The University of Wisconsin Badgers golf seasons are right around the corner. The men begin their season Sept. 7 at the Gopher Invitational and the women begin their season on the same day at the Wolverine Invitational.
Both teams are coming back to the course with room to improve, as neither team qualified nor sent any players to the NCAA Championships last year.
The women’s program last sent an individual to play in the NCAA championships in the 2017-2018 season, which was accomplished by senior Gabby Curtis. Curtis, at the time, finished with the second-best career scoring average in Wisconsin history. Curtis was only the second Badger women’s golfer to ever qualify for the NCAA Championships. As a team, the last qualification for the NCAA Championships was in the 2012-2o13 campaign.
For the men’s program, they last sent an individual to play in the NCAA Championships in the 2023-2024 season, when senior Cameron Huss qualified, the first Badger to do so since the 2007-2008 golf season. As a team, the last qualification for the NCAA Championships was in the 1991-1992 campaign.
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The women’s program suffered some heavy turnover from last season, losing seniors Vanessa Ho, Carly Carter, Chloe Chan and Camille Kuznik to graduation, all of whom had important contributions to the team last year. Carter played in all 10 events, Chan played in nine and Ho played in seven.
This turnover means the team will need some really good leadership from returning players, women’s coach Todd Oehrlein said.
“Some of the goals that we have [this season] is figuring out what our lineup is going to look like,” Oehrlein said.
The 2025-26 roster now only has one senior after having four last season. Furthermore, five of the nine rostered players are freshmen and sophomores.
“There’s going to be some experience that has to be earned,” Oehrlein said. “Through some initial qualifying and tournament play, there’s going to be a lot of growth and a lot of development that happens early on.”
On the men’s side, the staff focuses on expectations rather than overarching goals. Primarily, to get back to the NCAA tournament, according to head coach Mike Wilson. The team went two years ago and didn’t have anyone make it last year, Wilson said.
“So, that’s a big goal of mine and our team,” Wilson. “You’ve got to be competitive every week, every time you tee it up.”
Both head coaches expressed excitement about the schedule including the world renowned courses they get to play and the elite competition they go against. The women get to play courses like the University of Michigan Golf Course, University Ridge and Medinah Country Club, while the men get to play at TPC Wisconsin, Erin Hills and Grand Reverse Golf Club in Puerto Rico.
One of the draws of coming to Wisconsin is to be able to play the kind of schedule that we get to play, Wilson said.
Something particularly special for Wilson is getting to play at Erin Hills. The course hosted the 2011 U.S. Amateur, the 2017 U.S. Open Championship and the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, and it’s also set to host the 2033 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 2035 U.S. Amateur. It’s ranked a top ten public golf course in the country, and is the site of coach Wilson’s first tournament as a Badger golf coach, according to Wilson.
In a preseason Big Ten Golfers to Watch list, the Wisconsin men’s golf team had three players recognized. This included seniors Jacob Beckman and Spencer Turtz along with sophomore standout William Harned. This designation shows how far Turtz and Beckman have come from their freshman year, Wilson said.
Wilson said he also believes Harned has the potential to become a true number one player.
“[Harned] has all the talent to do that,” Wilson said. “And I think he’s starting to show that.”
Wilson also pointed out that Beckman won the 2024 Wisconsin State Golf Association Player of the Year award and the results were not close. He accumulated 10,305 points during the year, whereas the runner up to the award only had 6,610 points.
In the 2025 Player of the Year race, Harned currently holds the lead by a mere two hundred points. Right behind him is fellow Badger and sophomore Charles Erlandson.
Harned and Erlandson both had strong freshman campaigns. The Badgers played in 10 events last season, Erlandson started in all 10 and Harned played in nine, only missing the first event of his freshman year. They both notched a top-25 finish, with Harned finishing in a tie for second place at the Badger Invitational.
“His [Erlandson’s] work ethic and attitude are some of the best I’ve ever coached,” Wilson said. “I’m really looking forward to his campaign this year as well.”
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The Wisconsin women’s golf team lost four players to graduation. To fill these roster spots, Oehrlein brought in three freshmen and one transfer. Oehrlein expressed excitement for these freshmen, especially Grace Slocum, of Traverse City, Mich., who made the lineup for the opening trip of the season through qualifying, according to coach Oehrlein. The other two freshmen, Elyssa Abdullah, of Hinsdale, Ill., and Hadley Ashton, of Erie, Colo., both narrowly missed making the lineup for the opening trip, according to Coach Oerhlien.
The last new addition was redshirt junior Tammy Wu, who transferred from Maryland.
Oehrlein said he was looking to add some balance and experience to recruiting class, making him confident that Wu will be a great fit.
The men’s golf program only lost one player to graduation last season, filling the gap with freshman Vijay Kumar, of Windermere, Flo. Kumar is a five time winner on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour and the winner of the 2023 Sunshine State Men’s Amateur, among other notable achievements.
“These guys all put in the work,” Wilson said. “They live at the golf course, and Vijay fits right in, doing that same thing. So, that’s what we want as a coach — kids that want to live at the golf course and just try to get as good as they can.”
Many Badger golfers had a strong summer. On the men’s side, Erlandson made it to a playoff in the Wisconsin State Amateur, while Harned and Turtz placed within the top 15.
On the women’s side, Ashton won the Colorado Junior Match Play Championship, junior Kate Brody won the Illinois Women’s Open and sophomore Izzi Stricker won the Wisconsin State Women’s Amateur. With this much offseason success, it’s easy for fans to get excited about the potential of these two programs.
“That summer window — it’s a really important developmental window,” Oehrlein said. “… They [the players] aren’t allowed, by NCAA rules, to be here in the summertime and work with us.”
Wilson added that as coaches, they can’t require athletes to play.
“We’re hopeful they play, and when they do, that makes you feel good about your team,” Wilson said.
Time will tell how the season truly goes, as golf is a crazy, unpredictable game. But that’s what makes fans love it.
Here’s to another great golf season at Wisconsin!