2021-22: Season in Review

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With the celebration of spring commencement in May and two members of this year’s team joining the ranks of Vanderbilt alumni, the 2021-22 Vanderbilt women’s golf team has officially closed another standout season.

The Commodores had an up-and-down season – mostly due to nagging injuries throughout the starting lineup – having finished as high as second and as low as 13th (twice). But Vandy started its postseason reset at the SEC Championships, where it finished as quarterfinalists and joined Auburn and South Carolina as the only three teams to advance to the match-play portion of the event every season since the format was instituted in 2018.

For the first time in program history, Vandy hosted the NCAA Regional Championships held at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tennessee. As the No. 6 seed, a dream turned into reality as the Dores won their first NCAA Regional title since 2019 and fourth in program history. Vandy punched a ticket to its 11th NCAA Championships appearance held at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, from May 20-25.

While Vandy didn’t have a storybook ending in the desert, junior Celina Sattelkau shined for the Black and Gold, advancing to the final round of stroke play and tying for 31st overall, which was the highest finish for a Dore since 2014. From the fall to the spring, the program also saw a lot of success individually along the way this season.

Team Accomplishments

While there were a lot of peaks and valleys during the season, Vandy hit milestones as a team on and off the course including its NCAA Regional title on the program’s home course (Vanderbilt Legends Club) in Franklin.

• Out of 11 tournaments, the Dores had seven top-10 finishes on the season including their first win since 2019 at the NCAA Franklin Regional. During the fall season, Vandy had top-10 finishes in all four of its tournaments.
• Vandy shot an 838 (-26) to finish second in its spring opener, the 2022 FAU Paradise Invitational. The score marked the third-lowest 54-hole score in program history.
• The Dores started their postseason reset at the SEC Championships with a seventh-place finish in stroke play to advance to match play where they finished as quarterfinalists, falling to eventual champions LSU. Vandy also joined Auburn and South Carolina as the only three teams to advance to the match-play portion of the event every season since the format was instituted in 2018.

• In its 22nd NCAA Regional appearance, Vandy won its first NCAA Regional title since 2019 with a 16-under par performance in front of Commodore Nation at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin. The regional title was also the fourth in program history for the Dores.
• At the 2022 NCAA Franklin Regional, Vandy’s 54-hole score of 848 was the ninth-lowest score in program history, while its final round of 279 (-9) tied for 17th overall and was the lowest round of any team throughout the three-day event.

• The Dores made their 11th NCAA Championships appearance at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale from May 20-25. It marked the team’s first appearance at the championship event since 2019 at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
• The team posted a 3.69 GPA in the spring, which was the second-best figure for the semester among the school’s 15 varsity teams.

Individual Highlights

Throughout the season, the Dores achieved a lot of success individually as there were six achievements etched in the record book, 13 career bests, 10 top-10 finishes and 35 rounds under par. 

• Recent Vanderbilt graduate Auston Kim kicked off the fall with top-five finishes at three out of four tournaments. She started off the season tied for fourth at the Cougar Classic at 209 (-7), which tied for the 20th-lowest 54-hole score in program history.
• Ariel Yu started her sophomore campaign with a career-low 54-hole score of 219 (+3) after tying for 36th at the Cougar Classic. She also matched a career-low 72 during the second and third rounds of the tournament.
• At her last regular season home tournament, Kim matched a career-low and the second-lowest round in program history with a 65 during the first round of the Mason Rudolph Championships. The round also was the lowest first-round score in program and tournament history. In addition, Kim tied for the 12th lowest 54-hole score in program history with a season-best 208 (-8).

