ASU victorious in the Windy City

(Photo: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics)

Arizona State women’s golf topped fourteen schools by a margin of six strokes to win the Windy City Collegiate Classic in Chicago on Tuesday. Three of ASU’s five players finished in the top-10, while all five finished in the top-20.

The maroon and golf took down six teams ranked ahead of them in Golfweek’s Women’s College Golf Preseason Rankings en route to the victory.

The Sun Devils showed no quit, trailing by 12 strokes going into the second round. After the tournament’s low round of 283 (-5) they led after 36 holes and secured the win on Tuesday with the second-best round of the day 296 (+8)

Westmoreland Country Club showed all its cards, with the field amounting to a +40.7 over-par average over the three rounds. “Windy City” was not lying, with winds averaging 15 miles per hour for both days.

Arizona State’s 875 (+11) was the winning score, and only three players shot under par across all fifteen schools. ASU’s 21 birdies in the second round were the most birdies by a team in a round for the event.

The redshirt sophomore Patience Rhodes led the way for Arizona State, tying for fifth shooting, 76-73-70 (+3). Rhodes, who roots from England, where windy conditions are common for golf, navigated the course effectively the entire competition.

Through the first three tournaments this season, Rhodes has secured two top-5s and a top-6 finish, solidifying her status among the top golfers in the nation.

The two other Sun Devils to finish near the top of the leaderboard were juniors Paula Schulz-Hanssen and Beth Coulter.

Schulz-Hanssen shot the best round for the Sun Devils during the event with a 3-under in her second round. She now has five top-10 finishes in her collegiate career.

Coulter bounced back after finishing outside of the top-30 in the Mason Rudolph Invitational, shooting 74-70-76 (+4). Her second round featured six birdies.

After shooting a 68 in her final round at the Mason Rudolph Invitational, freshman Isla McDonald-O’Brien stayed blazing, firing a 72-71 over the opening 36 holes, earning her a top-five position going into Tuesday. Even though her final round of 7-over put her out of contention, McDonald-O’Brien still managed to secure her first-ever top-20 finish in her nascent collegiate career.

After an uncharacteristic start to the season, senior captain Grace Summerhays landed back on her feet in Illinois. Her 74-74-76 (+8) scorecard gave her a tie for 18th.

In the wake of three tournaments in four weeks, ASU’s five-man team takes some time off while they prepare for the Stanford Intercollegiate, one of Golf Channel’s Notable Regular Season Events, which takes place from October 18–20.