Florida tough at home in taking team title in Gator Invitational; Auburn's Koivun the individual champion

 

   The last three national champions in men’s Division I golf gathered last weekend for the 49^th Gators Invitational at Florida’s home base, the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla.

   Not a total shocker that Florida, which won the fifth national title in the program’s rich golf history in 2023 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., would pull away in Sunday’s final round for a 14-shot victory over Southeastern Conference rival Auburn.

   It also wouldn’t be a total shocker to see all three of these teams among the final eight standing for match play when this spring’s NCAA Championship unfolds at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. as they were last spring when Big 12 power Oklahoma State emerged with the 12^th national championship in the Cowboys’ storied golf history.

   A talented Florida team, No. 10 in the latest Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings, posted a sparkling 14-under-par 266 over the familiar 6,701-yard, par-70 Mark Bostick layout in the afternoon of a Valentine’s Day double round to take a five-shot lead over Auburn, which captured the program’s first national championship in 2024 at La Costa, into Sunday’s final round.

   The reigning SRC champion Gators, who had opened with a solid 9-under 271, finished up with a 4-under 276 in Sunday’s final round when the temperatures went down and the winds came up for a 27-under 813 total that gave them a seventh straight victory in their home tournament.

   The Mark Bostick layout, a Donald Ross original with a significant touch-up by Bobby Weed 25 years ago, is shortish, considering how far these kids hit the ball these days. It can surrender a low score, but it seems to hold up pretty good against some of the best amateur players in the world.

   Case in point was the individual champion in the Gator Invitational, Auburn’s Jackson Koivun, a junior from Chapel Hill, N.C., who is the very best amateur player in the world, so says the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

   Koivun, coming off a mind-boggling 25-under performance to finish five shots clear of the field in the birdie-fest that is the Amer Ari Intercollegiate at Mauni Lani’s North Course on Hawaii’s Kohala Coast, jumped in front with a sizzling 6-under 64 in the opening round of the Gator Invitational.

   He added a couple of more modest rounds, a 1-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and a 2-under 68 in Sunday’s final round, to finish two shots clear of the field with a 9-under 201 total.

   Koivun led the way for Auburn as the Tigers, No. 2 in the latest Scoreboard rankings, led Florida by two shots following an opening round of 11-under 269, fell five shots behind the Gators with a 7-under 273 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and closed with a 5-over 285 to earn runnerup honors with a 13-under 827 total.

   Florida’s depth was on display at its home course as six Gators finished in the top 10 in the individual standings, led by Matthew Kress, a senior from Saratoga, Calif. and No. 53 in the WAGR, and Noah Kent, a junior from Naples, Fla., both of whom ended up in a trio tied for third place along with Auburn’s Jake Albert, a freshman from Blacksburg, Va. at 6-under 204.

   Kress, who was in the lineup for Florida in its victory over Georgia Tech in the NCAA Championship’s Final Match at Grayhawk in the spring of 2023, was a shot behind Auburn’s Albert going in the final round after Kress added a sparkling 4-under 66 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 67. Kress closed with a 1-over 71.

   Kent transferred to Florida in the middle of the wraparound 2024-2025 season from Iowa after his unlikely march to the U.S. Amateur final in the summer of 2024 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

   Kent couldn’t crack the Florida lineup last spring, but it looks like he’s starting to find his groove again. Kent ripped off three straight 2-under 68s to join his teammate Kress at 6-under.

   Zack Swanwick, a sophomore from New Zealand and No. 57 in the WAGR, finished alone in sixth place at 5-under 205. After opening with a 1-over 71, Swanwick recorded a 2-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a sparkling 4-under 66 in the difficult conditions of Sunday’s final round.

   Swanwick just kept coming up big for the Gators as a freshman a year ago as they marched to the SEC crown and all the way to the semifinals of the NCAA Championship before falling to eventual runnerup Virginia.

   Parker Sands, a senior from Edmond, Okla. and Jack Turner, a junior from Orlando, Fla. and No. 20 in the WAGR, finished in a tie for seventh place for Florida along with Oklahoma State’s Preston Stout, a junior from Richardson, Texas and No. 3 in the WAGR, each landing on 4-under 206.

