ROSEMONT, Ill. – Junior Michelle Cox (Allentown, Pa.) was named the Big Ten Women's Golfer of the Week following her first-place finish at the 2024 Columbia Classic where she paced the Nittany Lions to a runner-up finish with a 9-under, 207, the best finish of the season for the Nittany Lions.
This marks the first weekly award for Cox and the first for a Nittany Lion since Mathilde Delavallade was honored on September 8, 2021.
Cox's 9-under score is the lowest of her collegiate career and tied for the third-best 54-hole total in program history as she finished the week four strokes clear of her nearest competitor while securing her first collegiate victory.
Cox used three rounds in red figures (69-67-71) to get the job done including tying her career-best with a 5-under, 67, in the second round on Sunday to take sole possession of first place heading into Monday's final round.
Her final round started shaky with three bogeys over her first six holes, but she righted the ship using an eagle on the ninth hole to springboard a seven-hole stretch of 5-under vaulting her ahead of the field by a wide margin.
The Allentown, Pennsylvania native is in the midst of a career-year leading the team with a 71.39 stroke average with three top-10's in six events. Cox has been most impressive in the opening round of a tournament this season posting five opening rounds in the 60's with a 69.33 stroke average.
The Nittany Lions are back in action when they travel to San Jose, California for the Juli Inkster Invitational on March 4-5.
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