BOCA RATON, Fla. – Rutgers women's golf wrapped up play at its first even of the spring season, tying for fourth place at the Paradise Invitational at Osprey Point Golf Course. 

Weather: Low 60s, cloudy, 20 mph winds
Rutgers finished out the tournament on Tuesday afternoon, with Leigha Devine leading the way with a t-12th finish. Her 6-over 78 in the final round gave her a tournament score of 1-over 217 (70-69-78). Rikke Nordvik and secured a top-20 finish, shooting a 3-over 75 in her final round to finish at 2-over 218 (69-74-75). Lucrezia Rossettin was just outside the top-20, tying for 23rd with a 4-over 220 (73-69-73). 

Cathi Graf improved with each round during the week and close out the week in the final round, shooting an even-par 72 to finish in a tie for 33rd with a 9-over 223 (77-74-72).

"Today's round was tough with the wind gusts but I tried to stay patient rather than chasing birdies," Graf said. "I was really focused on external factors like wind, lie, distance for each shot and then I switched to focusing on execution and what I could control. I was happy to have improved my score each round."

Lorena Rossettin rounded out the team scoring with a 13-over 227 (77-72-78).

"I'm proud of the way the team competed this week," head coach Kari Williams said. "Conditions today made the course more challenging with the high winds and we gave back too many strokes during our final holes. We know we can compete at the highest level and we will look to build on this momentum at our next event."

Weather: Low 60s, cloudy with periods of rain, 10 mph winds
The Scarlet Knights came out strong in their opening event of the spring, sitting in third place after two rounds in a strong field. Individually, Leigha Devine is in a tie for first place with a 5-under 139 (70-69). Devine's first round saw her roll in six birdies, which she followed up with a second round where she played every hole par or better, putting in three birdies and 15 pars.  

"Today we were fortunate with the weather not being too bad and only playing through short showers," Devine said. "This allowed for more aggressive shots into the greens which paid off for the whole team. My putter was hot today, which helped me capitalize on those close approach shots. We're ready for another great day tomorrow!"

Lucrezia Rossettin also sits in the top-10 in a tie for sixth thanks in part to her 3-under 69 in round two, which ties a career low. Rossettin was able to manage the course well, going over par on just three of her 36 holes, rolling in five birdies and 28 pars.

"I just tried to take the afternoon round shot by shot and hole by hole," Rossettin said. "I stayed patient and was a little more aggressive with my approach shots. I stuck a few close and rolled in a few more putts which made all the difference."

Rikke Nordvik remains just outside the top-10 with a 1-over 143 (69-74), with her 69 in round one setting a career low. Her first round saw her card a trio of birdies on holes No. 5, 6 and 10 and finish with 15 pars on the other 15 holes. 

"I hit the ball well today into greens and had a lot of birdie opportunities," Nordvik said. "I'm proud to have started the spring season with a new personal best. We're all happy with how we played today and can't wait to get back out tomorrow."

After the first round, RU was in a tie for fourth place thanks to strong opening rounds from Rikke Nordvik (3-under 69) and Devine (2-under 70). Battling windy conditions and intermittent rain, the Scarlet Knights pushed through and rose up the leaderboards after the second round. With one round to play, Rutgers is in third place at 573 (289-285), trailing just Denver (570) and leaders South Florida (567).

"We played some excellent golf today," head coach Kari Williams said. "This demonstrates that we can play with anyone and that we have a talented team. We're satisfied with the day but we're excited to come out tomorrow in the final round and post another great team score."

February 5th, 2024
Osprey Point Golf Course: Raven and Falcon (Boca Raton, Fla.)
Par 72 | 6,204 yards
Field: Rutgers, Indiana, Notre Dame, BYU, No. 33 South Florida, No. 21 Vanderbilt, Florida International, East Carolina, Denver, Iowa, UTSA, Wisconsin, Florida Atlantic

 * – Competing as individual 

 

Rutgers University Women's Golf /// Piscataway, N.J.  
 
-RU-