Kansas State women’s golf opened its spring season by battling through a demanding 36-hole day. The Wildcats finished the weekend with a statement performance, as sophomore Kelsey Chen earned her first collegiate win, and K-State placed sixth in the Puerto Rico Classic.
No. 26 K-State put itself in position early. The Wildcats combined for a 9-under par 567, turning in rounds of 283 and 284 to stay a handful of shots within the top five entering Monday’s final round.
K-State’s head coach, Stew Burke, said the group handled both the course and the long day well, especially with it being the first tournament of the spring.
“The ladies did a nice job today,” Burke said. “Playing 36 holes in one day is not easy, especially on a course this challenging.”
From the opening tee shot, Chen set the tone for the Wildcats. The sophomore from Dalian, China, rolled in birdies throughout the first two rounds, dropping scores of 4-under par 68 and 2-under par 70, which helped her climb near the top of the leaderboard early. The best for Chen came on Feb. 2, however, as she matched her low round of the week with another 4-under par 68 to surge into a tie for medalist honors.
Chen wasn’t the only one to make an impact, as fellow sophomore Nanami Nakashima produced an impressive stretch in the second round. She mixed five birdies with an eagle and shot 3-under par 69 to tie for 59th place
Senior Noa van Beek delivered as well. She hovered around par for most of the meet, closing at 1-over par 217 and tying for 36th place.
Julia Ballester Barrio made her scoring lineup debut, opening with a score of 1-under par 71. She added an eagle on her final hole Feb. 2, to finish in 55th place.
As a team, K-State posted a 1-over par 289 in rainy conditions during the final round to close at 7-under par 857. The Wildcats narrowly edged out Northwestern for sixth, marking K-State’s strongest showing at the Puerto Rico Classic in program history.
The Wildcats now turn their attention to their next event later this month in Arizona, carrying a good amount of momentum after the opening of their spring season.