Burnham, Markley and Sharp Named Big Ten Golfers to Watch

Aug. 31, 2016

EAST LANSING - The Big Ten Conference announced its Golfers to Watch List for 2016-17 on Wednesday afternoon and included on the list are Michigan State women's golfers Sarah Burnham, Carolyn Markley and Katie Sharp.

Burnham, a junior, posted the lowest scoring average â€" 72.42 â€" in school history last season en route to earning First-Team All-Big Ten and All-Region honors. The WGCA honorable mention All-America selection recorded seven top-10 finishes, including two tournament wins (Landfall Tradition and Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate).

The native of Maple Grove, Minnesota, took part in the NCAA Championships where she placed 45th after shooting a 4-over-par 220. Prior to nationals, she tied for ninth place at the NCAA Stanford Regional with a 2-over-par 215, which was the lowest three-round regional total ever by a Spartan.

This past summer, Burnham joined teammate Jacqueline Setas at the U.S. Women's Amateur and also took part in the World University Championships where she helped the U.S. to a bronze medal.

Markley appeared in every tournament as a freshman last season, posting a 76.97 average â€" fourth best on the team. The Maineville, Ohio, native opened the season with her best finish, placing 15th at the Mary Fossum Invitational with a 228 (77-74-77). She closed the year with a season-low 70 in the first round of the NCAA Stanford Regional.

Sharp's 74.88 scoring average in 2015-16 ranked second only to Burnham on the team. The redshirt junior won the Clemson Invitational with an 8-under-par 208 (68-70-70), tying for the second-lowest 54-hole total in school history. Her second top-5 finish came at the Fossum Invitational where she carded a 221 (75-74-72) to take fifth. On the season, she recorded a total of four top-20 finishes â€" second most on the team.

The Michigan State women's golf team opens the 2016-17 season with the Mason Rudolph Championship in Nashville, Tennessee, Sept. 16-18.