April 20, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" The Penn State women's golf team is in Cincinnati, Ohio getting ready for the Big Ten Championship, held Friday through Sunday.
This year's tournament takes place at the TPC River's Bend Golf Club, which has a total yardage of 6,357 and a par of 72.
Six out of the 14 Big Ten teams are ranked among the top 50 programs according to the latest Golfweek/Sagarin national rankings. Northwestern ranks the highest coming in at No. 15, followed by No. 28 Ohio State, No. 32 Illinois, No. 34 Purdue, No. 37 Michigan and No. 48 Wisconsin.
This field features many players that have had success at this event in the past, as 18 of the top 20 finishers from last season's Big Ten Championship, including medalist August Kim of Purdue are returning this year.
One of those 18 players returning is sophomore Lauren Waller (Canonsburg, Pa.) who played arguably her best golf all year at this event. Waller shot scores of 70, 70, and 73 in her three rounds to finish 3-under, tied for ninth place.
Two other sophomores Jackie Rogowicz (Yardley, Pa.) and Cara Basso (Downingtown, Pa.), both competing for Penn State again this year, also got some experience at the conference title last year. Rogowicz played consistently well all tournament, posting scores of 75, 72, and 73, to finish tied for 30th at 4-over. While Basso also put together three good rounds, finishing tied for 44th at 7-over.
Those three players are joined by newcomers Maddy Herr (New Hope, Pa.), Ashni Dhruva (Katy, Tx.), and senior Kate Granahan (Allentown, Pa.), who are all competing in their first conference title.
At last year's conference title, the Nittany Lions shot their lowest 54-hole tournament score of the season shooting an 870, 6-over to finish in eighth place. However, it was Northwestern and Ohio State who shared the Big Ten Championship in 2016 for the second straight season after shooting a three-round score of 852 (-12).
The Lions look to replicate that success again as first round action of the Big Ten Championship begins tomorrow with an 8:30 a.m. start time.