   Sands added a 2-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 67 before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   Turner was another player tied for second place, along with his teammate Kress and Auburn’s Koivun, going into Sunday’s final round as Turner ripped off a sizzling 6-under 64 in Saturday afternoon’s second round after opening with a 69. Turner closed with a 3-over 73.

   Rounding out the top 10 in the individual standings was Trevor Gutschewski, a sophomore from Omaha, Neb. who was competing as individual for Florida and finished alone in 10^th place with a 3-under 207 total.

   Gutschewski, the son of PGA Tour player Scott Gutschewski and winner of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. in 2024, rattled off three straight 1-under 69s at the Gators’ home course.

   Reigning national champion Oklahoma State, No. 12 in the Scoreboard rankings, was the only other team to finish under par for three rounds at the Mark Bostick Course as the Cowboys ended up 11 shots behind Auburn in third place with a 2-under 838 total.

   Oklahoma State was led by Stout, who opened with a 3-under 67, added a 1-under 69 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and matched par in the final round with a 70 to join Gators Sands and Turner in the tie for seventh place at 4-under.

   American Athletic Conference representative South Florida, No. 70 in the Scoreboard rankings, ended up six shots behind Oklahoma State in fourth place with a 4-over 844 total. After opening with a 6-over 286, the Bulls registered a solid 5-under 275 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 283.

   USF was led by Wilhelm Ryding, a junior from Sweden who was the runnerup in the individual standings as he finished two shots behind Koivun with a 7-under 203 total. After opening with a 2-under 68, Ryding surged into contention on the strength of a sparkling 5-under 65 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   USF earned a ticket to last spring’s NCAA Championship by finishing in fourth place as a five seed in the Bremerton Regional, but were unable to earn a spot in the match-play bracket at La Costa.

   Charlotte, which edged USF in a playoff to claim the AAC crown last spring, finished eight shots behind Bulls in fifth place with a 12-over 852 total. The 49ers, No. 20 in the Scoreboard rankings, were pretty solid all weekend, opening with a 3-over 283, adding a 285 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and closing with a 284.

   Charlotte joined USF in last spring’s Bremerton Regional, but failed to advance to the NCAA Championship as a seven seed.

   Notre Dame, playing out of the tough Atlantic Coast Conference, finished two shots behind Charlotte in sixth place with a 14-over 854 total. The Fightin’ Irish bounced back from an opening-round 291 with a solid 4-under 276 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 7-over 287.

   Notre Dame, No. 71 in the Scoreboard rankings, failed to advance to the NCAA Championship at La Costa last spring as a seven seed in the Tallahassee Regional.

   Notre Dame was led by Jacob Modleski, a junior from Noblesville, Ind. and No. 16 in the WAGR as he finished among the group tied for 17^th place with a 1-over 211 total. After opening with a 1-over 71 at the Mark Bostick Course, Modleski contributed a sparkling 3-under 67 to the Irish’s second-round surge before closing with a 73.

   Modleski joined Auburn’s Koivun and Josiah Gilbert, a junior from Millcreek, Ala. and No. 12 in the WAGR, Oklahoma State’s Stout and Florida’s Turner among a group of 18 players who teed it up in Jupiter, Fla. in December in a practice session for candidates for the United States team for this summer’s Walker Cup Match at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland.

   Modleski, Koivun and Stout were members of the U.S. team that claimed a 17-9 victory over Great Britain & Ireland in last summer’s Walker Cup Match at the iconic Cypress Point Club on northern California’s Monterey Peninsula.

   Liberty, a Conference USA representative, finished in seventh place with a 19-over 859 total as the Flames, No. 80 in the Scoreboard rankings, matched par in Saturday afternoon’s second round with a 280 after opening with a 9-over 289 before closing with a 290.

   It was the spring opener for Penn State, a Big Ten entry, and the Nittany Lions finished in 15^th place in the 18-team field with a 36-over 876 total. Penn State opened with a 9-over 289, added a 292 in Saturday afternoon’s second round and closed with a 295.

