Badger Notable: Malinda Johnson Heads to Regional Play this Week
May 03, 2004 | Women's Golf
Senior golfer Malinda Johnson leaves Wednesday for the 54-hole NCAA Central Regional qualifier May 6-8 at the Illinois State University course in Normal, Ill. An All-Big Ten first team performer, Johnson hopes to be one of two individuals to advance to the NCAA Div. I Women's golf Championship May 18-21 in Auburn, Ala.
It is Johnson's third regional appearance. Last year her third place finish at the 2003 NCAA Central Regional helped advance the Badgers to the NCAA Championship for the first time in Wisconsin history.
Johnson is one of Wisconsin's most decorated golfers in UW history, winning All-Big Ten honors for the second time in her career. She also has been named Big Ten Golfer or Co-Golfer of the week four times in her career, three of which were this season.
The Eau Claire native is a three-time medalist or co-medalist honoree. This season she won the Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout in 2004 for the second time (also won in 2002) and co-medaled the Central District Classic, where she competed in a field of 113 individuals. Although injured much of the spring, she finished fourth at her final Big Ten Championship a week ago with a 72-hole score of 299, while leading the Badgers to a fifth place tie.
With a season scoring average of 74.20 and career average of 76.20, she will likely break UW's all-time low records in those categories before she leaves the UW program. Johnson all ready holds or tied the records for 18 and 72-hole lows.
