(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
TEMPE – In a week full of tropical storms and gloomy weather in the Valley of the Sun, No. 24 Arizona State women’s golf found itself on a brief fall break, going over two weeks without competing in an NCAA tournament.
Now, after the cease in play, the Sun Devils are leaping back into the deep end as they head for sunny skies and a stacked field in Palo Alto, California, gearing up for the Stanford Intercollegiate on Oct. 17-19 at Stanford Golf Club.
Although ASU has had some time off as a team, four out of its seven players participated in the 2025 World Amateur Team Championship, representing their countries in Singapore over a week ago.
Senior Beth Coulter was the lowest-scoring Sun Devil, representing her home country of Ireland. The veteran Sun Devil finished at even par and a tie for 31st place. Coulter was a standout at the Stanford Intercolliegate for the Maroon and Gold last year, firing an impressive six-under-par score over three rounds, giving her a fifth-place finish in a field of 99. The Irish native will aim to improve on her previous effort in Palo Alto and likely has her eyes set on the podium’s pinnacle this weekend.
The Sun Devils top-ranked individual – ranked 36th in the NCAA – redshirt junior Patience Rhodes didn’t finish far behind Coulter, at one-over-par and a tie for 35th for England. Rhodes did not participate in the Stanford Intercollegiate last year, but after finishing comfortably in the top 15 in both of her starts for ASU this year, she will try to burst out of the gates in her tournament debut.
Senior Paula Schulz-Hanssen is the last Sun Devil competing at Stanford who played in Singapore over the break. The German found herself in a tie for 35th with Rhodes at one-over-par. Schulz-Hanssen finished just outside of the top-25 in Palo Alto last year in 26th and will look to take strides toward a higher mark in her second appearance in the tournament.
The final two players starting for the Maroon and Gold this weekend are sophomore Isla McDonald-O’Brien and Freshman Kate Dillon.
McDonald-O’Brien has had her right foot to the floor to start the year and has shown no signs of slowing down. The Shrewsburyan has finished inside the top-20 in all three of her starts, including her most recent finish at the Windy City Collegiate Classic, a three-under-par finish placing her just outside of the top ten in 11th. McDonald-O’Brien has been one of the most consistent scorers for ASU and will strive to contribute to its success in Palo Alto.
Dillon has started twice for the Sun Devils in her first-year campaign, finishing outside of the top-25 in both performances. The Irishwoman will attempt to find her footing as she takes the trip to Northern California for her third start in her first-year effort.
ASU will be right back in the thick of it following their break, as they take on what could be the most stacked field of the fall season, featuring nine top-25 squads, including No. 2 USC, No. 3 Stanford, and No. 4 Oregon.
USC has only played in two tournaments, but has lit both of them up. The Trojans finished third at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate early in September. Then just two weeks later, they posted a jaw-dropping 45-under-par performance at the Golfweek Red Sky Classic, dominating the event with an 18-shot victory.
Leading the charge for The Trojans are sophomores Jasmine Koo and Elise Lee. Koo conquered the Red Sky Classic with a score of 13-under-par, shooting her up the NCAA’s individual leaderboard into tenth place. Lee is right on her heels at No. 11 due to a fourth-place finish at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and a seventh-place mark in Colorado weeks after.
The host of the tournament, Stanford, has also had a red-hot start to its season despite only playing in one tournament – the Jackson T. Stephens Cup. There, the Cardinal were able to finish second in stroke play and third in the match play, falling to No. 1 Wake Forest in both regards.
Stanford also has the No. 9-ranked player in the country, sophomore Andrea Revuelta. The Spanish standout boasts a staggering 67.2 scoring average to start the year and will try to defend the Cardinals’ home turf in their signature tournament.
Oregon is the final top-five team competing in Palo Alto. The Ducks also fell just short to Wake Forest, finishing three strokes behind them at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate at five-under-par. Oregon also competed in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, losing a nailbiter to Texas in match play and finishing third in stroke play.
The Duck to look out for this weekend is No. 5-ranked individual, junior Kiara Romero. The third-year star has been dominant through her first two starts this fall, finishing second at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup and third at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate. The only thing missing from her fall trophy case is a win, which she will be in pursuit of at Stanford.
All five Sun Devils will follow each other out tomorrow as they hit the course starting at 8:25 am MST with Dillon leading the way. With only two tournaments left in the fall season and a monster field ahead in Palo Alto for the Stanford Intercollegiate, ASU will look to hit its stride and enter the winter break with momentum.
