KSU’s women’s golf team finished eighth in the Dale McNamara Invitational at the Golf Club of Oklahoma in Broken Arrow, Ok. on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
The team traveled to Broken Arrow after opening its 2012-2013 season last week at the Old Waverly Bulldog Invitational in West Point, Ms. They finished seventh in the 11-team tournament. Facing off against 14 teams at the 54-hole Dale McNamara Invitational, KSU began Monday with 36 holes, playing the final 18 holes Tuesday.
Sophomore Kaew Preamchuen broke a school record after shooting a 67, 5-under-par during the first 36 holes. Her performance helped the Owls turn in the best score of the second round, 290 at 2-over-par. The Owls finished the first day of play in fifth place, falling just 10 shots behind tournament leader, Arizona State.
“The team put together a solid 36 holes today,” head coach Rhyll Brinsmead said. “Thirty-six-hole days are always a mental and physical challenge, so I couldn’t be more proud that not only did we beat our morning score by 10 shots, we shot the lowest team score overall.”
After carding a 77 and 67 in the first two rounds of play, Preamchuen moved from a tie for 42nd to a tie for seventh with an even par total of 144. She shot five birdies in the second round, putting her just six strokes behind the tournament leader, Florida’s Isabelle Lendl.
“This morning I was very frustrated to shoot 77. I couldn’t get any putts to drop,” Preamchuen said “In the afternoon, I decided to play more aggressively and putts started to fall. I was very nervous on my last hole and I really wanted to go without a bogey.”
The Owls turned in the best round of golf this season with solid play throughout the lineup. Sophomore duo Léa Charpier and Ines Lescudier shot a 72 and 76, respectively. Senior Ket Preamchuen finished 3-over-par with a 75.
The final round began at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Kaew Preamchuen followed up her record-breaking performance with a 2-over-par 74. She finished tied for 10th place. The Owl’s sophomore star carded rounds of 77-67-74, helping her secure her first career Top 10 showing.
KSU shot a 19-over-par 307 in the final round of competition, bringing their tournament finish to 33-over-par 897. Lescudier and Charpier finished tied for 30th and 35th, while Ket Preamchuen tied for 47th. Senior Molly Winnett tied for 50th in her first tournament of the season.
The Owls will return to action Oct. 15, when they travel to Norman, Ok. to compete in the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic hosted by the University of Oklahoma. For more information regarding the team and recent news, follow them on Twitter @ KSUOwlsWmnsGolf.