   Really strong showing for Auburn freshman Albert backing up Koivun as Albert joined Florida’s Kress and Kent in the tie for third place at 6-under. Albert held the individual lead following Saturday’s double round as he matched Koivun’s opening round of 6-under 64 and added a 68 in the afternoon. Albert closed with a 2-over 72.

   Gilbert, Auburn’s other candidate for the U.S. Walker Cup team, finished among the group tied for 21^st place at 2-over 212. Gilbert matched par in the opening round with a 70 and added a 3-under 67 in Saturday afternoon’s second, but struggled in the final round with a 5-over 75.

   Gutschewski wasn’t the only Gator to compete as an individual as head coach J.C. Deacon sent out three more talented players, all of whom had solid finishes.

   Sophomore Josh Bai, like Swanwich a New Zealander, sandwiched a 2-over 72 in Saturday’s second round with a pair of even-par 70s to finish in the group tied for 21^st place at 2-over 212. Bai was the runnerup in the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2023 at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston, S.C.

   Parker Bell, a senior from Tallahassee, Fla., and Parker Severs, a freshman from Lakewood Ranch, Fla., finished among the group tied for 30^th place, each landing on 4-over 214.

   After opening with a solid 1-under 69, Bell added a 2-over 72 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 73. Severs added a 1-under 69 in Saturday’s second round to his opening round of 2-over 72 before finishing up with a 73.

   Florida was without injured Luke Poulter, a junior from Orlando, Fla. and No. 15 in the WAGR. Luke Poulter lives in Orlando, but he’s a Brit, the son of U.S. Ryder Cup nemesis Ian Poulter. Luke Poulter was on the GB&I team that fell to the U.S. last summer at Cypress Point.

   A couple of familiar names in the Notre Dame lineup as senior Calen Sanderson, the PIAA Class AAA champion in 2020 as a junior at Holy Ghost Prep, finished among the group tied for 40^th place at 5-over 215 and junior Rocco Salvitti, a four-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier during an outstanding scholastic career at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, landed in the group tied for 48^th place with a 7-over 217 total.

   Sanderson’s senior season got off to a great start when he finished in a tie for second place in the Folds of Honor Collegiate at the American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Mich. and followed that up with an individual victory in the Canadian Collegiate Invitational at the Oviinbyrd Golf Club in Ontario.

   After opening with a 1-over 71 at the Mark Bostick Course, Sanderson carded back-to-back 2-over 72s in the final two rounds.

   Salvitti, who rolled to a five-shot victory in last summer’s Pennsylvania Amateur Championship at Huntsville Golf Club in Dallas, struggled in the opening round at the Mark Bostick Course with a 7-over 77, but bounced right back with a sparkling 4-under 66 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 74.

   Speaking of Huntsville, it was a Huntsville member, Michael Lugiano, the PIAA Class AA runnerup as a senior at Lake Lehman in 2023, who was the runnerup to Salivitti in last summer’s Pennsylvania Am on his home course.

   Lugiano, a sophomore, led the way for Liberty in the Gator Invitational as he finished among the trio tied for 12^th place with a 1-over 211 total. Lugiano added a solid 2-under 68 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening round of 1-over 71 before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   It is the final season at Liberty for Norristown’s Josh Ryan, winner of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship three straight times from 2020 to 2022.

   After shaking off the rust in an opening round of 6-over 76, Ryan posted a 1-over 71 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 70 that left him in the group tied for 48^th place with a 7-over 217 total.

   Also in the lineup for the Flames was senior Evan Barbin of the golfing Barbin family of Elkton, Md. Barbin got off to a solid start with a pair of 1-over 71s in Saturday’s double round before closing with a 76 that left him in a tie for 60^th place with an 8-over 218 total.

   Leading the way for Penn State was Alex Creamean, a junior from Winnetka, Ill. who finished in the group tied for 21^st place at 2-over 212. Creamean, coming off a solid fall campaign for the Nittany Lions, got off to a good start with an opening round of 1-under 69 and added a 3-over 73 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before matching par in the final round with a 70.

