Kentucky Women’s Golf Wins Illini Women’s Invitational, Sets New School Record

MEDINAH, In poor health. – The Wildcats topped the leaderboard for the primary time in two years, bringing dwelling the Illini Ladies’s Invitational event title on the well-known Medinah Nation Membership in Medinah, Illinois, Tuesday. The College of Kentucky girls’s golf staff strung collectively three of the perfect scores in program historical past – 275, 277 and 278 – to show in a college report 34-under-par 830 for first place.

The Cats gained by 5 strokes and broke the earlier college report, which was set in Spring 2022, by three strokes.

All of it started when the lineup recorded a college report 275 (-13) within the first spherical Monday, a spherical that had 4 of its 5 gamers shoot underneath par. The lineup didn’t cease there, nonetheless, as a result of later that afternoon, the staff recorded a 277 (-11) within the second spherical that marked the third-best staff spherical in program historical past.

The Wildcats, who performed 36 holes Monday, took their 24-under-par 552 into the ultimate spherical Tuesday, only one stroke inside attain of the chief.

With simply 18 holes to play this morning, Kentucky started to work its method right into a tie for the highest spot on the leaderboard earlier than finally taking the solo lead by means of the tenth gap. The Wildcats completed the ultimate spherical with a 10-under-par 278, tied for the fourth-best staff complete in program historical past. In the meantime, all 5 gamers within the lineup produced a spherical underneath par within the last 18 holes for the primary time this season – Laney Frye (-5), Jensen Citadel (-3), María Villanueva Aperribay (-2), Ivy Shepherd (-2) and Marissa Wenzler (-2).

“It’s onerous to even discover phrases for the way excited we’re,” mentioned head coach Golda Borst. “I haven’t fairly gotten over it but. We tried to be actually calm all through the day. The women dealt with it tremendously all day, and no matter got here their method, they simply saved grinding to offer themselves alternatives. They had been able to tackle the problem in the present day. They performed completely different. They performed so much more durable. A few of the gap areas had been harder, however they had been ready and able to go.”

Whereas the staff completed in first place, three Cats completed within the high 15 and two Cats completed within the high 10. Three Wildcats generated three straight consecutive rounds underneath par within the event – Citadel, Frye and Wenzler.

Frye, a junior from Lexington, Kentucky, recorded her second straight rating within the 60s Tuesday. She went 3-under by means of her first 9 holes earlier than recording her solo blemish of the spherical – a bogey on the par-4 No. 11. She rebounded with ease although, gathering 5 pars and three straight birdies to conclude the ultimate spherical with a 5-under-par 67. It tied her profession low, whereas it’s the second occasion she has recorded a 67 this season.

Frye leads the staff with 4 rounds within the 60s in 2022-23, whereas she additionally leads the staff with seven rounds of par-or-better this season and likewise 20 consecutive rounds contributed towards the staff complete (a streak that started final season).

The Wildcat produced a formidable 10-under-par 206, a profession greatest, whereas she tabbed her second completed inside the highest 10 this season, discovering a share of seventh place.

Citadel additionally completed inside the highest 10. In reality, she completed inside the highest 5.

Citadel, a senior from West Columbia, South Carolina, paced the lineup for the second straight event. She rallied a first-round 66, which is a profession greatest, a second-round 70 and a third-round 69. Citadel teed off on gap No. 1 Tuesday, recording a blemish-free entrance 9, after which some, going 2-under by means of her first 12 holes. She suffered a bogey on the par-4 No. 13, however bounced again with three birdies over her subsequent 4 holes. The Cat performed proper into the wind and a forthcoming storm on her final gap of the ultimate spherical, taking a six on the par-5 No. 18.

The 2021 U.S. Ladies’s Newbie Champion has carded three rounds within the 60s this season. Her two rounds within the 60s this week helped her produce an 11-under-par 205, the second-best event complete in her profession. She completed tied for fourth place, her greatest end since incomes runner-up final spring.

Marissa Wenzler recorded her third straight spherical underneath par, handing over a 1-under-par 71 Tuesday. All through the event, she recorded scores of 68, which was her profession greatest, 69 and 71 to provide an 8-under-par 208. That could be a monster profession greatest for the senior, trumping her earlier profession greatest by eight strokes.

It’s the first event complete underneath par of her profession – by means of 28 rounds in additional than three seasons. Furthermore, she has by no means recorded three straight rounds of par-or-better in her collegiate profession.

The Dayton, Ohio, native concluded the event tied for eleventh place, her greatest end since tying for sixth place as a freshman in 2019-20.

María Villanueva Aperribay earned her second straight spherical underneath par Tuesday, recording a 1-under-par 71. It marked the second-best rating of the senior’s season so far, whereas it’s the first occasion she has recorded back-to-back rounds underneath par since final fall. The San Sebastián, Spain, native rallied a 1-under-par 215 for a share of thirty fifth place, the second-best event complete of her profession.

Ivy Shepherd shined on the Illini Ladies’s Invitational, carding a 1-under-par 71 within the last spherical for an even-par 216 within the occasion. The graduate switch tied for fortieth place, which marks the perfect event complete and end of the season. Her first- and third-round scores of 1-under-par 71 had been additionally season bests for the Peachtree Metropolis, Georgia, native.

Kentucky completed forward of No. 22 Auburn, who completed in second place on a 29-under-par 835, and No. 13 San Jose State, who completed in third place with a 28-under-par 836.

The Wildcats will take a short hiatus, earlier than touring to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to compete within the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational from Oct. 17-18.