It’s hard to imagine a better start to a collegiate career than Missouri’s Ebba Liljeberg had Monday.
The freshman from Sweden opened with a 6-under 66 at Oakmont Country Club in Corinth, Texas, and the in the second round of the Sam Golden Invitational, Liljeberg tied the NCAA record for 18-hole score in relation to par, signing for 11-under 61.
The best part? She did it all while being sick.
“It was just one of those days where everything went in the hole for her with her putter,” Missouri coach Caroline Westrup Gaeta told Golfweek via text. “She woke up sick (our entire team has been sick the last week or so) and she was the last one to get it. First college tournament and being nervous and not feeling good. I told her in the morning, ‘I have played my best golf being sick. Take a deep breath, it’s going to be all fine.’ I started with her in the morning and she made birdie right off the bat.”
Starting on the back nine, Liljeberg had six birdies in her first seven holes and made the turn in 29. She birdied four holes on the back nine, including two of her last three, to sign for 61 and add her name to the record books.
Earlier this year, Arkansas’ Kendall Todd shot a similar score in the final round of the Clemson Invitational, the last player to shoot 61. Two years ago, N.C. State’s Lauren Olivares Leon shot 11-under 60, the only woman to shoot 60 in college golf history.
Liljeberg becomes the ninth player to shoot 61 in the history of women’s college golf. The others:
- 61 – Kendall Todd, Arkansas: Final round of the Clemson Invitational in Sunset, South Carolina, on March 30, 2025
- 61 – Avery Weed, Mississippi State: First round of The Ally in West Point, Mississippi, on Oct. 21, 2024
- 61 – Monet Chun, Michigan: Second round of the Chattanooga Classic in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Sept. 24, 2024
- 61 – Anna Zanusso, Denver: Second round of the Westbrook Invitational in Peoria, Arizona, on Feb. 23, 2020
- 61 – Julia Johnson, Ole Miss: Third round of the Battle at the Beach in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, on Nov. 3, 2019
- 61 – Bianca Pagdanganan, Gonzaga: Second round of the Pizza Hut Thunderbird Invitational in George, Utah, on March 17, 2017
- 61 – Esther Lee, Colorado: First round of the Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sept. 12, 2016
- 61 – Mariah Stackhouse, Stanford: Second round of the Peg Barnard Invitational in Stanford, California, on Feb. 17, 2013
The 66 Liljeberg shot in the opening round set a program freshman record, then she went and shattered the overall program record by four shots.
Liljeberg, ranked 440th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, finished third in the Swedish Junior PGA Championship this summer and tied for 22nd at the Swedish PGA Championship on the LET Access Tour.
There remain only 21 players who have shot 60 in college golf history.
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