   Backing up Creamean for Penn State was Andres Barraza, a senior from Parkland, Fla. who finished among the group tied for 48^th place with a 7-over 217 total. Barraza was really solid in Saturday’s double round, adding a 2-under 68 in the afternoon to his opening round of 1-over 71, before falling back a little with a final-round 78.

   Jackson Soroney, a freshman from Syracuse, N.Y., added a 5-over 75 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 74 before closing with a 72 as he finished in the group tied for 69^th place at 221 for the Nittany Lions.

   Will Preston, a sophomore from Grand Rapids, Mich., finished in a tie for 90^th place at 228 as he added a 6-over 76 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 75 before closing with a 77.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup was Zach Smith, a junior from Canada who finished among a trio of players tied for 95^th place at 232. After opening with a 7-over 77, Smith added a 79 in Saturday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with his best round of the weekend, a 76.

   Sophomore Nick Turowski, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier during an outstanding scholastic career at Penn Trafford, was in the lineup for West Virginia and finished alone in 82^nd place with a 224 total.

   Turowski, winner of the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship last summer at Rolling Green Golf Club, added a 4-over 74 in Saturday afternoon’s second round to his opening-round 73 before finishing up with a 77.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking very much like the No. 1 team in the country, Stanford rolls to team title in Thunderbird Intercollegiate

 

   Only at Stanford can the No. 3 player in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) compete as an individual and capture the individual crown while the team still claims the team title by 35 shots.

   That’s how the No. 1 team in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings opened the spring portion of its wraparound 2025-2026 season schedule last week, the Cardinal placing four players inside the top 10 (five, counting the individual champion) on their way to their third team victory of the season in the Thunderbird Intercollegiate, hosted by one-time Pac-12 rival Arizona at Tucson Country Club.

   I’m guessing Anne Walker, the Margot and Mitch Malias director of women’s golf at Stanford, wanted to give Anna Song, a freshman from Los Angeles, Calif. some competitive reps as part of the starting lineup.

   So Andrea Revuelta, a sophomore from Spain and the aforementioned third-ranked women’s amateur player on the planet, got to free-wheel it a little while competing as an individual and she rolled to the individual crown by four shots over her Stanford teammate and fellow Spaniard Paula Martin Sampedro, a junior and No. 2 in the Women’s WAGR.

   Meanwhile, Revuleta’s teammates matched par in the opening round of a double round Feb. 9^th with a 288 over the 6,736-yard, par-72 Tucson layout and added a 5-under 283 in the afternoon before closing with a sparkling 11-under 277 in the final round Feb. 10^th for a 16-under 848 total.

   The Tucson layout was not as kind to the rest of the field as runnerup Baylor, a Big 12 power, was the next closest competitor with a 19-over 883 total. The 35-shot margin of victory tied a program record for Stanford.

   It’s no big secret that Stanford is the best team in Division I women’s golf. The victory was the Cardinal’s second straight, coming on the heels of a 19-shot win over an even tougher field to close out the fall portion of their schedule in the Nanea Invitational at the Nanea Golf Club in Kailua Kona, Hawaii in October.

   Stanford begins each season as a national championship contender, twice capturing that title in the last four years and coming up frustratingly short in a stunning loss to Northwestern in the NCAA Championship’s Final Match at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. last spring.

   The regular lineup includes the No. 2 (Martin Sampedro), No. 3 (Revuelta), No. 4 (Meja Ortengren), No. 5 (Megha Ganne) and No. 18 (Kelly Xu) players in the Women’s WAGR.

   Unbeatable? They know better having fallen in the semifinals to Wake Forest in their first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference before that gut-punch of a loss to Northwestern at La Costa last spring.

   There is a standard when it comes to Stanford golf, though, and this group seems determined to live up to that standard every time the Cardinal tees it up.

   They certainly did that at Tucson.

   Revuleta opened with the best individual round of the week, a sizzling 6-under 66 and added a 3-under 69 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with a 70 that gave her an 11-under 205 total.

   It was Revuelta’s third career victory, joining Kathleen McCarthy, Mariah Stackhouse, Andrea Lee, Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck as Stanford players who racked up three wins before the end of their sophomore seasons.

