EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women's Golf freshman Kaidyn Wardlaw has been named Ohio Valley Conference Golfer of the Week.
 
Wardlaw earns her first career OVC honor and the first weekly award for USI Women's Golf since March 2023.
 
Wardlaw made her USI debut earlier this week at the Midwest Match Play Championship in Jackson, Michigan, and impressed right from the opening tee. The freshman won all of her head-to-head matches in convincing fashion to go undefeated.
 
Wardlaw's performance helped USI finish second in the match-play event, with team wins over the University of Detroit Mercy and Purdue University Fort Wayne. In USI's two team wins, Wardlaw won her individual matches 6 & 4 and 4 & 3, respectively. Across the two days of competition, Wardlaw totaled nine birdies, carding five in the opening match against the University of Illinois Chicago and a pair in each of the other two matches.
 
"Kaidyn played really well this week, and I am extremely proud of her play," USI Women's Golf Head Coach Ann Sullivan said. "Winning all three matches in your first college tournament is really impressive."
 
In the first match against UIC, Wardlaw quickly jumped out to a 4-up advantage through the first five holes, which included three birdies. The freshman added to her lead with birdies at holes nine and 10, and later clinched the win after hole 14. Wardlaw cruised to a win in her second match, controlling from start to finish. The freshman closed out the week with a strong finish against Purdue Fort Wayne. Wardlaw flipped the score in her favor with a birdie on the ninth hole and doubled up to a 2-up lead after 10. After dropping hole 11, Wardlaw answered by winning holes 12-14 with three straight pars and then clinching the match win on the 15^th hole.
 
"The three things that stood out the most to me about her performance were her composure on the course, the number of birdies she made this week, and the fact that none of her matches ever reached the final three holes," Sullivan added.
 
Following a brief break during the Labor Day weekend, USI Women's Golf returns to action September 14-15 at the Brittany Kelly Classic, hosted by Ball State University. The tournament will take place at The Players Club at Woodland Trails in Yorktown, Indiana.