Hannah Kono Season 2024-25

Sophomore (2024-25)
NCAA Division I transfer Hannah Kono joined the Nebraska women’s golf team in early June and made an immediate impact for the Huskers to open the 2024-25 season. Kono led Nebraska individually with her tie for 18th at the Badger Invitational (Sept. 8-10). Kono produced a three-round total of 224 (+8) that included an even-par 72 in the second round on the 6,306-yard layout at the University Ridge Golf Club in Verona, Wis.

She followed with Nebraska's No. 2 finish at the Red Raider Invitational (Sept. 24-25). Kono managed a three-round total of 230 (+14) on the longest course the Huskers have ever played with a 6,894-yard, par-72 layout at The Rawls Course in Lubbock, Texas. She tied for 55th overall with rounds of 76, 76 and 78.

Kono added three consecutive rounds of 77 (+5) to finish at 231 (+15) in a tie for 56th at the Jim West Challenge at the Kissing Tree Golf Course in San Marcos, Texas (Oct. 20-21).

She finished her first fall at Nebraska on a high note with a career-best 218 (+2) to take 16th at the Hurricane Invitational (Oct. 28-29). Kono covered the par-72, 6,175-yard layout at the Biltmore Golf Club in Coral Gables, Fla., with consistent rounds of 73, 72 and 73. She came up just one stroke short of claiming her first top-10 individual finish as a Husker.

Kono led Nebraska with a 75.25 stroke average over 12 rounds during the 2024 fall campaign.

The sophomore from Enkoping, Sweden produced Oakland’s No. 2 individual stroke average (75.85) over 27 rounds last season. The physics major was also a WGCA Scholastic All-American.

"We’re very excited to add Hannah to our team,” Sutherland said. “She has the desire to be a great player and has experience at both the college and international levels. She’s one of those players who loves to spend her day at the golf course and enjoys every aspect of the game.”

Freshman (Oakland, 2023-24)
Kono helped Oakland to the Horizon League Tournament championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA East Lansing Regional. She tied for 41st individually as Oakland’s No. 2 finisher at the Forest Akers Golf Course at Michigan State with a three-round total of 225 (75-76-74).

Her NCAA Regional performance followed her sixth-place finish at the Horizon League Championship in Howey in the Hills, Fla. She managed rounds of 76, 79 and 79 to finish at 234 (+18) over three rounds at the El Campeon Golf Course.

Kono produced the best individual finish of her freshman season by tying for second at the Nevel Meade Collegiate hosted by Cleveland State in Prospect, Ky. (March 19-20). She posted a two-round total of 151 (+7), including an opening-round 73 to help the Golden Grizzlies share the team title with Illinois-Chicago. She was named the Horizon League Golfer of the Week (March 21) following her performance.

Kono, who notched seven top-20 finishes in 10 tournaments on the year, opened her college career with a tie for 20th at the A-Ga-Ming Invitational (Sept. 3-4). Her three-round total of 226 (+10) included a career-best second-round 71 (-1) in between rounds of 79 and 76.

She did not compete at the Mary Fossum Invitational in East Lansing (Sept. 17-18) in a tournament that Nebraska defeated Oakland by 55 strokes in the team standings. Kono returned to the lineup with her tie for 11th with a career-best 223 (+7) at the Shirley Spork EMU Invitational (Oct. 2-3). Her effort in Ypsilanti included a career-best-tying 71 (-1) in the second round and an even-par 72 in the final round.

Kono closed the fall with a third consecutive top-20 finish with a two-round total of 157 (+13) at the Chippewa Invitational in Birmingham, Mich. (Oct. 16-17). Her rounds of 80 and 77 were good enough for a tie for 20th, as she ended the fall campaign with a 75.75 stroke average over eight rounds.

She got the spring season off to a strong start with an 11th-place finish at the Texas State Invitational in New Braunfels (Feb. 5-6), where she carded three solid rounds of 74, 73 and 77 on a par-71 course to finish at 224 (+11). For her effort, Kono earned her first Horizon League Golfer of the Week award (Feb. 8).

Kono, who closed her lone season at Oakland with 20 consecutive rounds better than 80, added a 226 (77-75-74) to tie for 50th at the Rio Verde Invitational in Arizona (Feb. 23-25), before tying for 26th (77-77-78) at the Huntsville Invitational in Alabama (March 4-6).

She continued to play consistent golf with a career-best tie for second (78-73=151) at the Nevel Meade Collegiate, before adding a tie for 15th at 150 (74-76) at the Dolores Black Falcon Invitational in Bowling Green, Ohio (April 6-7).

In early June of 2024, Kono notched a runner-up finish on the Swedish Junior Tour (Division 1) with an impressive three-round total of 205 at the Karsta Golf Club in Sweden.

Before College
Prior to coming to the United States, Kono won the Swedish Junior Classics at Golf Uppsala with a three-round total of 214 (-2), including an opening-round 67 (-5) and a second-round 71 (-1) in late July of 2023. She also notched a tournament win at the Huvudstadens Junior Open on in mid-June of 2023 with a two-round total of 150.

Personal
The daughter of Jonny Kono and Anne-Sofie Holmbom, Hannah was born July 6, 2004. She has one sister, Matilda. A physics major at Nebraska, Hannah was a WGCA Scholastic All-America as a freshman at Oakland in 2024.

“I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to play for the University of Nebraska and to be coached by Jeanne Sutherland and Matt Zedrick,” Kono said. “Their experience and expertise are invaluable, and I am thrilled to learn from them. I am proud to join a team that offers me the chance to excel as a golfer.”