(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
As Sparky and the gang marched up the foothills into Palo Alto, California, for the Stanford Intercollegiate, the team was eager to outperform its rivals.
In the red corner fighting out of Tucson were the Arizona Wildcats, who had their sights set on placing above the Sun Devils in this heated rivalry.
In the blue corner were the UCLA Bruins, a West Coast heavyweight that had placed inside the top five in their last two tournament starts, with the leader of the pack being second-year Maye Huang.
But it was the Maroon and Gold who showed up when it mattered most and got the better of their fierce opponents.
The Sun Devils finished the tournament at four under par, which secured them fifth place.
From the get-go, redshirt junior Patience Rhodes was dialed in, which allowed her to finish tied for fifth with a seven-under-par performance. Kate Dillon and Paula Schulz-Hanssen each shot two-over-par, which slotted them tied for 30th place.
Not far behind the duo were Beth Coulter and Isla McDonald-O’Brien, who finished tied for 37th with a score of four-over-par. The performance marks the squad’s third straight top ten finish and second straight top five result, which demonstrates the electricity that the team conducts.
Entering the final round, it was clear as day that Oregon and Stanford’s juggernaut teams had solidified themselves in the top two places, but a thrilling battle occurred for the fight to secure the final spot in the top three. Six teams, including Arizona State, the University of Arizona, UCLA, and USC, were all within reach of that final spot on the podium, and each team showed glimpses of attaining third throughout the round.
Rhodes carded an impressive three-under in the final round thanks to her ability to amass only one bogey on the day. Beth Coulter followed in the footsteps of Rhodes by achieving a one-under round with her excellent bogey-free front nine, giving her team a much-needed boost.
Kate Dillon and Isla McDonald-O’Brien each shot two over, which wasn’t ideal, but because they kept their struggles to a minimum, it allowed the squad to stay ahead of teams that let the course get the best of them. Although round three was a solid outing, the Sun Devils will be reflecting on how they could have ended the round better. In the final stretch, beginning from hole 13, the team shot seven-over-par, which hindered them from moving further up the ladder.
Round two proved to be the most beneficial for the Maroon and Gold as three of the four players who made up the score shot under par. The team played decently on the front nine, but then came alive during the back nine. With the help of an eagle scored by Rhodes, the squad shot six under and set themselves up for success with the competitive final round looming.
In round one, the Stanford Golf Course challenged every team by allowing only three to notch an under-par performance. Arizona State shot two over, which kept them in the hunt heading into the future rounds. None of the players broke under par, but with Rhodes and Paula Schulz-Hanseen staying even on the day, it helped the Devils come out with an opportunistic approach. With a good chunk of teams already throwing in the white towel, the Sun Devils gave themselves a chance to score big in the Golden State.
Head coach Missy Farr-Kaye’s squad will be traveling to the beaches of Kona, Hawaii, next time out to compete in the Nanea Invitational Oct. 27-29. With a four-month break on the horizon after that tournament, the players will get a chance to rack up some much-needed rest before the second half of the season gets underway in February.