   Martin Sampedro led the way for Stanford in the team chase, opening with a 4-under 68, matching par in Monday afternoon’s second round with a 72 and closing with a 3-under 69 to finish in second place in the individual chase at 7-under 209.

   Martin Sampedro crept within two shots of her countrywoman Revuelta at one point in the final round, but ultimately finished four shots back.

   Revuelta and Martin Sampedro were two-thirds of the Spanish team that lost out in a tiebreaker to the United States in last fall’s Women’s World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) in Singapore after finishing in a tie for first place with the United States and South Korea.

   Baylor, coming off a fourth-place finish in last month’s UCF Challenge at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., opened with a 7-over 295 and added a 2-over 290 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before matching par in the final round with a 288.

   Baylor was led by Silje Ohma, a senior from Norway who finished in a tie for fifth place in the individual standings with Stanford’s Song and Texas Tech’s Lauren Zaretsky, a senior from Canada, each landing on 3-under 213.

   Ohma added a 3-under 69 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her opening-round 71 before closing with a 1-over 73.

   Baylor moved up a spot from No. 21 to No. 20 in the Scoreboard rankings in the aftermath of the Thunderbird Intercollegiate. The Bears earned a trip to last spring’s NCAA Championship by finishing in fifth place as a seven seed in the Norman Regional, but were unable to land a spot in the match-play bracket at La Costa.

   Host Arizona finished a shot behind its Big 12 rival Baylor with a 20-over 884 total as the Wildcats added a 4-over 292 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to their opening-round 295 before closing with a 9-over 297.

   Arizona is looking for a bounce-back season after failing to advance to the NCAA Championship at La Costa last spring as a three seed in the Lubbock Regional.

   The Wildcats dropped a spot in the Scoreboard rankings from No. 22 to No. 21 following the Thunderbird Intercollegiate.

   Texas Tech, another Big 12 representative, finished four shots behind Arizona in fourth place with a 24-over 888 total.

   Texas Tech, coming off a sixth-place finish in the Paradise Invitational at Osprey Point Golf Course in Boca Raton, Fla. to open its spring campaign, bounced back from an opening-round 301 with a 9-over 297 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a solid 2-over 290.

   Zaretsky led the way for the Red Raiders as she matched par in both ends of the opening-day double round with a pair of 72s before closing with a solid 3-under 69 to join the trio tied for fifth place at 3-under.

   Klara Hurtova, a junior from Czechia, gave Texas Tech another finisher in the top eight as she shared eighth place with Brigham Young’s Maria Jose “M.J.” Barragan, a junior from Mexico, each ending up with a 1-under 215 total.

   Hurtova, who represented Texas Tech as an individual in the Lubbock Regional last spring, opened with a solid 3-under 69 and added a 2-over 74 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Texas Tech moved up three spots in the Scoreboard rankings from No. 47 to No. 44 following its fourth-place finish in the Thunderbird Intercollegiate.

   Brigham Young made it four straight Big 12 entries lined up behind Stanford as the Cougars finished two shots behind Texas Tech in fifth place in the 15-team field with a 26-over 890 total.

   BYU added a solid 1-over 289 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to its opening-round 300 before closing with a 301.

   The Cougars, coming off a fifth-place finish in their spring opener in the Collegiate Invitational at Guadalajara Country Club in Mexico, were led by Barragan, who added a sparkling 4-under 68 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her opening round of 1-over 73 before closing with a 74.

   BYU, No. 64 in the latest Scoreboard rankings, was unable to advance to the NCAA Championship in La Costa last spring as a nine seed in the Charlottesville Regional.

   The talented Ortengren, a sophomore from Sweden, backed up Martin Sampedro for Stanford as she finished alone in fourth place with a 5-under 211 total. After shaking off the rust with an opening round of 3-over 75, Ortengren added a 3-under 69 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a sizzling 5-under 67, the best round of the day in the final round.

   Song, the Cardinal freshman, opened with a 1-over 73 and added a 1-under 71 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a sparkling 3-under 69 to join Baylor’s Ohma and Texas Tech’s Zaretsky in the trio tied for fifth place at 3-under.

