Sunday, February 22
Peoria, Ariz.
Rutgers University
at
Westbrook Invitational
Photo by: Ben Solomon
Women’s Golf Third At Westbrook Invitational
Feb 22 | Women's Golf
PEORIA, Ariz. – Rutgers women's golf is third after day one of the Westbrook Invitational on Sunday in Peoria, Arizona. With one round to play, the Scarlet Knights are tied with No. 26 Kansas State and No. 37 Kansas in the 16-team field thanks to a blistering 14-under-par 562 (282-280) across their first two rounds.
Graduate senior Grace Lu is tied for fourth in the 82-player field thanks to a seven-under-par 137 (67-70) – highlighted by a career-low five-under-par 67 in the opening round. Lu is just two strokes behind leaders Mariana Mesones (Minnesota) and Noa van Beek (Kansas State) heading into Monday's final round, which begins at 10:30 a.m. ET at the Westbrook Village Golf Club.
"Today's rounds were good," Lu said. "The greens here roll really nicely and I just told myself to remain patient as there are a lot of opportunities to score at Westbrook. Tomorrow, our goal as a team is to be present and in the moment throughout the final round."
Sophomore Joline Truong also produced a career-low five-under-par 67, joining Lu within the top 10 with a five-under-par 139 (72-67). Lu, Truong (T9), junior Krystal Li (T29) and sophomore Judy Amano (T29) are all under par and within the top 30, combining for eight rounds of even or under-par golf on Sunday.
"Overall, I was pretty happy with my game today," Truong said. "I had a bumpy start but stayed patient and trusted that there are many birdie chances on this course. I'm proud of how everyone played today and we're excited to come back and finish strong tomorrow"
Rutgers is eight strokes behind No. 23 Arizona, which leads the field with a 22-under-par 554 (276-278), while No. 35 Missouri is second (-20). The Scarlet Knights own the lowest two-round total amongst participating Big Ten programs, which includes Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin.
Weather: Sunny, Temps in the mid-70s, 5-10 mph winds
Rutgers opened the tournament with a blistering six-under-par 282, with four starters coming in at or under par through the first 18 holes of the day. The morning session was highlight by Lu, who rolled in five birdies and 11 pars en route to a five-under-par 67 – the lowest round of her collegiate career.
Li also came in under par in the opening round, firing off a one-under-par 71 with birdies on holes seven, nine, 14 and 18.
Amano and Truong contributed even scorecards in round one. Amano collected birdies on holes five, 14 and 17 while smashing an eagle on the par-5 No. 8 hole. Truong produced four birdies and 10 pars to secure her even 72.
Freshman Elizabeth Ryu capped the opening round with a two-over-par 74.
Truong made moves in the second round, collecting six birdies en route to a five-under-par 67. Lu maintained her spot towards the top of the leaderboard thanks to a two-under-par 70, adding five birdies and 10 pars to move to seven-under-par across her two rounds on Sunday.
Amano joined Lu and Truong with under-par second-round scorecards, closing the day with a one-under-par 71. Amano rolled in five birdies to bring her total to eight for the day. Li remained consistent with an even 72, while Ryu rounded out the team scoring with a five-over-par 77.
Junior Emily James is tied for 72nd competing as an individual.
*competing as an individual
Graduate senior Grace Lu is tied for fourth in the 82-player field thanks to a seven-under-par 137 (67-70) – highlighted by a career-low five-under-par 67 in the opening round. Lu is just two strokes behind leaders Mariana Mesones (Minnesota) and Noa van Beek (Kansas State) heading into Monday's final round, which begins at 10:30 a.m. ET at the Westbrook Village Golf Club.
"Today's rounds were good," Lu said. "The greens here roll really nicely and I just told myself to remain patient as there are a lot of opportunities to score at Westbrook. Tomorrow, our goal as a team is to be present and in the moment throughout the final round."
Sophomore Joline Truong also produced a career-low five-under-par 67, joining Lu within the top 10 with a five-under-par 139 (72-67). Lu, Truong (T9), junior Krystal Li (T29) and sophomore Judy Amano (T29) are all under par and within the top 30, combining for eight rounds of even or under-par golf on Sunday.
"Overall, I was pretty happy with my game today," Truong said. "I had a bumpy start but stayed patient and trusted that there are many birdie chances on this course. I'm proud of how everyone played today and we're excited to come back and finish strong tomorrow"
Rutgers is eight strokes behind No. 23 Arizona, which leads the field with a 22-under-par 554 (276-278), while No. 35 Missouri is second (-20). The Scarlet Knights own the lowest two-round total amongst participating Big Ten programs, which includes Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin.
"I am proud of the team's play today," said head coach Kari Williams. "We rolled in a lot of birdies and played aggressively when we could. It was great to see everyone compete hard and move us up the leaderboard in the afternoon. We'll look to keep the momentum going in the final round."
Rounds 1 & 2 – Sunday, Feb. 22Weather: Sunny, Temps in the mid-70s, 5-10 mph winds
Rutgers opened the tournament with a blistering six-under-par 282, with four starters coming in at or under par through the first 18 holes of the day. The morning session was highlight by Lu, who rolled in five birdies and 11 pars en route to a five-under-par 67 – the lowest round of her collegiate career.
Li also came in under par in the opening round, firing off a one-under-par 71 with birdies on holes seven, nine, 14 and 18.
Amano and Truong contributed even scorecards in round one. Amano collected birdies on holes five, 14 and 17 while smashing an eagle on the par-5 No. 8 hole. Truong produced four birdies and 10 pars to secure her even 72.
Freshman Elizabeth Ryu capped the opening round with a two-over-par 74.
Truong made moves in the second round, collecting six birdies en route to a five-under-par 67. Lu maintained her spot towards the top of the leaderboard thanks to a two-under-par 70, adding five birdies and 10 pars to move to seven-under-par across her two rounds on Sunday.
Amano joined Lu and Truong with under-par second-round scorecards, closing the day with a one-under-par 71. Amano rolled in five birdies to bring her total to eight for the day. Li remained consistent with an even 72, while Ryu rounded out the team scoring with a five-over-par 77.
Junior Emily James is tied for 72nd competing as an individual.
| Rutgers | 282 (-6) | 280 (-8) | 562 (-14) | ||
| Place | Name | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Total |
| T4 | Grace Lu | 67 (-5) | 70 (-2) | 137 (-7) | |
| T9 | Joline Truong | 72 (E) | 67 (-5) | 139 (-5) | |
| T29 | Krystal Li | 71 (-1) | 72 (E) | 143 (-1) | |
| T29 | Judy Amano | 72 (E) | 71 (-1) | 143 (-1) | |
| T67 | Elizabeth Ryu | 74 (+2) | 77 (+5) | 151 (+7) | |
| T72 | Emily James* | 76 (+4) | 76 (+4) | 152 (+8) |
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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