’s golf team led from wire to wire to take the crown of NCAA Regional champion for the first time in the program’s history. The tournament was played at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, FL in mid-May.
MSU (then ranked No. 34) won with team scores of 285-296-291 – 872, ahead of Duke, Texas and Northwestern.
MSU sophomore Brooke Biermann also tied for medalist by scoring 3-under 69-73-71 – 213 with Latanna Stone of LSU. The Spartan’ Valentina Rossi placed T9 and Leila Raines was T14. Biermann went on to earn a sponsor’s exemption into the Meijer LPGA Classic, her first pro tournament, where she finished just two strokes off the professionals’ cutline.
Women’s All-Big Ten Second Team
Hailey Borja, SR, Michigan
Monet Chun, JR, Michigan
Valentina Rossi, JR, Michigan State
Sportsmanship Award Honorees
Anika Dy, SR, Michigan
Shannon Kennedy, SO, Michigan State
MSU’s Troy Taylor Ranked No. 1 in APGA Collegiate Rankings
Michigan State men's golfer Troy Taylor II finished the 2022-23 season ranked No. 1 among all players in the Advocate Professional Golf Association (APGA) Collegiate Rankings. Eligible players are Black golfers from NCAA Division I or II programs – including HBCUs.
The ranking gave him a sponsor's exemption into the 2023 UNC Health Championship (Korn Ferry Tour) and qualified status at the 2024 season-opening APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines. He was also the low amateur and runner up finisher in the John Shippen tournament at Detroit Golf Club on June 25, missing by one position of qualifying for the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Men’s All-Big Ten, Second Team
Drew Hackett, Michigan State
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees
James Hill, Michigan
Troy Taylor Jr., Michigan State
