HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. – Rutgers women's golf finished competition at Big Ten Championships on Sunday afternoon at Bulle Rock Golf Course, tying for 11th place out of 14 teams which marks the program's best-ever finish at the event.
Leigha Devine closed out her weekend on a high note, finishing in a tie for 10th for her second straight top-10 finish at the event after she took 5th last season.
"Today was a tougher day with colder temperatures and challenging hole locations," head coach
Kari Williams said. "We didn't find as many birdies out here but Leigha, Cathi and Rikke put together great rounds for us. I'm pleased we were able to improve our position on the leaderboard in the final round."
Round 3 – Sunday, April 21
Weather: Cloudy, Temps in mid-50s, 5-15 mph winds
Rutgers was able to post its second straight score under 300 to finish the tournament at 898 (395-296-297). The team's strong finish was able to move them up the leaderboard from 13th to T11th, the program's best-ever finish at Big Ten Championships.
Leigha Devine posted her second straight round of 1-under 71 to finish the tournament T10, her second straight year in the top 10. She birdies three of her first six holes and added two more on her back nine to finish with five on the day.
"Playing my last Big Ten Championship was an emotional rollercoaster," Devine said. "Today was another great day out on the golf course. I hit it well with a few ups and downs but was just trying to take it all in during my final college event. Being a Scarlet Knight and playing for the 'R' has been my greatest achievement. What an unbelievable ending to an unmatched journey. Thank you Rutgers Nation!"
Cathi Graf has a strong final day as well, posting her best score of the week with a 1-over 73. She put together a clean round, picking up birdies on No. 16 and No. 4 while adding 13 pars to her scorecard to finish T49.
Lorena Rossettin followed suit with a T62 finish, birdieing a pair of holes with a 6-over 78 in her final round.
Lucrezia Rossettin was right behind her at T67 after a 6-over 79 in her final round.
Emily James (T72) and
Rikke Nordvik (81) rounded out the Scarlet Knights on the individual leaderboard.
Round 2 – Saturday, April 20
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Temps in mid-60s, 5-15 mph winds
The Scarlet Knights improved on their round one score by nine strokes, shooting a 296 in round two and sitting at 601 (305-296) for the weekend.
Leigha Devine posted a team-best score once again, shooting a 1-under 71 to move up four spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 13th. Devine rolled in four birdies and collected 11 pars on the day.
Lucrezia Rossettin put together a strong day on the course, shooting a 1-over 73 and picking up back-to-back birdies on No. 15 and 16. Her 9-over 153 (80-73) has her in a tie for 56th.
Lorena Rossettin is next up on the leaderboard for Rutgers with an 8-over 152 (75-77) through two rounds.
"Leigha and Lu put together good rounds for us and Emily also bounced back nicely" head coach
Kari Williams said. "We did a better job of not compounding mistakes today but need to improve our decision-making on a few holes that continue to give us trouble. We have the opportunity tomorrow to compete hard and see if we can catch a few teams on the leaderboard."
In total, five of RU's six golfers either matched or improved on their round one scores.
Emily James improved by eight strokes with her second round, shooting a 3-over 75 with three birdies on the day.
Round 1 – Friday, April 19
Weather: Cloudy, Temps in high-50s, 5-15 mph winds
Leigha Devine had a consistent day on the course, shooting a 1-over 73 with 15 pars to wrap up the opening round in a tie for 17th. She birdied No. 4 to highlight her round.
"It was exciting to get my last conference championship started," Devine said. "The course is awesome and my goal today was to go out and see what was possible. I didn't roll in as many putts as I would've liked but I feel good going into tomorrow. We all made a few mistakes out here that we'll try and clean up in round two."
Lorena Rossettin is in a tie for 34th after a 3-over 75 in her first round, Rossettin carded four birdies on the day – all on the back nine – to help her navigate a tough course and get in the clubhouse with a strong number.
Cathi Graf matched Rossettin's total with four birdies of her own and she sits in a tie for 53rd after a 5-over 77 in her first round.
Lucrezia Rossettin started her day with back-to-back birdies on her first two holes. She ultimately finished with an 8-over 80 and is in a tie for 71st.
Rikke Nordvik (10-over 82, T76) and
Emily James (11-over 83, 79) round out RU's performances on day one.
2024 Big Ten Championships: Final Results
Bulle Rock Golf Course (Havre de Grace, Md.)
Par 72 | 6.314 yards
Format: 6 Count 4 Scoring
Rutgers University Women's Golf /// Piscataway, N.J.
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