A solid September start for Simpson's international cast at Penn State

 

   Penn State, under second-year head coach Kristen Simpson, capped off a busy September with a solid seventh-place finish against a tough field in the Cavalier Regional Preview, which wrapped up Tuesday at Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville, Va.

   One of Simpson’s prized recruits, Jiratchaya Jiratthitinun, a freshman from Thailand, finished among a foursome of players tied for sixth place in the individual standings with a solid 1-under 212 total.

   It was the first time Penn State has played in the tournament and was a homecoming for Simpson, who played her college golf at Virginia.

   I plan to check in on all three of Penn State’s September tournaments in this post, but I want to go back a couple of weeks to the 48^th Nittany Lion Invitational, played in spectacular late summer weather Sept. 14^th and 15^th at Penn State’s Blue Course, and start there.

   Penn State, coming off a 16^th-place finish in its season-opening appearance against a loaded field in the Cougar Classic at the Yeamans Hill Club in Charleston, S.C., had its best round of the weekend, an 8-over 296, in the final round of the Nittany Lion Invitational to end up in fourth place with a 31-over 895 total.

   Penn State, playing out of the Big Ten, was led by Drew Nienhaus, a senior from St. Louis, Mo. who was steady all weekend while finishing in a tie for third place in the individual standings with an even-par 216 total. After opening with a 1-under 71, Nienhaus added a 1-over 73 in the second round of the opening-day double round before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   A couple of Ivy League entries dominated the team chase as Princeton rolled to the team crown with a 10-over 874 total with Harvard 15 shots behind the Tigers in second place with a 25-over 889 total.

   Princeton posted a pair of 1-over 289s in the opening-day double round to take control of the team race before finishing up with an 8-over 296 that matched Penn State for the best team round in the final round.

   Harvard added a 6-over 294 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to its 7-over 295 in the  first round before closing with a 12-over 300.

   Princeton was led by Catherine Rao, a senior from Caramillo, Calif.  and No. 49 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) who finished three shots clear of teammate Abra Richmond, a freshman from Glendale, Calif., with a 5-under 211 total.

   Rao missed the wraparound 2023-’24 season with an injury, but was clearly back in form at last month’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. where she made a remarkable third straight run to the quarterfinals.

   Rao took control of the individual race with an opening round of 5-under 67 and never let up. She added a 2-under 70 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with 2-over 74.

   Richmond was the only other player to finish in red figures for the weekend as she matched par in the opening round with a 72 and then posted back-to-back 1-under 71s in the final two rounds for a 2-under 214 total.

   Jacksonville State, a Conference USA representative, finished three shots behind Harvard in third place with a 28-over 892 total. The Gamecocks were just a shot behind Princeton after opening with a 2-over 290. They added a 9-over 297 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round, but struggled to a 306 in the final round.

   Delaware, coming off an impressive seven-shot team victory in the Badger Invitational, hosted by Wisconsin at the University Ridge Golf Course in Verona, Wis. to open its season, finished a shot behind Penn State in fifth place in the Nittany Lion Invitational with a 32-over 896 total.

   The Blue Hens had grabbed the lead with an opening round of 2-under 286 before falling back with an 8-over 296 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round. Delaware struggled in the final round with a 314.

   Backing up Rao and Richmond for Princeton was Olivia Duan, a freshman from Cupertino, Calif. who finished among the group tied for 13^th place with a 6-over 222 total. Duan added  1-over 73 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her morning 75 before closing with a 2-over 74.

   Victoria Liu, a senior from Canada who claimed the Ivy League individual crown for the second time in her career last spring, finished in the group tied for 30^th place with a 228 total. After opening with a 3-over 75, Liu added a 76 in the second round before finishing up with a 77.

   Liu represented Princeton in the NCAA’s Las Vegas Regional at Spanish Trail Country Club last spring.

   Rounding out the lineup for the Tigers was Caiyi Flora Zhang, a sophomore from China who finished among the group tied for 38^th place with a 230 total. Zhang opened with a 6-over 78 and added a 75 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round that was a counter for the Tigers before closing with a 77.

   Joining Penn State’s Nienhaus in the for third place at even-par 216 was Yale’s Mia Sessa, a junior from Augusta, Ga. After opening with a 1-under 71, Sessa added a 1-over 73 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before matching par in the final round with a 72.

   Central Arkansas’ Madison Holmes, a senior from Paragould, Ark., finished two shots behind Nienhaus and Sessa in fifth place with a 2-over 218 total. After opening with a 2-over 74, Holmes matched par in each of the last two rounds with a pair of 72s.

