Chambana Sun

Illinois women’s golf secured a fourth-place finish at the Illini Women’s Invitational held at Medinah Country Club, ending the tournament with a team score of 852 (-12). The team performed strongly across several statistical categories, ranking in the top eight for par 3s and par 4s, second in par 5s, tying for the tournament lead in eagles, and placing among the top seven in birdies and top five in made pars.

Anna Ritter set a new career low for a 54-hole score with rounds of 67-71-74 [212 (-4)], finishing tied for 15th overall. She was among the top five players on par 5s and seventh in total pars. Ritter commented on the team’s performance: "Our team finished fourth in a strong field at our 'home' event at Medinah Country Club. Since the first and second day had very different conditions, each day required different strengths of your game to be successful. Day 1 (the 36 hole day) the conditions were firm so we all had wedges and short irons into most greens, so wedge play was very important to give yourself birdie opportunities. I personally took advantage of that the first day and played solid. It rained before and during the second round so the fairways were a lot more receptive which led to the course playing longer. A lot more long irons were used. As a team we are looking to use our finish as fuel and momentum for our final tournament of the fall in two weeks at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, NC."

Alexis Myers finished tied for 19th after posting scores of 73-67-73 [213 (-3)], highlighted by her strong performance on par 5s. Brielle Mapanao ended up in 31st place with rounds of 70-72-73 [215 (-1)], propelled by her season-low opening round.

Victoria Zheng tied for 37th after shooting consistent rounds of 71-71-74 [216 (E)]. She ranked among the top three on par 3s and tied for second in total pars. Erica Lee completed her tournament tied for 57th with scores of 73-75-78 [226 (+6)].

Competing individually, Tavia Burgess recorded her best round of the season with a final-round score of 71 (-1), finishing tied for third on par 3s and placing tied for 41st overall with scores of 73-73-71 [217 (+1)]. Sofia Vargas finished tied for 62nd after rounds of 67-78-78 [223 (+7)], while Kylie Eaton ended up tied for 81st with scores of 80-74-78 [232 (+16)]. Sophia Sulkar placed 83rd with rounds of 81-83-85 [249 (+33)].

The Illini will next compete at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, North Carolina from October 24–26.