COLUMBUS, Ohio – Behind 70s (-2) from Momo Sugiyama and Ashley Kozlowski, Purdue Women's Golf fired a 1-under 287 in the final round of the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational to move two spots up the leaderboard into sole possession of third place. The Boilermakers became the only team aside from host Ohio State to record an under-par round on OSU Golf Club's Scarlet Course throughout the weekend.
Purdue earned its fifth Top 3 finish of the season, defeating eight other Big Ten teams to grab some momentum heading into next week's conference championships. Ohio State (-7) protected its home course to win the tournament, while the Boilermakers (+17) nearly caught runner-up Michigan State (+13) after by shaving 14 strokes off the Spartans' cushion during the final round. Purdue ranked second in the field in birdies (38) and par-4 scoring (+34) over 54 holes.
With their 2-under 70s, Sugiyama and Kozlowski both placed in the Top 10 of the individual leaderboard for the fourth time this year. Sugiyama matched her best finish as a Boilermaker, tying for fourth. She ended the tournament 1-over (72-75-70—217) with the help of playing the par 4s 3-under to rank second in the field in par-4 scoring. Sugiyama began the final round with a birdie on the par-5 fifth, while playing the back nine bogey free and adding two more birdies along the way.
Kozlowski tied for seventh at 2-over (74-74-70—218). Like Sugiyama, she started her day with a birdie, taking advantage of the par-5 sixth. The Littleton, Colorado, native played her final 12 holes 2-under without making a bogey to end the round in red figures and match Sugiyama for Purdue's best round of the tournament.
Jasmine Kahler cracked the Top 20 in her debut in the Purdue lineup, tying for 19th after a final round 72 (E). It was an up-and-down round for the freshman Boilermaker, as she made a team-high five birdies to go along with five bogeys and 10 pars. Kahler finished strong, going 2-under through her final seven holes to get back to level par for the day. She made nine birdies over her three rounds, a team best alongside Sugiyama.
Tying Kahler in 19th at 8-over for the tournament was Natasha Kiel. The junior found only one birdie on Sunday but remained consistent with rounds of 75-74-75 to contribute to the team's score each time. She secured her third Top 20 finish of the season.
The Boilermakers now set their sights on the Big Ten Championships, traveling to Havre de Grace, Maryland next week (April 19-21). The battle for the conference crown, contested in the state of Maryland for the first time in Big Ten history, takes place over three rounds at Bulle Rock Golf Course.
BOILERMAKERS
T4. Momo Sugiyama: 72-75-70—217 (+1)
T7. Ashley Kozlowski: 74-74-70—218 (+2)
T19. Natasha Kiel: 75-74-75—224 (+8)
T19. Jasmine Kahler: 78-74-72—224 (+8)
T40. Jocelyn Bruch: 78-75-77—230 (+14)
69. Jade Gu: 76-79-86—241 (+25)
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. Ohio State: 291-283-283—857 (-7)
2. Michigan State: 291-291-295—877 (+13)
3. Purdue: 297-297-287—881 (+17)
4. Indiana: 301-292-296—889 (+25)
5. Wisconsin: 298-296-299—893 (+29)
6. Kent State: 295-297-303—895 (+31)
7. Minnesota: 309-295-297—901 (+37)
8. Illinois: 302-305-299—906 (+42)
9. Rutgers: 298-306-306—910 (+46)
10. Nebraska: 305-298-308—911 (+47)
11. Penn State: 303-308-302—913 (+49)
12. Iowa: 317-295-305—917 (+53)
Purdue earned its fifth Top 3 finish of the season, defeating eight other Big Ten teams to grab some momentum heading into next week's conference championships. Ohio State (-7) protected its home course to win the tournament, while the Boilermakers (+17) nearly caught runner-up Michigan State (+13) after by shaving 14 strokes off the Spartans' cushion during the final round. Purdue ranked second in the field in birdies (38) and par-4 scoring (+34) over 54 holes.
With their 2-under 70s, Sugiyama and Kozlowski both placed in the Top 10 of the individual leaderboard for the fourth time this year. Sugiyama matched her best finish as a Boilermaker, tying for fourth. She ended the tournament 1-over (72-75-70—217) with the help of playing the par 4s 3-under to rank second in the field in par-4 scoring. Sugiyama began the final round with a birdie on the par-5 fifth, while playing the back nine bogey free and adding two more birdies along the way.
Kozlowski tied for seventh at 2-over (74-74-70—218). Like Sugiyama, she started her day with a birdie, taking advantage of the par-5 sixth. The Littleton, Colorado, native played her final 12 holes 2-under without making a bogey to end the round in red figures and match Sugiyama for Purdue's best round of the tournament.
Jasmine Kahler cracked the Top 20 in her debut in the Purdue lineup, tying for 19th after a final round 72 (E). It was an up-and-down round for the freshman Boilermaker, as she made a team-high five birdies to go along with five bogeys and 10 pars. Kahler finished strong, going 2-under through her final seven holes to get back to level par for the day. She made nine birdies over her three rounds, a team best alongside Sugiyama.
Tying Kahler in 19th at 8-over for the tournament was Natasha Kiel. The junior found only one birdie on Sunday but remained consistent with rounds of 75-74-75 to contribute to the team's score each time. She secured her third Top 20 finish of the season.
The Boilermakers now set their sights on the Big Ten Championships, traveling to Havre de Grace, Maryland next week (April 19-21). The battle for the conference crown, contested in the state of Maryland for the first time in Big Ten history, takes place over three rounds at Bulle Rock Golf Course.
BOILERMAKERS
T4. Momo Sugiyama: 72-75-70—217 (+1)
T7. Ashley Kozlowski: 74-74-70—218 (+2)
T19. Natasha Kiel: 75-74-75—224 (+8)
T19. Jasmine Kahler: 78-74-72—224 (+8)
T40. Jocelyn Bruch: 78-75-77—230 (+14)
69. Jade Gu: 76-79-86—241 (+25)
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. Ohio State: 291-283-283—857 (-7)
2. Michigan State: 291-291-295—877 (+13)
3. Purdue: 297-297-287—881 (+17)
4. Indiana: 301-292-296—889 (+25)
5. Wisconsin: 298-296-299—893 (+29)
6. Kent State: 295-297-303—895 (+31)
7. Minnesota: 309-295-297—901 (+37)
8. Illinois: 302-305-299—906 (+42)
9. Rutgers: 298-306-306—910 (+46)
10. Nebraska: 305-298-308—911 (+47)
11. Penn State: 303-308-302—913 (+49)
12. Iowa: 317-295-305—917 (+53)