• For the third time on the season, A. Yu matched a career-low round of 72 during the second round of the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational.
• For the second time last season, Kim matched a season-low of 208 (-8) and the 12th-lowest 54-hole score in program history at the FAU Paradise Invitational. She also tied for the eighth-lowest round in program history after shooting a 66 in the first round.
• In her first road start and second overall, newcomer Natasha Kiel tied for fifth at the FAU Paradise Invitational with a career-low 208 (-8), which tied for the 12th-lowest 54-hole score in program history. Kiel also closed out the spring opener with a career-low round of 67 (-5).
• With her second top-10 finish, sophomore Virginie Ding shot a career-low 54-hole score of 211 (-5) at the FAU Paradise Invitational. She also matched a career-low round with a 67 during the second round.
• On one of the biggest stages in women’s college golf, Sattelkau started her spring season by matching a career-best finish after tying for third with a 212 (-1) total at the 10th edition of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate. She also had a season-low round of 69 during the third round to close out the tournament.

• Fifth-year senior Louise Yu posted four consecutive top-30 finishes in the spring – Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge (T-30th; March 13-15), Clemson Invitational (T-30th; March 25-27), SEC Championships Stroke Play (T-26th; April 13-15) and NCAA Franklin Regional (T-21st).
• Kim made her second appearance at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA), which was held March 30-April 2 and seen by a national audience on NBC and Peacock. This year, she just missed the cut for the final after competing in a four-player playoff for the last spot.

• Kim kicked off the team’s postseason reset with the best SEC Championships finish of her career, tying for sixth with a score of 216 during the stroke play portion of the tournament. Sattelkau also had a top-15 finish at the conference championship after posting a 219 (+3).
• Kim qualified to the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open after earning medalist honors at a qualifier at the Shannopin Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• The junior duo Jayna Choi and Tess Davenport both finished in the top 10 for the first time in their careers at the NCAA Franklin Regional. Choi tied for seventh after shooting a career-low 54-hole score of 212 (-4), while Davenport shot a season-low 213 (-3) to tie for ninth. Davenport also matched a career-low round of 69 during the second round at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.
• Sattelkau became the first Commodore in program history to reach the fourth and final round of stroke play on multiple occasions at the NCAA Championships after shooting 3-over par to for 14th overall through 54 holes of play. She also posted the best NCAA individual finish since 2014 with a 296 (+8), tying for 31st after 72 holes.

• Kim finished her Vandy career with a scoring average of 72.81 and had the team’s best season scoring average with 72.57. Sattelkau had the second-best season scoring average with 73.50, while Ding was close behind in third with 73.57.
• Kim made her pro debut at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open, held at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. This also marked Kim’s third appearance at the tournament, having competed as an amateur in 2019 and 2020.

Awards

Head coach Greg Allen was inducted into the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Hall of Fame as the 53rd member last December. Through 15 seasons at the helm, Allen has guided Vanderbilt to 13 postseason appearances including a program-best five consecutive berths in the NCAA Championships (2010-14). He has led the Commodores to 16 tournament titles including the 2014 SEC Championship and three NCAA Regional Championships (including this year’s win at the Vanderbilt Legends Club).

Kiel kicked off her career being named to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team after a stellar spring start at the FAU Paradise Invitational in February, which was her second career start and first on the road. Her career-low finish at the tournament also earned her SEC Freshman of the Week (Feb. 10) during the season.

Rounding out the weekly awards this season was Sattelkau, who earned SEC Golfer of the Week after she matched a career-best finish (T-3rd) at the 10th edition of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (Feb. 28-March 2), which aired on the GOLF Channel.

Off the course, Choi was selected for the SEC Community Service Team for her time as a team captain with Miracle Network Dance Marathon, a student-led movement on campus supporting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals that raises funds all year long for children at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt by hosting various events and fundraisers around campus. As the leader for the women’s golf team, Choi raised funds and financial support through donations, as well as working with Dance Marathon leaders to plan and execute team meet and greets with their assigned miracle child.

More to Come From the Dores

A lot of experience and leadership will be missed by the Dores as they will lose two seniors in Louise Yu and Auston Kim. Yu will embark on a career as a transformation delivery advisory associate with KPMG, while Kim commenced her pro career at the U.S. Women’s Open last month. Vandy will continue to be led by Sattelkau, a two-time All-American, as the Dores will return looking to build upon their success from this postseason. Vandy also has a lot to look forward to with SEC All-Freshman honoree Kiel and a pair of signees joining the program, Lynn Lim and Tillie Claggett.