   A couple of Jacksonville State players, Lara El Chaib, a freshman from the United Arab Emirates, and Emilie Clausen, a sophomore from Denmark, finished in sixth place and in a tie for seventh, respectively, to lead the way for the Gamecocks.

   El Chaib opened with a 1-under 71 before recording back-to-back 2-over 74s in the final two rounds to finish a shot behind Holmes at 3-over 219. Clausen opened with a solid 2-under 70 and added a 4-over 76 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a 74 to end up a shot behind El Chaib with a 4-over 220 total.

   Joining Clausen at 4-over in a tie for seventh place was Delaware’s Lilia Henkel, a sophomore from Grand Rapids, Mich. who bounced back from an opening round of 4-over 76 with a 2-under 70 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before finishing up with a 74.

   Henkel captured the Coastal Athletic Association individual crown last spring, leading the Blue Hens to team crown in the CAA and a berth in the Bermuda Run Regional in East Lansing, Mich.

   Delaware will join Conference USA next summer, so Henkel may get a chance to defend her CAA crown next spring.

   Backing up Nienhaus in the Penn State lineup was senior Michelle Cox, a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Emmaus who finished among the group tied for 18^th place with an 8-over 224 total. After struggling in the opening round with an 80, Cox matched par in each of the final two rounds with a pair of 72s.

   Cox was coming off a solid summer of golf highlighted by a trip to the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills. Cox earned medalist honors in a qualifier at the Kenwood Golf & Country Club in Bethesda, Md. to punch her ticket to the U.S. Women’s Amateur for the first time.

   Jiratthitinun, the freshman from Thailand, finished in the group tied for 34^th place with a 220 total in her Nittany Lion Invitational debut as she struggled in the opening-day double round, adding a 5-over 77 in the afternoon to her morning 76 before bouncing back with a solid 2-under 70 in the final round.

   Simpson used the occasion of the Nittany Lion Invitational to give two of her other freshmen, Lauren Thompstone of France and Gwen Powell, a four-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at North Pocono, a chance to play in the starting lineup for Penn State for the first time.

   Thompstone finished in the group tied for 38^th place with a 230 total as she signed for a pair of 5-over 77s in the opening-day double round before closing with a 76.

   Powell finished in the group tied for 56^th place with a 234 total as she added a 6-over 78 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her morning 76 before closing with an 80.

   Simpson sent out three other players to compete as individuals in Penn State’s home tournament and Zeynep Sualp, a freshman from Turkiye, and Jami Morris, a senior from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, responded with strong showings.

   Sualp finished among the group tied for 13^th place with a 6-over 222 total as she matched par in both ends of the opening-day double round with a pair of 72s before closing with a 6-over 78.

   The veteran Morris finished in 17^th place with a 7-over 223 total as she registered a pair of 2-over 74s in the opening-day double round before closing with a 75.

   Rounding out the Penn State contingent in the Nittany Lion Invitational was Myranda Quinton, a junior from Canada who was competing as an individual. Quinton finished in a tie for 65^th place with a 230 total as she opened with a 4-over 76 and added an 81 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a 79.

   Neat story on the Penn State website authored by Tyler Millen on how the international cast that Simpson has gathered has come together as a team, despite their varied backgrounds.

   Backing up Henkel for Delaware was Hyunji Kim, a freshman from England who finished in the group tied for 18^th place with an 8-over 224 total. Kim got off to a great start with a sparkling 3-under 69, cooled off after that, adding a 4-over 76 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a 79.

   Alisa Khokhlova, a senior from Russia, finished among the group tied for 21^st place at 9-over 225 as she played well in the opening-day double round, matching par in the opening round with a 72 and adding a 1-over 73 in the afternoon before closing with an 80.

   Nice addition to the Delaware roster with the transfer of Mary Grace Dunigan from William & Mary to the Blue Hens. Dunigan, the daughter of Golf Digest Top 50 teacher John Dunigan, was a three-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at Unionville and helped the Longhorns capture the state team crown in 2020.

   Dunigan, a sophomore, finished in a tie for 38^th place in the Nittany Lion Invitational with a 230 total as she matched par in the opening round with a 72 and added a 5-over 77 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before struggling to an 81 in the final round.

   Sophomore Marissa Malosh, a two-time PIAA Class AAA qualifier at South Fayette coming off a solid freshman season with the Blue Hens, finished among the group tied for 46^th place with a 232 total. Malosh opened with a solid 1-over 73, but struggled a little after that, adding a 78 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with an 81.

