After committing to Northwestern to play golf for the Wildcats this past summer, senior Louise McCulloch shot a 78 at conference, and is one of the leaders at the tournament.

“I started playing in eighth grade,” shared McCulloch. “My dad convinced me to go out and try to play and I fell in love with the game.” She first played at the Wilmette golf course.
McCulloch has been playing for New Trier since her freshman year. She first joined the varsity squad her sophomore year of high school. Since then she has been one of the star players on New Trier’s team.
“As a freshman, Louise was shooting in the 100’s. Last meet in Champaign, she shot a 71, 1 under par,” head girl’s golf coach Scott Fricke said.
“[McCulloch is a] really happy and honest person,” according to senior teammate Sophie Bokhari. “She definitely raises the positive vibes of the golf team while still keeping the team competitive.”
McCulloch was one of the strongest players on the team her junior year, and she was named captain. This is the second time in 15 years that a junior was named captain. McCulloch is currently a captain again this year.
“She is great with everyone,” said Fricke. “She is a role model for all the younger players. They see a direct link between work ethic and success.”
She won the CSL championship game and tied for 18th at the Class AA state tournament. New Trier also finished 3rd overall thanks to her performance. McCulloch shot a 77 on her first day of the championship.
McCulloch has been expanding her game beyond high school games tournaments. “[A person] can always improve [their game] even after some of [their] best rounds,” shared McCulloch.
She travelled to Durham, NC to compete in the Women’s Western Golf Association’s National Junior Championship. She won one match before losing the second.
“[A golfer] knows that once you work on you will do that much better next time,” said McCulloch. She has room to improve her game, but with her recent commitment to Northwestern, she will have four years to do so.
She also got to see some of her future teammates play at the tournament.
“Northwestern was always my top choice, ever since I visited I knew it was the school I wanted to go because the coaches are amazing and so was the team,” explained McCulloch.
She committed to the school on June 26 this year, after receiving the offer earlier that month. “The second I stepped on campus I knew it was the school for me.”
Despite having a majority of the team graduate, girls golf is working hard and aiming for a state championship win. “She is an amazing teammate and a great player,” said New Trier senior teammate Haley Hultquist.
Teamwork is very important to McCulloch, as there are many younger players on this year’s team. “It’s been a lot of fun getting to know them all and we’ve all become really close and great friends,” McCulloch said.
Junior teammate Camille Morhun explained that McCulloch was welcoming the minute Morhun started playing. “[McCulloch] was super nice to me and my teammates, which has a really positive impact on the team.”
McCulloch also tried to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Amateur. The tournament was on July 22 at Sportsman’s Country Club in Northbrook, IL. She did not qualify for the final round in Oregon.
Regardless, McCulloch is preparing for her upcoming year at Northwestern.
“I love that golf is a sport that is so individualized,” McCulloch explained. “[While it’s a] great team sport, we all are always rooting for one another hoping for the best.”