Sarah Burnham Named WGCA Honorable Mention All-American
5/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
EAST LANSING, Mich. â€" Michigan State sophomore Sarah Burnham has been named to the Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) honorable mention All-America team.
Burnham closed the 2015-16 season with the lowest scoring average (72.42) in school history (previous record: 73.53 by Caroline Powers in 2010-11) and seven top-10 finishes, including two tournament wins (Landfall Tradition in October and Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate in February) and two runner-up finishes (Tar Heel Invitational in October and Lady Buckeye Invitational in April).
A native of Maple Grove, Minnesota, Burnham qualified to play in the NCAA Championships after winning a two-hole playoff in the NCAA Stanford Regional. Burnham tied for 45th at nationals after shooting a 4-over-par 220 through three rounds, but did not advance to the fourth and final round of stroke play, missing the cut by just two shots.
In addition to scoring average, Burnham also ranked first on the team in birdies (124), under-par rounds (15), and top-10 finishes (7). She tied for ninth place at the NCAA Stanford Regional with a 2-over-par 215, which was the lowest three-round total ever by a Spartan at NCAA Regionals (previous: 216 by Lindsey Solberg in 2012).
A first-team All-Big Ten and All-Region selection, Burnham tied for seventh at the Big Ten Championships with a 4-under-par 212, which was the lowest 54-hole score ever by a Spartan at the conference tournament and tied for the eighth-lowest overall in school history.
Burnham's stellar season also included the best single-round ever at Michigan State when she shot a 66 both at the Mary Fossum Invitational in September and the Landfall Tradition in October.
Burnham claimed medalist honors at the Landfall Tradition with a career-low 5-under 211, which tied for the fifth-lowest 54-hole score in school history and earned her Golfweek National Player of the Week and Big Ten Golfer of the Week honors. She also won the Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate in February with a 211 and was named Big Ten Golfer of the Week for the second time of the season.
"I think Sarah did really well and I'm very, very proud of her for what she accomplished this year," said MSU head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll following the NCAA Championships. "From winning two regular-season tournaments to winning the playoff at regionals to make nationals to how she competed (at NCAAs), she played great all season long."
Last summer, Burnham qualified for the U.S. Women's Open in July and competed in the U.S. Women's Amateur in August. She was named the Minnesota Golf Association's Women's Player of the Year after winning both Minnesota Match Play State Championship and the Minnesota State Four-Ball Championship; she also tied for third at both the Minnesota Women's State Open Championship in August.
Burnham is a second alternate for the 2016 U.S. Women's Open after tying for second in her local qualifying round on May 16.
Burnham becomes the 11th Spartan in program history to earn All-America honors from the WGCA and the sixth under head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll (Emily Bastel, honorable mention, 2002; Allison Fouch, honorable mention, 2004; Sara Brown, honorable mention, 2008; Laura Kueny, honorable mention, 2009; second team, 2010; Caroline Powers, honorable mention, 2011-13).
Players Mentioned