   Xu, a senior from Claremont, Calif., gave Stanford a fifth finisher in the top 10 in the individual standings as she finished alone in 10^th place with an even-par 216 total. Xu was routinely consistent, matching par in each round with three straight 72s.

   Rounding out the Stanford lineup was another senior standout, Ganne, the pride of Holmdel, N.J. and winner of last summer’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at the Bandon Dunes Resort on the rugged Oregon coastline.

   Ganne added a 1-under 71 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her opening round of 3-over 75 before closing with a 74 to finish among the group tied for 13^th place at 4-over 220.

   Oh yeah, Ganne was a member of the U.S. team that hoisted the Espirito Santo Trophy after taking the team crown via tiebreaker in the Women’s WATC in Singapore in October.

   Strong showing by Charlotte’s Pinky Chaisilpruangruang, a sophomore from Thailand, as she finished alone in third place in the individual standings, a shot behind Stanford’s Martin Sampedro with a 6-under 210 total.

   Chaisilpruangruang represented the 49ers as an individual in the Charlottesville Regional last spring and utterly charmed everyone whose path she crossed in a run to the second round of the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Bandon Dunes in August.

   After opening with a 3-under 69 at Tucson, Chaisilpruangruang added a 71 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round and closed with a solid 70 to get it to 6-under.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jiratthitinun, Rabb help Penn State start the spring strong with fifth-place finish in UCF Challenge

 

   A little late with this, but wanted to get back to the opener of the spring campaign for the Penn State women’s team …

   Coming off a strong finish to the fall portion of the wraparound 2025-2026 college golf season, Penn State got its spring campaign off to a solid start with a fifth-place finish behind some heavyweights in a 16-team field that gathered for the UCF Challenge, presented by the Player Development Index (PDI), which wrapped up Jan. 27^th at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Fla.

   The cold weather that would eventually shorten the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Tournament of Champions to 54 holes was approaching Orlando, so the UCF Challenge, originally scheduled to be three days of single rounds, tried to get in 36 holes Jan. 26^th, but couldn’t quite pull it off.

   Teams had to return Jan. 27^th to finish up their final round and basically succeeded in beating the worst of the January chill that reached Orlando.

   Penn State opened with a 1-under-par 287 over the 6,392-yard, par-72 Eagle Creek layout and added a solid 5-under 283 in the second round played over two days before closing with a 1-over 289 that gave the Nittany Lions, out of the Big Ten, a 5-under 859 total.

   It left the Nittany Lions 19 shots behind Southeastern Conference power Auburn, which claimed the team crown with a 24-under 840 total.

   Penn State went into college golf’s midseason pause at No. 71 in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings. Following its fifth-place finish in the UCF Challenge, one of the traditional starting points in the early part of the spring season, Penn State rose to No. 61 in the Scoreboard rankings.

   There’s a lot of golf to be played between now and the Big Ten Championship, which heads west this year to Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, Calif. and tees off April 24. But the Nittany Lions are building a little momentum as college golf’s spring sprint to the postseason unfolds.

   Penn State was led by Yaya Jiratthitinun, a sophomore from Thailand, and sophomore Hannah Rabb, the 2022 PIAA Class AA champion as a junior at Warrior Run, as they finished in the top 16 in the individual standings.

   Jiratthitinun, coming off an outstanding freshman season, opened with a 3-under 69 and added a 2-under 70 in the second round before closing with a 1-over 73 that left her alone in 13^th place with a 4-under 212 total. It was Jiratthitinun’s best finish in relation to par for the season.

   Rabb, who transferred to Penn State following her freshman season at James Madison, added a 2-under 70 in the second round to her opening round of 1-over 73 before closing with a 1-under 71 that left her alone in 16^th place with a 2-under 214 total.

   It was also the best finish in relation to par this season for Rabb, winner of the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur Championship last summer at Valley Brook Country Club.

   It was Auburn, behind individual champion Katie Cranston, a senior from Canada and No. 75 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), that outdueled Southeastern Conference rival Mississippi State to capture the team title by four shots over the Bulldogs.

   The Tigers got off to a solid start with an 8-under 280 and then added a 10-under 278, the best team round of the tournament, early on the second day that gave them a three-shot cushion over Mississippi State going into the final round.

