Nelke, Vesely help Sooners rally on final day of Westbrook Invitational

PEORIA, Ariz. – Oklahoma women’s golf recorded the best round of the tournament at the Westbrook Invitational and vaulted four spots to finish tied for sixth (2-under, 862) on Monday.

The Sooners fired a 13-under 275, eclipsing Ohio State (12-under, 276) and tournament winner Nebraska (11-under 277). All three rounds occurred on Monday.

“I’m really proud of us today,” said Oklahoma head women’s golf coach Veronique Drouin-Luttrell. “It was great to see everyone push each other and respond to the challenge.”

Raychel Nelke and Kaylee Vesely led the Sooners and each fired a 4-under 68. Nina Lang joined the duo in the 60s, recording a 3-under 69. Emily Hun tallied her first below par round in the Crimson and Cream and finished 2-under 70. Savannah Barber, who is OU’s lone individual in the field, finished 3-under 69.

Vesely opened the final round with two birdies in her first four holes. The Austin, Texas product dropped a stroke on the 17th and moved back to 2-under with a birdie on the 18th hole. Through the first seven holes of the front nine, Vesely was 1-under. She recorded an eagle on the par-5 eighth and added her final birdie on the 11th. Vesely tied for 11th and finished with a 3-under 213.

Nelke tallied a bogey on her first hole and moved back to even with a birdie on the 14th. She strung together three consecutive birdies after netting the first of the trio on the fourth hole. Nelke closed her round with back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th. She tied for 39th (4-over, 220).

Lang recorded three birdies on the back nine. She added her fourth birdie of the day on the par-3 fourth hole and dropped a stroke on the seventh. Lang tied for 11th, matching teammate Vesely with a 3-under 213.

Hun put together her best round as a Sooner and tallied four birdies and an eagle. She tallied an eagle on the 17th hole and recorded four birdies in her final eight holes. Hun finished 2-under 70 on the day and 11-over 227 (T68th) for the tournament.

Mikhaela Fortuna tallied three birdies and finished 1-over 73. Fortuna finished the tournament 5-over 221 and tied for 44th.

Barber led all individuals in the field and finished 19th. She tallied three birdies in her first five holes and was 2-under. Barber maintained her score after a bogey on the second hole and a birdie on the fifth. She dropped a stroke and moved to 3-under after back-to-back birdies on the eighth and ninth. Barber finished 1-under 215.

UP NEXT

The Sooners compete in the one-day Match Up Invitational in Tallahassee, Fla, at the Seminole Golf Club on March 19.