MAINEVILLE, Ohio – The Penn State women's golf team heads to Ohio for the Big Ten Championships looking to climb the national rankings and put themselves in contention for an NCAA Tournament appearance during the final tournament of the 2020-21 season.
With the 2020 championship canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this marks the fourth-straight season the championship has been held at the Par-72, 7,180-yard TPC River's Bend course. Penn State enters the weekend searching for its first top-5 finish since back-to-back fourth place finishes in 2013 and 2014. The Nittany Lions finished 11th in a weather shortened 36-hold championship back in 2019.
Since 2012, the championship has gone to a 54-hole format with single 18-hole rounds each day, Friday through Sunday. The teams will be made up of six student-athletes with the top-4 scores being counted toward the team total each day.
This year's Big Ten Championship will feature split tees each day with tee times beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 8 a.m. for the final round on Sunday.
2019 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP
- The Nittany Lions fired an even-par final round of 288, shaving 19 strokes off their first-round total led by a program-best 5-under, 67, from senior Cara Basso '19. Basso finished tied for 24th for the championship as she climbed 45 spots between the two rounds.
- Only two current members of the Nittany Lions were part of that 2019 team with then-junior Megan McLean (Lebanon, N.J.) also finishing in a tie for 24th following an even-par final round. Then-freshman Sarah Willis (Eaton, Ohio) carded rounds of 73, 78 during the championship finishing tied for 42nd.
ABOUT THE COURSE
- Named by Golf Digest among the Top 10 Best New Private Clubs in the U.S. after it opened in 2001, the Arnold Palmer-designed golf course has continued to amaze. TPC River's Bend has also been recognized as one of Ohio's Best Courses by Golf Digest in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016.
- In addition to its championship golf course, TPC River's Bend offers an array of amenities and the personalized service and privileges that have become synonymous with the PGA TOUR TPC Network of premier clubs.
- TPC River's Bend has previously hosted the LPGA Symetra Tour's Prasco Charity Championship, Web.com Tour's Chiquita Classic, the PGA TOUR Champions Kroger Classic, and the Junior PGA Championship.
- Complementing the golf course is an expansive, 12-acre practice facility, featuring multiple chipping and putting areas. The golf staff at TPC River's Bend offers multiple instructional opportunities for adults and juniors utilizing state-of-the-art instructional equipment including video swing analysis and custom club fitting.
THE TEAM
- Penn State's lineup has on adjustment from last week as sophomore Isha Dhruva (Katy, Texas) draws back into the lineup.
- Junior Taylor Waller (Canonsburg, Pa.) remains in the starting lineup after a strong showing at Indiana which culminated in a final round 73 (1-over), the lowest round of her Nittany Lions career thus far.
- Willis and McLean remain at the top of the Penn State lineup and are joined by sophomore Mathilde Delavallade (Royan, France) and freshman Victoria Tip-Aucha to round out the lineup.
- Willis, Delavallade, McLean and Tip-Aucha have competed in all 15 rounds of golf this spring with the former pacing the team with a 74.87 stroke average and a low round of 68.
- Delavallade and McLean are separated by just 0.20 strokes on the season with the former holding a 75.20 stroke average and the later entering the weekend at 75.40.
- Penn State as a team is averaging just under 300 per 18 holes at 299.87 and enter the weekend No. 72 on the golfstat.com rankings.
Live scoring for the tournament is available HERE and the Big Ten Championship digital program is available HERE.