UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – It was moving day on Sunday for the Penn State women’s golf team at the 48th-annual Nittany Lion Invitational as the Nittany Lions climbed the leaderboard finishing fourth in the 14-team field.
The Nittany Lions carded the low-round of the day as a team on Sunday finishing 8-over, 296, moving up three spots on the day, the most of any team.
“The team did a great job battling back this weekend after a slow start on Saturday morning, I love that we got better each day,” commented head coach Kristen Simpson. “Today we hit the ball really well setting ourselves up with a lot of great birdie opportunities, which we were able to convert and move up the leaderboard.”
Princeton ran away from the group all weekend leading wire-to-wire and finishing 15 shots clear of its nearest competitor to secure the championship at 10-over par. Tiger junior Catherine Rao earned individual medalist honors with a 5-under, 211, as one of just two players in red figures for the week joining her teammate Abra Richmond who finished runner-up at 2-under, 214.
Harvard (25-over), Jacksonville State (28-over), and the host Nittany Lions (31-over) compiled the top-4 while Delaware and Yale round out the top-5 in a tie at 32-over.
Senior Drew Nienhaus (St. Louis, Mo.) was consistent all weekend finishing tied for third, her lowest collegiate finish, at even-par, 216. Starting on hole seven, Nienhaus went out in 2-under, 34, and was bogey-free her first 12 holes Sunday before giving a few shots back on her way in to card an even-par, 72.
“I felt the most confident in my drives and my game plan on each hole this weekend,” stated Nienhaus. “I just wanted to stay patient and let the birdies come to me. I always had a smile on my face and was laughing through each round.”
Congrats to senior Drew Nienhaus who finished T-3 at the 2024 Nittany Lion Invitational with an even-par (71-73-72–216) score, her best career finish!!
— Penn State Women’s Golf (@PennStateWGolf) September 15, 2024
Penn State climbs leaderboard on final day placing 4th in the 14-team field!!#PSUWGOLF pic.twitter.com/8DfZttjAV6
Playing as individuals, freshman Zeynep Sualp (Marmaris, Turkiye) and senior Jami Morris (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) each carded top-20 finishes tying for 13th and 17th, respectively. Sualp fired back-to-back even-par rounds on Saturday before sliding a bit on Sunday with a final round 6-over, 78, in her collegiate debut. Morris finished tied for 17th, the highest of her collegiate career, as she played a very consistent week carding scores of 74, 74 and 75.
“I had a strong gameplan coming into this event and was able to strike the ball well and stay present on every shot,” mentioned Morris. “My drives and proximity to the hole following my approach shots helped me set up a lot of birdie opportunities all weekend.”
Senior Michelle Cox (Allentown, Pa.) was the big mover of the day as she raced up 21 spots on the leaderboard following a final round 72, her second-straight even-par round, after opening the tournament with an 80 on Saturday morning. Cox finished the week tied for 18th at 8-over, 224.
Freshman classmates Jiratchaya Jiratthitinun (Bangkok, Thailand) and Lauren Thompstone (Paris, France) also moved up the leaderboard on Sunday finishing tied for 34th and tied for 38th at 13-over and 14-over, respectively.
Freshman Gwendolyn Powell (Madison Township, Pa.) rounded out the team scoring at 18-over while junior Myranda Quinton (Burlington, Ontario) fired 20-over playing as an individual.
Full Tournament Results HERE.
NEXT UP
Penn State travels to a new destination this year making the short trip to Charlottesville to compete in the Cavalier Regional Preview on September 23-24.