   Anushka Sawant, a freshman from South Brunswick, N.J., competed as an individual for Delaware and finished in 73^rd place with a 242 total. After opening with a 5-over 77, Sawant struggled with rounds of 83 and 82 in the second and third rounds, respectively.

   Dunigan was coming off a solid Delaware debut as she and Henkel finished in a tie for third place in the individual standings, each landing on 1-over 217, in leading the Blue Hens to team title in the Badger Invitational.

   Henkel had another strong showing as she finished in a tie for 15^th place with a 4-over 220 total to help Delaware finish in 11^th place in a loaded 15-team field in the Mary Fossum Invitational, hosted by Big Ten power Michigan State at the Forest Akers West Golf Course in East Lansing, Mich.

   Delaware put together a 43-over 907 total over the 6,370-yard, par-72 Forest Akers West layout in the Mary Fossum, which had a field that included eight Power Four teams and wrapped up Sept. 23^rd.

   It was the season opener for Patriot League representative Richmond in the Nittany Lion Invitational and the Spiders finished in 13^th place in the 14-team field with a 69-over 933 total.

   Senior Lauren Jones, the Inter-Ac League individual champion as a senior at Episcopal Academy in 2021, finished in a tie for 38^th place with a 230 total as she sandwiched an 80 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round with a pair of 3-over 75s. Jones plays out of Merion Golf Club.

   Junior Hannah Lydic, a Sussex Academy product, finished in a tie for 74^th place with a 243 total as she struggled on Penn State’s Blue Course, adding a pair of 82s in the final two rounds after opening with a 7-over 79.

   It was a coming-out party for Jiratthitinun in the Cavalier Regional Preview as the Penn State freshman opened with a sparkling 3-under 68 in rainy conditions over the 6,335-yard, par-71 Birdwood layout, matched par in the afternoon of the opening-day double round and closed with a 2-over 73 to earn her first career top-10 finish in a tough field.

   The team title went to Atlantic Coast Conference power North Carolina as the Tar Heels ran away with an 18-shot victory over tournament host and ACC rival Virginia with a 22-under 830 total.

   North Carolina opened with a 6-under 278 and added a sizzling 13-under 271 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before cooling off with a 3-under 281 in the final round. The second round 271 was a program record for strokes in a round and in relation to par for the Tar Heels.

   North Carolina was led by Inez Ng, a junior from Singapore who was a runaway winner with a sparkling 12-under 201 total, a program record by three shots. Ng added a sizzling 6-under 65 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her morning 69 before closing with a 4-under 67 in earning her first collegiate victory.

   Ng finished eight shots clear of teammate Megan Streicher, a junior from South Africa and No. 93 in the Women’s WAGR, and Virginia’s Amanda Sambach, a senior from Pinehurst, N.C. and No. 18 in the Women’s WAGR, both of whom landed in a tie for second place on 4-under 209.

   Streicher carded a pair of 1-under 70s in the opening-day double round before finishing up with a 2-under 69. After opening with a 2-over 73, Sambach added a 4-under 67 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before matching Streicher’s 2-under 69 in the final round.

   Sambach led host Virginia to a runnerup finish in the team standings as the Cavaliers were the only other team to finish under par with a 4-under 848 total.

   Virginia struggled a little in the opening round with a 6-over 290, but quickly recovered with the best team round of the tournament, a 14-under 270 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round. The Cavaliers closed with a 4-over 288.

   It was 20 shots back to Southeastern Conference entry Tennessee as the Volunteers took fourth place with a 16-over 868 total. Tennessee opened with a 7-over 291 and bounced back with a 6-under 278 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before struggling to a 299 in the final round.

   North Carolina State, another ACC entry, was another 10 shots behind Tennessee in fourth place with a 26-over 878 total as the Wolfpack opened with a 10-over 294 and rebounded with a 3-under 281 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before struggling to a 303 in the final round.

   Penn State’s Big Ten rival Maryland and Charlotte, which plays out of the American Athletic Conference, finished nine shots behind N.C. State in a tie for fifth place, each landing on 37-over 889.

   The Terrapins added a 3-over 287 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to their morning 294 before struggling to a 308 in the final round. The 49ers bounced back from an opening-round 297 with a 4-over 288 in the second round before closing with a 304.

   Penn State was a shot behind Maryland and Charlotte in seventh place with a 38-over 890 total as the Nittany Lions rebounded from an opening-round 304 with a solid 3-over 287 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a 298.

   North Carolina had two other individuals finish among the top six as Ing ladpleum, a sophomore from Thailand, took fifth place with a 2-under 211 total and Helen Yeung, a freshman from Clarksville, Md., joined Penn State’s Jiratthitinun in the quartet tied for sixth at 1-under 210.

