RSU’s Loving shoots 12-under on record scoring day at Sand Creek Station
Newman Spring Invitational Results
NEWTON, Kan. – Rogers State women’s golf’s had a banner day as the saw multiple school records fall or be tied at the Newman Spring Invitational on Monday, including a record 12-under performance by Ellen Loving in earning her first career victory.
After two rounds at the par 72, 5,974 yard Sand Creek Station Golf Course, the Hillcats finished in fourth place with a card of 593 (+8), breaking the school record for best 36-hole team score. RSU’s second team finished in eighth with a card of 620 (+44).
Henderson State won the tournament at 550, 31 shots clear of Augustana State. Oklahoma Baptist was third at 583, a shot ahead of Rogers State. Central Oklahoma was fifth at 593.
Loving won the individual title, her first career tournament win, and shattered the school record for a 36-hole tournament performance shooting 132 (-12). The sophomore shot an eye-popping 65 (-7) in the first round with seven birdies, tying the school record for a single round. She then turned around a carded a 67 (-5) with seven more birdies in the final round.
Jessica Osden was next on the first team finishing in a tie for 15th with a card of 147 (+3). Lydia Sitorus finished in a five-way tie for 24th with a 151 (+7). Raquel Flores and Jaelynn Unger rounded out the group in a four-way tie for 41st with a 158 (+14).
Loving wasn’t the only one setting records. Oklahoma Baptist’s opening round of 1-under was the lowest in the program’s NAIA and Division II history. The next closest round in recent history came in 2019 when the team shot a 12-over 300 in the final round of the HSU Spring Invitational.
Freshman Morgan Becker and senior Josie Patterson paced the Bison with career-low 2-undere 70s in the opening round. Becker matched her career-best in round two to card a 4-under-par for the tournament, the best finish in Oklahoma Baptist history.
Becker’s opening run featured two birdies and a tie of the team’s best mark of 1-under-par on the back nine. Her birdie on the last hole in the second round lifted OBU to its third-place finish.
Patterson closed with a 75 (+3) to place in a tie for 11th. Patterson was nearly flawless on the front nine in round one, sinking four of her five birdies en route to a 3-under-par finish.
The duo’s first-round card was the lowest in the DII era and the first 2-under-par finish since Whitney Manley accomplished the feat in 2014.
Hayden Meiser and Karlee Holcomb finished in 17th and a tie for 20th. Meiser fired a 73 (+1) before shooting a 75 (+3) in the final round, while Holcomb carded a 74 (+2) and a 76 (+4).
Valentina Nunez-Butzonitch turned in a 79 (+7) before shooting an 80 (+8) in her last 18 to finish in a tie for 45th.
Lindyn Ross and Rylei Gunter, competing as individuals, finished in ties for 57th and 64th. Ross sunk six birdies today, while Gunter’s first-round 79 featured the team’s fourth-best card on the front nine (+1).
Central Oklahoma posted its best 36-hole score of the season and it was good for a fifth-place finish Monday at the runaway scoring Newman Spring Invitational.
UCO posted a 36-hole 593 (299-294) to finish fifth. The two rounds are the two lowest scores of the season for the Bronchos. Jirasuda Khunarak led UCO with a 1-over-par 145 and finished 11th in the individual standings. Mika Ramos was two shots back at 3-over 147 for the tournament.
“We played really well today, but sometimes that’s how it goes,” UCO head women’s golf coach Michael Bond said. “In golf, you can play the best round of your life but someone else can still beat you. We played well and we’re hoping to build off of that as we head down the stretch of our season.”
Khunarak started her day with five straight pars before sinking a birdie putt on No. 9. She was even through nine holes of golf and finished the first 18 1-over. She posted an even-par 72 in the second round. Khunarak sank 21 par putts and seven birdie putts in the tournament.
Ramos played the first round even-par and had a string of eight-straight pars in the second round before settling in at 3-over for the tournament. She sank 24 par putts and five birdies on the day.
Madison O’Dell also had a Top 20 finish in the tournament. The senior posted a 6-over-par 150 to finish tied for 20th in the individual standings. O’Dell started her day with five consecutive par putts before a hiccup on the back nine left her 5-over in the first round. She hit four birdies in the second round, playing 1-over to finish the day.
Emma Shelley was just one shot back and finished tied for 24th with her 7-over 151. Shelley also posted a 5-over-par 77 in Round 1 before registering a 2-over in the second round.
Arin Zachary also competed for the Bronchos on Monday and finished the day 22-over at 166. She played the first round 9-over-par and the second round 13-over.
Central Oklahoma has just one more tournament in the regular season and that’s next weekend in Joplin, Missouri. The Bronchos are playing at Missouri Southern’s Dr. Virginia Laas Classic, which will be contested at Eagle Creek in Joplin. That is also the sight of the 2023 MIAA Women’s Golf Championship April 24-26.