The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's golf team competed in its inaugural match on September 23-24 2006, playing at Springdale Golf Club at the Princeton Invitational. The program, which had then just been added to the Athletic Department as the 19th sport, placed 13 out of 13 teams with a team score of 980. Only 19 months have passed since then, but the picture for Fairleigh Dickinson University women's golf is a much prettier one.

As of Tuesday, April 8, 2008 the Knights are tearing through their current campaign winning their sixth-straight event at the Mount St. Mary's Invitational. This follows previous victories at the St. Francis Quad Match, Rutgers Quad, the Monmouth Invitational, the Sacred Heart Invitational and the Fairleigh Dickinson Invitational. In such a short amount of time the Fairleigh Dickinson University women's golf team has gone from an inexperienced group of raw, young golfers both individually and as a team, that have grown together and are now a force to be reckoned with in the race for the Northeast Conference crown.

One recruiting acquisition stands out above all else for the Knights. A native of Berlin, Germany, Michele Holzwarth Hagen has taken the 2007-2008 golf season by storm. Coinciding with her team's record, her victory at the Mount St. Mary's Invitational was also her sixth-straight, shooting a round of 73, followed by a round of 79. A very talented young golfer with confidence in her own ability, and that of her team, Holzwarth Hagen sees no reason why the Northeast Conference championship will not be heading back to Teaneck come the end of April. “We want to win the NEC. This team has grown together very fast. Each person brings their own personal note into the team and we have created a team filled with character and strength.” On a personal note Holzwarth Hagen continues to aim high, “I want to do the best in each golf tournament. I want to finish in the top position individually and then move on to the NCAA tournament where anything is possible.” No one would mistake Holzwarth Hagen's confidence for arrogance because the Knights have a young woman who knows how important it is to remain grounded. “In order for this team to progress we must keep our feet on the ground and not get carried away. If we are to succeed we must stay in the moment.”

It was not an instant love affair between Holzwarth Hagen and golf when she was first introduced to the game by her father. “I swung my first golf club when I turned 13 years. My dad dragged me onto the golf course and I hated it at first. I never really paid much attention to what I was doing until I turned 16 and I realized I was actually quite good at the game.” Those who know the game of golf know how difficult the sport is to master, so it is obvious Holzwarth Hagen is blessed with an abundance of natural talent. The more she played, the more she improved. “I started to fall in love with the sport. Now playing golf is very important to me,” she admits.

Since taking up golf Holzwarth Hagen's list of achievements is endless. Second place at the Luxemburg Ladies Amateur Championships in 2007. A top-twenty finish at the European Ladies Championships in 2006 while representing the German Golf Federation. A finish of seventh in the Danish Junior Championships. Combining these accomplishments with many regional tournament victories, the experience of playing golf in Germany, France, Luxemburg and Denmark and the golfing resume of a nationally and internationally experienced golfer most certainly cannot be overlooked. It would seem Fairleigh Dickinson University has found themselves the perfect catalyst to spearhead its NEC charge and to take the pressure off of the remaining players who can go out and play their natural games with freedom.

Since making the move from Berlin to the United States Holzwarth Hagen believes it would be an understatement to say the culture is a little different. “Yes, there was a culture shock,” stated Holzwarth Hagen. “I had always wanted to come to the United States and to get to play golf while I am here is fantastic. Everyone in Germany said America is not very different from Europe, but they are wrong. It is so much larger and everything seems to be moving at a hundred miles per hour. There is such an exciting appeal about this part of the country. Sure it was a little daunting coming here to begin with, but it is all about what you make of your chances and not what your chances can do for you.” Not one ounce of Holzwarth Hagen regrets her adventurous move, “I will never regret this step in my life, I would do it again in an instant,” she explains. “No matter what happens I just want to enjoy my time in the United States, live for the moment and enjoy golf.”