SARASOTA, Fla. – Purdue Women's Golf finished the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational strong, firing a 3-under 285 as a team for the third-best final round at Palm Aire Country Club on Monday. Senior Momo Sugiyama led the way, carding a bogey-free 67 (-5) that matched the best round of her career.
Despite shaving 15 and 17 strokes, respectively, off their opening two rounds, the Boilermakers (+23) finished in 13th place due to the difficult Sunday. Purdue made 15 birdies through the first 36 holes of the tournament before draining 20 during Monday's final round. Only No. 22 Michigan State (-12) and No. 25 Ohio State (-4) recorded better final rounds than the Boilermakers, as the two ended the 54-hole tournament at 4-under par. The Spartans claimed the team title thanks to the fifth player tiebreaker.
Sugiyama's career day featured five birdies and 13 pars, including a trio of birdies on par 5s. Following three pars to start her morning, the senior made consecutive birdies to begin the front side. She added another birdie at the par-5 eighth to return to the back nine at 3-under. Closing out her round, Sugiyama made back-to-back birdies again to tie her best round as a Boilermaker. She ended the tournament at 5-over, good for 30th alongside teammates Jasmine Kahler and Lauren Timpf. The low round was Sugiyama's 11th round in the 60s as a Boilermaker, the eighth player in program history to reach that mark. The Australian also became the 10th Boilermaker to record multiple rounds of 67-or-better over her Purdue career.
After pacing Purdue through the first two rounds, Kahler and Timpf carded 73s (+1) to tie Sugiyama on the final leaderboard. Kahler matched Sugiyama with a team-high five birdies, but a double bogey on her final hole prevented the sophomore from posting an under-par round. Timpf made four birdies of her own, but like Kahler, a big number stopped her from reaching red figures. After a triple bogey on the par-4 third, Timpf finished strong by going 2-under on her last 11 holes.
Samantha Brown used four birdies to combat four bogeys on her way to an even-par 72, her best round of the tournament. The freshman's final round was highlighted by three birdies through the first six holes on the front side. She birdied the par-5 first before back-to-back birdies on the par-3 fifth and the par-4 sixth. Her 72 was a four-stroke improvement from her opening two rounds.
Up next, Purdue returns to the Briar's Creek Invitational on Johns Island, South Carolina (March 10-11).
BOILERMAKERS
T30. Momo Sugiyama: 76-78-67—221 (+5)
T30. Jasmine Kahler: 73-75-73—221 (+5)
T30. Lauren Timpf: 75-73-73—221 (+5)
T51. Samantha Brown: 76-76-72—224 (+8)
T72. Natasha Kiel: 76-80-75—231 (+15)
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. #22 Michigan State: 297-287-276—860 (-4)*
2. #25 Ohio State: 285-291-284—860 (-4)
3. Oklahoma: 285-289-287—861 (-3)
4. College of Charleston: 285-292-288—865 (+1)
5. Michigan: 292-290-287—869 (+5)
6. Georgia Southern: 293-288-289—870 (+6)
7. Maryland: 300-287-285—872 (+8)
8. Illinois: 290-293-291—874 (+10)
T9. Kent State: 289-294-294—877 (+13)
T9. Kentucky: 299-292-286—877 (+13)
11. #24 Oklahoma State: 301-290-289—880 (+16)
12. Notre Dame: 291-297-294—882 (+18)
13. Purdue: 300-302-285—887 (+23)
14. Grand Valley State: 299-304-300—903 (+39)
15. FIU: 310-304-292—906 (+42)
*Won tournament via tiebreaker
Despite shaving 15 and 17 strokes, respectively, off their opening two rounds, the Boilermakers (+23) finished in 13th place due to the difficult Sunday. Purdue made 15 birdies through the first 36 holes of the tournament before draining 20 during Monday's final round. Only No. 22 Michigan State (-12) and No. 25 Ohio State (-4) recorded better final rounds than the Boilermakers, as the two ended the 54-hole tournament at 4-under par. The Spartans claimed the team title thanks to the fifth player tiebreaker.
Sugiyama's career day featured five birdies and 13 pars, including a trio of birdies on par 5s. Following three pars to start her morning, the senior made consecutive birdies to begin the front side. She added another birdie at the par-5 eighth to return to the back nine at 3-under. Closing out her round, Sugiyama made back-to-back birdies again to tie her best round as a Boilermaker. She ended the tournament at 5-over, good for 30th alongside teammates Jasmine Kahler and Lauren Timpf. The low round was Sugiyama's 11th round in the 60s as a Boilermaker, the eighth player in program history to reach that mark. The Australian also became the 10th Boilermaker to record multiple rounds of 67-or-better over her Purdue career.
After pacing Purdue through the first two rounds, Kahler and Timpf carded 73s (+1) to tie Sugiyama on the final leaderboard. Kahler matched Sugiyama with a team-high five birdies, but a double bogey on her final hole prevented the sophomore from posting an under-par round. Timpf made four birdies of her own, but like Kahler, a big number stopped her from reaching red figures. After a triple bogey on the par-4 third, Timpf finished strong by going 2-under on her last 11 holes.
Samantha Brown used four birdies to combat four bogeys on her way to an even-par 72, her best round of the tournament. The freshman's final round was highlighted by three birdies through the first six holes on the front side. She birdied the par-5 first before back-to-back birdies on the par-3 fifth and the par-4 sixth. Her 72 was a four-stroke improvement from her opening two rounds.
Up next, Purdue returns to the Briar's Creek Invitational on Johns Island, South Carolina (March 10-11).
BOILERMAKERS
T30. Momo Sugiyama: 76-78-67—221 (+5)
T30. Jasmine Kahler: 73-75-73—221 (+5)
T30. Lauren Timpf: 75-73-73—221 (+5)
T51. Samantha Brown: 76-76-72—224 (+8)
T72. Natasha Kiel: 76-80-75—231 (+15)
TEAM LEADERBOARD
1. #22 Michigan State: 297-287-276—860 (-4)*
2. #25 Ohio State: 285-291-284—860 (-4)
3. Oklahoma: 285-289-287—861 (-3)
4. College of Charleston: 285-292-288—865 (+1)
5. Michigan: 292-290-287—869 (+5)
6. Georgia Southern: 293-288-289—870 (+6)
7. Maryland: 300-287-285—872 (+8)
8. Illinois: 290-293-291—874 (+10)
T9. Kent State: 289-294-294—877 (+13)
T9. Kentucky: 299-292-286—877 (+13)
11. #24 Oklahoma State: 301-290-289—880 (+16)
12. Notre Dame: 291-297-294—882 (+18)
13. Purdue: 300-302-285—887 (+23)
14. Grand Valley State: 299-304-300—903 (+39)
15. FIU: 310-304-292—906 (+42)
*Won tournament via tiebreaker