Completed Event: Women's Golf versus Dale McNamara Invitational on October 13, 2025 , , 2/14 - 844 (-8)
Final
Women's Golf
vs Dale McNamara Invitational
University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Woman's Golf History
June 15, 1999 | Women's Golf
Prior to the 1974-75 school year, women athletes at the University of Oklahoma participated in intercollegiate intramurals. They played womens teams from other school sin Oklahomas higher education system. The change for OU came in the summer of 1974 when the women became part of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Two coaches were hired to coach all the sports in this new program. Karen Dowd served as the coach for the golf, field hockey, track & field and swimming. With no scholarships and a very young team, the University of Oklahoma began competition in womens collegiate golf during the spring of 1975.
That would be Dowds only year as a coach for the Sooners. She turned over the reins to Joan Blumenthal, the most successful coach in OU womens golf history. Blumenthal built OU into the program that it is today.
Under Blumenthals direction, the Sooners opened their full season with a ninth place finish in the Iowa State Invitational. The Sooners closed out their first full slate with a third-place finish at the Midland Invitational.
The Sooners won their first golf tournament during the spring of 1976, and placed third in their first Big Eight Championship. Lindsey Wetzel became the first Sooner woman to take medalist honors with her win in 1976.
A year later, OU went from a third place Big Eight team to the top, winning the first of three conference championships. OU finished five strokes ahead of Oklahoma State and had two golfers place in the top six. The Sooners missed the cut at the AIAW Nationals, but Oklahoma womens golf was on the map.
Blumenthal coached the Sooners for four more years. She brought another Big Eight Championship home to Norman in 1981, and, in the process, introduced a Flossmoor, Ill., native, Carol Ludvigson, to Oklahoma and a winning golf program.
In 1982, Blumenthal left the Sooners coaching position and moved into a promotions position in the department. Doug Brecht became the third Sooner golf coach and he stayed with the Sooners for three seasons.
In 1985, Ludvigson returned to OU as the head coach and her work was apparent. In 1991, she led her team to the Big Eight Championship. She added a runner-up finish in 1992, and in 1993, took her Sooner team to a first-ever NCAA Championship Tournament and a top-10 NCAA Regional finish.
The year 1995 proved to be fruitful for the program as the season was highlighted by a tournament championship at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic and finished as the No. 16 team in the nation.
Blumenthal may have built the Sooner program, but Ludvigson has maintained its stability. The consistently high finishes produced by Ludvigsons teams prove it.
Two coaches were hired to coach all the sports in this new program. Karen Dowd served as the coach for the golf, field hockey, track & field and swimming. With no scholarships and a very young team, the University of Oklahoma began competition in womens collegiate golf during the spring of 1975.
That would be Dowds only year as a coach for the Sooners. She turned over the reins to Joan Blumenthal, the most successful coach in OU womens golf history. Blumenthal built OU into the program that it is today.
Under Blumenthals direction, the Sooners opened their full season with a ninth place finish in the Iowa State Invitational. The Sooners closed out their first full slate with a third-place finish at the Midland Invitational.
The Sooners won their first golf tournament during the spring of 1976, and placed third in their first Big Eight Championship. Lindsey Wetzel became the first Sooner woman to take medalist honors with her win in 1976.
A year later, OU went from a third place Big Eight team to the top, winning the first of three conference championships. OU finished five strokes ahead of Oklahoma State and had two golfers place in the top six. The Sooners missed the cut at the AIAW Nationals, but Oklahoma womens golf was on the map.
Blumenthal coached the Sooners for four more years. She brought another Big Eight Championship home to Norman in 1981, and, in the process, introduced a Flossmoor, Ill., native, Carol Ludvigson, to Oklahoma and a winning golf program.
In 1982, Blumenthal left the Sooners coaching position and moved into a promotions position in the department. Doug Brecht became the third Sooner golf coach and he stayed with the Sooners for three seasons.
In 1985, Ludvigson returned to OU as the head coach and her work was apparent. In 1991, she led her team to the Big Eight Championship. She added a runner-up finish in 1992, and in 1993, took her Sooner team to a first-ever NCAA Championship Tournament and a top-10 NCAA Regional finish.
The year 1995 proved to be fruitful for the program as the season was highlighted by a tournament championship at the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic and finished as the No. 16 team in the nation.
Blumenthal may have built the Sooner program, but Ludvigson has maintained its stability. The consistently high finishes produced by Ludvigsons teams prove it.
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