Sept. 25, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State women's golf team won their 21st Nittany Lion Invitational, and their first back-to-back title win at their home tournament since 2000-02, when they won three in a row.
The Lions shot a 295 plus-7 in the championship round, the lowest team score in that round, and a total score of 885 plus-21 to win the tournament by 22 strokes over the second placed Columbia Lions.
For the second straight year, all four players' scores that counted for Penn State finished in the top ten on the player leaderboard. However, Penn State had five total players finish in the top 10, as senior Kate Granahan (Allentown, Pa.), playing as an individual, had a spectacular championship round, shooting a 71 1-under, to finish tied for eighth.
For the second straight year, sophomore Jackie Rogowicz (Yardley, Pa.) finished highest on the team. Rogowicz held the lead for most of the tournament but lost it at the end, finishing in third place with a tournament score of 218 plus-2. Overall she still had a great performance at home, setting her new career low round score of 68 4-under in the first round.
Sophomore Lauren Waller (Canonsburg, Pa.) finished second on the team and fifth place overall. Waller scored a 73 in the championship round, for a total score of 220 plus-4 on the tournament.
Newcomer Maddy Herr (New Hope, Pa.) recorded her first collegiate top-10 finish in her home state, finishing in seventh place. Herr shot a 75 plus-3 in the final round, and a tournament score of 223 plus-7.
Sophomore Cara Basso (Downingtown, Pa.) shot the lowest round score on the team, excluding the Lions individual players, in the final round, recording a 72 even par, to bump her up into the top-10 finishing tied for 10th place. While the newcomer, Ashni Dhruva (Katy, Texas) shot a 75 plus-3 in the final round, her lowest score of the tournament.
The Nittany Lions travel to Charleston, S.C. next weekend to compete in their third tournament of the fall season, the Cougar Classic.
Final Team Standings:
1. Penn State (885, +21)
2. Columbia (907, +43)
T-3. Rutgers (912, +48)
T-3. Richmond (912, +48)
(5 ... 9)
Final Player Leaderboard:
1. Isabella Rusher (Rich.) E
2. Ashleigh Greenham (RU) +1
3. Jackie Rogowicz (PSU) +2
...
5. Lauren Waller (PSU) +4
...
7. Madelein Herr (PSU) +7
T-8. Kate Granahan** (PSU) +8
...
T-10. Cara Basso (PSU) +9
**Individual Player