Nienhaus Cards Top-10 Finish, Women's Golf 6th at Westbrook InvitationalNienhaus Cards Top-10 Finish, Women's Golf 6th at Westbrook Invitational

Nienhaus Cards Top-10 Finish, Women's Golf 6th at Westbrook Invitational

Senior Drew Nienhaus (St. Louis, Mo.) paced Penn State with a sixth-place finish at the Westbrook Invitational as the Nittany Lions used an 9-under, 279, in the final round on Monday to scale the leaderboard in the 14-team field.

PEORIA, Ariz.  – Senior Drew Nienhaus (St. Louis, Mo.) paced Penn State with a sixth-place finish at the Westbrook Invitational as the Nittany Lions used an 9-under, 279, in the final round on Monday to scale the leaderboard in the 14-team field.

The Nittany Lions 9-under, 279, in the final round marks their lowest round of the season and tied for the third-lowest 18-hole score relative to par in program history. Penn State finished the week 7-under, 857, marking its best finish in three years and the third-lowest 54-hole score relative to par all-time.

“Today was an incredible day of golf, I was so impressed with how the team made adjustments after yesterday’s rounds,” commented head coach Kristen Simpson. “They did an excellent job of minimizing mistakes and capitalizing on great shots. It was truly a team effort all around.”

No. 25 Kansas ran away from the field finishing the week 39-under, while UNLV (30-under), Kansas State (24-under), Louisiana Monroe (10-under) and Wisconsin (10-under) rounded out the top-5 with the Nittany Lions right behind.

“Drew put on an absolute putting clinic today, she made so many fantastic putts and was really dialed in on the greens all week."

Head Coach Kristen Simpson
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Nienhaus finished the month the same way she started it with a bogey-free 6-under, 66, in the final round, the same way she closed out the PDI Intercollegiate three weeks ago, securing her second top-10 finish of the season and the third of her career in a tie for sixth at 8-under, 208.

“Lately I’ve been very confident in my swing and my game as a whole,” mentioned Nienhaus. “I drove the ball well and was getting my wedges close, which gave me short putts and my putting was really good this week. I really felt the speed of the greens and had a confident stroke all week.”

The 8-under, 208, is a new career-best for Nienhaus and is tied for the fourth-lowest 54-hole score relative to par in Penn State women’s golf history while her final round 6-under, 66, is tied for the third lowest 18-hole score all-time.

Nienhaus carded red numbers in all three rounds this week and went bogey-free over her final 23 holes dating back to Sunday’s second round sinking 15 total birdies for the week to pace the team on her way to a career-low score.

“Drew put on an absolute putting clinic today, she made so many fantastic putts and was really dialed in on the greens all week,” stated Simpson.

Fellow senior Michelle Cox (Allentown, Pa.) also finished the week in red figures at 3-under, 213, following a 3-under, 69, in the final round on Monday falling just outside the top-20 in a tie for 21st in the 78-player field.

“It was a phenomenal ball-striking week, and I really had my wedges super dialed in,” Cox said.

Cox opened the tournament with a 1-over, 73, before getting that stroke back with a 1-under, 71, in the second round and finished the week with just a singular bogey over her final 28 holes going 6-under over that stretch.

“Today was an incredible day of golf, I was so impressed with how the team made adjustments after yesterday’s rounds. They did an excellent job of minimizing mistakes and capitalizing on great shots. It was truly a team effort all around.”

Head Coach Kristen Simpson

Freshman Jiratchaya Jiratthitinun (Bangkok, Thailand) carded even-par, 216, for the week opening with a 1-under, 71, followed by a 1-over, 73, and an even-par, 72. Yaya went bogey-free over her final 10 holes on Monday and finished the week in a tie for 34th.

Junior Myranda Quinton (Burlington, Ontario) fired her best round of the week on Monday with an even-par, 72, after back-to-back 74’s on Sunday to open the tournament. Quinton went 2-under over her final four holes on Monday and finished the week with the best score relative to par of her career at 4-over, 220, and in a tie for 47th.

Nienhaus, Cox, Jiratthitinun and Quinton were a combined 4-under over their final four holes to move the Nittany Lions up the leaderboard over the home stretch.

Senior Jami Morris (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) opened with a pair of 76’s on Sunday and carded a 79 on Monday to finish the week 15-over while, playing as an individual, freshman Gwendolyn Powell (Madison Township, Pa.) finished the week 14-over and carded her lowest round of the year with a 1-under, 71, in the final round.

Full results available HERE.

Penn State takes the following week off before heading south for the Briar’s Creek Invitational in South Carolina on March 10-11.