SUNSET, S.C. – Freshman Jiratchaya Jiratthitinun (Bangkok, Thailand) paced Penn State with the best finish relative to par of her young career. She registered her second top-10 finish in a tie for 10th at 7-under, 209, at the Clemson Invitational, held at The Reserve at Lake Keowee in South Carolina this weekend.
As a team Penn State finished 13th in the 15-team field at 15-over, however, the Nittany lions used back-to-back even par rounds of 288 as a team to bounce back from a 15-over, 303, on Friday. The score relative to par is the third-best of the season for the Nittany Lions, all having come during the spring season.
“The team did a great job bouncing back in the final two rounds after a tough start,” commented head coach Kristen Simpson. “I’m proud of their resilience and commitment to our process of improving each day. We're excited to build on the momentum from rounds two and three as we head into the Terrapin Invitational next weekend.”
Ohio State ran away from the field with a tournament record 45-under a full 10 shots clear of Arkansas in second while LSU (26-under), Tennessee (19-under) and SMU (16-under) round out the top-5.
Jiratthitinun fired an even par round on Friday before ripping off back-to-back rounds in red figures including a career-low 6-under, 66, on Saturday. Yaya finished the week with a, 1-under, 71, on Sunday after giving a few shots back on her final two holes. Jiratthitinun had just four bogeys in the final two rounds.
Her 7-under, 209, score is Penn State’s second-lowest 54-hole individual total this season and tied for the sixth-lowest score relative to par in Penn State history while her second round 6-under, 66, matches the lowest round of the season for the Nittany Lions and is tied for the third-best single round score in program history.
“Yaya is taking her game to new heights, she finished in the top-10 against a strong field, using precise iron play and her ability to capitalize on it with exceptional putting,” mentioned Simpson. “She had a great feel for the greens all week and was reading every break perfectly. I'm incredibly proud of the hard work she's been putting in and her commitment to staying focused on the process. All of her hard work is paying off.”
Senior Drew Nienhaus (St. Louis, Mo.) finished the week with some theatrics by acing her tee shot on the par-3, 12th-hole, on Sunday morning. The hole-in-one from 148 yards out with an 8-iron marks the third ace for Nienhaus, however, it is her first-ever hole-in-one in competition. It is also the first for the Nittany Lions in tournament action since Mathilde Delavallade ’24 registered a hole-in-one during the opening round of the Gator Invitational on March 7, 2020.
“The shot looked and felt good, I saw it hit and bounce twice before rolling in. I screamed along with coach and everyone else around me,” described Nienhaus. “It was one of the best moments I have ever experienced in collegiate golf, a moment I won’t ever forget.”
Nienhaus finished the week tied for 48th at 3-over, 219, carding rounds of 75-70-74 with her second-round 2-under, 70, marking her 10th round this season at even par or better.
Fellow senior Michelle Cox (Allentown, Pa.) carded back-to-back even par rounds after opening the tournament with a 5-over, 77, on Friday. Cox finished the week 5-over, 221, and in a tie for 54th.
Senior Jami Morris (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and freshman Lauren Thompstone (Paris, France) rounded out the week at 15-over and 25-over, respectively.
Full Results available HERE.
NEXT UP
Penn State will travel to Maryland next weekend for the Terrapin Invitational on March 6-7 for its final tune up before the B1G Championships on April 18-20, also in Maryland.