It certainly isn’t golf weather here in Raleigh, North Carolina — even if the dry slot is mostly keeping snow off the ground. In Guadalajara, Mexico, though, it’s a different story, with temperatures in the high 70s.
Heating up late in the Collegiate Invitational at Guadalajara Country Club after ending Round 1 in second-to-last place, No. 39 NC State women’s golf finally hit its stride and made a solid start to the spring portion of the season, placing sixth. Its Round 1 score of 13-over-par was larger than Rounds 2 and 3 combined, as the Wolfpack shot 7-over and 5-over to climb up the leaderboard.
The Pack had a decent fall, peaking with a third-place finish at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational and fourth place at the Inverness. But the young squad with two true-freshman starters is still searching for consistency from the lineup’s back end.
Still, there’s no question about the lineup’s star. Securing her fourth top-10 finish in five events, No. 10 sophomore Marie Eline Madsen put up a solid showing at 1-under-par for the 54-hole tournament to finish ninth. Last time out at the Landfall Tradition in late October, the Danish phenom struggled with the worst regular-season finish of her career. She got back on track in Guadalajara, tying for fifth-most in birdies with 11.
Senior Vania Simont came in not too far behind, tying for 19th. The Mexico City, Mexico native showed flashes in her home country, finishing with a 1-under-par performance in Round 3 to finish at 5-over. But struggles in the first round put her way behind the eight ball as she shot 78 with two bogeys and two doubles.
Coming in at 12-over, freshman Ellie Hildreth tied for 37th with her best round being an even-par 72 in Round 2. But her final round, 8-over-par, pushed her significantly further down the scoreboard. Tying for 37th marked her third top-50 finish in her young career, with her best tournament being at the Tar Heel Invitational to help the Pack secure third.
Next on the scorecard, freshman Lindsay McGrath finished 40th at 13-over-par. The ever-so consistent McGrath also secured her third top-50 finish with rounds of 77, 77 and 75. She is still searching for her first under-par round in collegiate golf, but she continues to remain towards the top of NC State’s scoresheet.
Rounding things out, junior Lea Ludwig finished 52nd at 18-over-par. Coming in at 79 in her first two rounds, she finished strong with a closing 76.
As the postseason looms four tournaments away, NC State will need a stronger performance from the bottom portion of its lineup if it has any hope of being competitive in the ACC Championship or qualifying for the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2023.
The Pack heads to Melbourne, Florida, for the Moon Golf Invitational between Feb. 15-17. The 17-team field will feature seven top-15 squads, including No. 5 Wake Forest.
