COLUMBUS, Ohio – Rutgers women's golf wrapped up play at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational in Columbus on Sunday, taking home 9th place as a team.
Conditions were windy and difficult all weekend, but RU was able to battle through and finish ahead of a trio of Big Ten programs on the leaderboard just one week before Big Ten Championships.
"This course is demanding and we were tested again today with gusting winds," head coach
Kari Williams said. "Experience is key out here and our returners posted lower rounds than they did last year, and our first-years learned a lot this weekend. We head home for a few good days of practice to prepare for the Big Ten Championships in Maryland."
Leigha Devine led RU on the individual leaderboard with a T14 finish.
Round 3– Sunday, April 14
Weather: Sunny, Temps in high-60s, 15-20 mph winds
The Scarlet Knights once again battled tough, windy conditions in Columbus for the final round of the tournament. As a team, they matched their round two score with another 306.
Leigha Devine shot a 4-over 76, picking up a pair of birdies on No. 13 and No. 18 to finish the tournament T14 at 7-over 223 (72-75-76).
Rikke Nordvik and
Lucrezia Rossettin both finished in a tie for 44th, with Nordvik posting a 10-over 82 in her final round and Rossettin carding a 4-over 76.
Lorena Rossettin finished T50 at 17-over 233 (76-80-77),
Emily James was T63 at 22-over 238 (78-83-77) and
Cathi Graf was T67 at 24-over 240 (86-77-77).
Krystal Li competed as an individual and finished 73rd with a 38-over 254.
Rounds 1 & 2 – Saturday, April 13
Weather: Sunny, Temps in high-50s, 10-20 mph winds
After a strong opening round that saw Rutgers tied for fifth in a very strong 12-team field, the Scarlet Knights faced difficult conditions in round two and finished the day in a tie for eighth with the third and final round remaining for Sunday morning.
"Conditions were challenging with the course being wet from this week's rain and with high, gusting winds. The team did well to bounce back after a slow start in Round 1," head coach
Kari Williams said. "Scoring opportunities are tougher to come by on this course that requires you to play hard for all 18 holes. We have one more round to see what we can do as a team in one of the strongest fields we've faced all year."
Leigha Devine got RU going with an opening-round even-par 72 and held firm in the top-10 with a 3-over 147 (72-75) on the day. In her opening round, Devine collected six birdies to pace the field and added four more in her second round, with her 10 birdies on the day leading all players.
Rikke Nordvik finds herself in a tie for 18th, also shooting an even-par 72 in her first round and shot 5-over 149 (72-77) on the day. She rolled in four birdies in her first round and added another in the second for five on the day.
Lucrezia Rossettin is in a tie for 50th at 11-over 155 (78-77), while
Lorena Rossettin is one stroke behind in a tie for 56th at 12-over 156 (76-80).
Emily James picked up two birdies in her first round and finished in a tie for 66th with a 17-over 161 (78-83).
Cathi Graf bounced back from an opening round 86 and improved by nine strokes in her second round for a 19-over 163 (86-77).
2024 Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational: Final Results
Ohio State University Golf Club - Scarlet Course (Columbus, Ohio)
Par 72 | 6.319 yards
Format: 6 Count 4 Scoring
Field: Rutgers, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kent State, No. 30 Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, No. 38 Ohio State, Penn State, No. 32 Purdue, Wisconsin
* - Competing as Individual
Rutgers University Women's Golf /// Piscataway, N.J.
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