   Auburn closed with a 6-under 282 to hold off the Bulldogs and win its third team title of the wraparound 2025-’26 season.

   Cranston was the picture of consistency while claiming the first individual victory of her collegiate career as she rattled off three straight 3-under 69s for a 9-under 207 total that was one shot better than Mississippi State’s Avery Weed, a junior from Ocean Springs, Miss. and No. 32 in the Women’s WAGR, and host Central Florida’s Mila Jurine, a sophomore from France.

   Auburn also got a strong showing from Molly Brown Davidson, a sophomore from Springville, Ala. who finished among a trio of players tied for fourth place that included Baylor’s Malena Castro, a sophomore from Argentina, and Florida Gulf Coast’s Leonie Wulfers, a senior from Germany, as they all landed on 7-under 209.

   Brown Davidson was only a shot behind her teammate Cranston going into the final round as Brown Davidson added a 4-under 68 in the second round to her opening-round 69. Brown Davidson matched par in the final round with an important 72 as the Tigers were trying to hold off Mississippi State.

   Charlotte Cantonis, a freshman from Tampa, Fla., gave Auburn a third finisher in the top 10 as she ended up in a tie for 10^th place with Mississippi State’s Moa Stridh, a freshman from Sweden, and Baylor’s Amelia Wan, a freshman from England, each landing on 5-under 211.

   After opening with a 1-over 73, Cantonis contributed a 3-under 69 for the Tigers in the second round and a 4-under 68, their best individual round of the day, in the final round.

   Auburn entered the UCF Challenge at No. 7 in the Scoreboard rankings and has actually dropped a spot to No. 8 since then.

   Auburn is hoping for a bounce-back season after the Tigers failed to advance to last spring’s NCAA Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. as a three seed in the Gold Canyon Regional.

   Mississippi State was at that same Gold Canyon Regional and did advance to the NCAA Championship by finishing in fourth place as a four seed, although the Bulldogs were unable to earn a spot in the match-play bracket at La Costa.

   Mississippi State was right on Auburn’s heels the whole way at Eagle Creek as the Bulldogs opened with a 7-under 281 and added an 8-under 280 in the second round before closing with a 5-under 283 that left them in second place, five shots behind the Tigers with a 20-under 844 total.

   Weed led the way as she sandwiched a 4-under 68 in the second round with a pair of 2-under 70s to finish a shot behind Cranston at 8-under.

   Ines Belchior, a freshman from Portugal, backed up Weed for Mississippi State as she finished in a tie for seventh place with UCF’s Pimpisa “Sandwich” Sisutham, a senior stalwart for the Knights from Thailand and No. 81 in the Women’s WAGR, and South Florida’s Tiphani Knight, a freshman from Spain, each ending up at 6-under 210.

   Belchior was two shots out of the lead going into the final round after adding a 4-under 68 in the second round to her opening-round 70. She matched par in the final round with a 72.

   Stridh gave Mississippi State a third player in the top 10 as she sandwiched a 1-under 71 in the second round with a pair of 2-under 70s to join the trio tied for 10^th place at 5-under.

   Mississippi State has moved up from No. 18 to No. 16 in the Scoreboard rankings in the two weeks since the UCF Challenge was played.

   Host UCF, playing out of the Big 12, finished five shots behind Mississippi State in third place with a 15-under 849 total.

   The Knights, behind Jurine and Sisutham, were solid throughout, adding a 6-under 282 in the second round to their opening-round 283 before closing with a 4-under 284.

   Jurine posted back-to-back 2-under 70s in the first two rounds before closing with a 4-under 68 to earn her share of runnerup honors with Mississippi State’s Weed at 8-under. Sisutham recorded back-to-back 3-under 69s in the first two rounds before matching par in the final round with a 72 to get her share of seventh place at 6-under.

   UCF, which closed out its fall schedule with a solid runnerup finish in the Landfall Tradition at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C., has dropped three spots in the Scoreboard rankings from No. 12 to No. 15 since its home tournament.

   Baylor, a rival of UCF in the Big 12, was another five shots behind UCF in fourth place with a 10-under 854 total.

   The Bears, who have maintained the No.-21 spot in the Scoreboard rankings they had at the outset of the UCF Challenge, opened with a 7-under 281 and added a 3-under 285 in the second round before matching par in the final round with a 288.

   Castro was a shot out of the lead held by Florida Gulf Coast’s Wulfers going into the final round as she matched the low individual round of the tournament with a sparkling 6-under 66 in the second round after she had opened with a 71. She matched par in the final round with a 72 to join the trio tied for fourth place at 7-under.

   Castro’s teammate Wan matched that 6-under 66 in her opening round, matched par with a 72 in the second round and closed with a 1-over 73 as she gave Baylor a second finisher inside the top 10, joining Auburn’s Cantonis and Mississippi State’s Stridh in the trio tied for 10^th place at 5-under.

   Backing up the top three for Auburn was Anna Davis, a junior from Spring Valley, Calif. and, at No. 14 in the Women’s WAGR, one of the very best players in Division I women’s golf.

   After opening with a 3-under 69, Davis carded a 71 in the second round before closing with a 1-over 73 as she finished in a tie for 14^th place with a 3-under 213 total.

   Davis had finished off the fall portion of Auburn’s schedule by claiming an individual title in the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational at the Finley Golf Club on North Carolina’s campus in Chapel Hill, N.C. and co-medalist honors in the Nanea Invitational at the Nanea Golf Club in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, the third and fourth victories of her college career.

   Davis and Mississippi State’s Weed had spent the previous weekend in Los Angeles as they were among a dozen candidates for the U.S. Curtis Cup team that gathered for a practice session at Bel-Air Country Club, site of the biennial matches against a Great Britain & Ireland team in June.

   Rounding out the Auburn lineup was Carys Worby, a redshirt senior from Wales who finished among the group tied for 35^th place with a 3-over 219 total. Worby put together three straight 1-over 73s.

   Auburn head coach Melissa Luellen brought along Anne Fernandez, a sophomore from Singapore, and Frances Brown, a freshman from Mobile, Ala., to compete as individuals at Eagle Creek.

   Fernandez was solid as she added a 3-under 69 in the second round to her opening round of 2-over 74 before closing with a 1-over 73 to finish in the group tied for 17^th place at even-par 216.

   Brown bounced back from an opening round of 7-over 79 with a solid 2-under 70 in the second round before closing with a 75 to finish among the group tied for 61^st place with an 8-over 224 total.

   Florida Gulf Coast’s Wulfers had the individual lead when the second round wrapped up early in the day Jan. 26^th after completing a second straight 4-under 68. She closed with a 1-over 73 in a final round played over two days to get a share of fourth place with Auburn’s Brown Davidson and Baylor’s Castro at 7-under.

   USF’s Knight added a 1-under 71 in the second round to her opening-round 70 before closing with a 3-under 69 to get a share of seventh place with Mississippi State’s Belchior and UCF’s Sisutham at 6-under.

   Penn State got another strong performance from Lilian Guleserin, a freshman from Westwood, Mass. who finished among the group tied for 17^th place at even-par 216 to back up Jiratthitinun and Rabb. After opening with a 2-over 74, Guleserin signed for back-to-back 1-under 71s in the final two rounds.

   Audrey Lam, a freshman from Belgium coming off a solid start to her college career in the fall, finished in the group tied for 41^st place for the Nittany Lions with a 4-over 220 total. After opening with a solid 1-under 71, Lam added a 3-over 75 in the second round before finishing up with a 74.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup was Mara King, a freshman playing not far from her Lake Mary, Fla. home who finished among the trio tied for 51^st place with a 6-over 222 total. King matched par with a 72 in the second round after opening with a 4-over 76 and closed with a 74.

   Kristen Simpson, who earned her first career tournament title in her third year at the helm at Penn State in the Nittany Lion Invitational last fall, brought along Myranda Quinton, a junior from Canada, to compete as an individual and Quinton delivered a solid performance.

   Quinton matched par in the second round with a 72 after opening with a 1-over 73 and closed with a 1-under 71 to join her teammate Guleserian in the group tied for 17^th place at even-par 216.