   Ladpleum matched her teammate Ng’s sizzling 6-under 65 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round after matching par in the opening round with a 71 before closing with a 4-over 75. Yeung got off to a fast start with a 3-under 68 and added a 2-over 73 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before matching par in the final round with a 71.

   Rounding out the North Carolina lineup was Reagan Southerland, a sophomore from Atlanta, who finished in a tie for 20^th place with a 7-over 220 total. Southerland matched par in the afternoon of the opening-day double round with a 71 after opening with a 75 and finished up with a 74.

   Katie Vu, a freshman from Fairfax Station, Va., competed as an individual in the Cavalier Regional Preview and finished in a tie for 10^th place with an even-par 213 total. Vu matched par with a 71 in the opening round and added a 1-under 70 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a 1-over 72.

   Charlotte’s Pinky Chaisilprungruang, a freshman from Thailand, finished a shot behind Streicher and Sambach in fourth place with a 3-under 210 total. Chaisilprungruang matched par in the afternoon of the opening-day double round with a 72 after opening with a 1-under 70 before finishing strong with a 2-under 69.

   Rounding out the foursome tied for sixth place at 1-under 212 were Tennessee’s Bailey Davis, a senior from White Plains, Md., and N.C. State’s Marie Eline Madsen, a freshman from Denmark.

   Davis quite memorably reached the final of the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship before falling to Rose Zhang at Columbia Country Club in her home state in Chevy Chase, Md. in 2021. Davis added a solid 2-under 69 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her morning 1-over 72 before matching par in the final round with a 71.

   Madsen matched par in the opening round with a 71 and registered a sparkling 4-under 67 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a 3-over 74.

   Coming off her strong showing in the Nittany Lion Invitational, Nienhaus backed up Jiratthitinun for Penn State at Birdwood as she finished in the group tied for 26^th place with a 10-over 223 total. After struggling to a 79 in the opening round, Nienhaus recorded a solid 2-under 69 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a 4-over 75.

   Cox, the former Emmaus standout, added a pair of 2-over 73s in the final two rounds after opening with a 78 as she finished in the group tied for 30^th place with a 224 total.

   Morris bounced back from an opening-round 80 with a 3-over 74 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a 75 to finish in a tie for 63^rd place with a 239 total.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup in the Cavalier Regional preview was Sualp, the freshman from Turkiye who finished in a tie for 68^th place with a 246 total. Sualp bounced back from an opening-round 89 with an 80 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with her best round of the tournament, a 6-over 77.

   Thompstone, the freshman from France, competed as an individual and finished among the group tied for 59^th place with a 238 total. After opening with an 80, Thompson posted a solid 3-over 74 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with an 84.

   Richmond also teed it up in the Cavalier Regional Preview, the Spiders finishing the last of 12 teams in the tough field with a 77-over 929 total.

   Jones, the Episcopal Academy product, finished in the group tied for 59^th place as she sandwiched a solid 3-over 74 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round with a pair of 82s.

   Lydic, the Sussex Academy graduate, finished in 67^th place with a 243 total. Lydic struggled to an 85 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round after opening with an 80 before righting the ship a little in the final round with a 7-over 78.

   Penn State had opened its season by finishing in 16^th place in a loaded 17-team field in the Cougar Classic, which wrapped up Sept. 10^th at the Yeamans Hall Club, with a 35-over 887 total.

   The Nittany Lions got a little better every day as they opened with a 298, added a 296 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round and closed with a 9-over 293.

   The battle for the team title in the Cougar Classic was a two-horse race between two of the SEC’s best teams, the Plains Tigers of Auburn and the Bayou Tigers of LSU. Both teams reached the match-play bracket in last spring’s NCAA Championship at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. before falling in the quarterfinals.

   Auburn, behind Anna Davis, a sophomore from Spring Valley, Calif. and No. 13 in the Women’s WAGR, edged LSU by a shot with a 5-under 847 total to claim the team crown.

   The two teams moved nearly in lockstep as Auburn opened with a 2-over 286, a total matched by the Bayou Tigers, edged in front with a 6-under 278 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round, a shot better than the Bayou Tigers’ 279, and then matched the Bayou Tigers shot for shot, both closing with a 1-under 283.

   LSU finished a shot behind the Plains Tigers with a 4-under 848 total.

   It was another 11 shots back to Virginia Tech, out of the ACC, in third place with a 7-over 859 total. The Hokies opened with a 5-over 289 and added a 1-under 283 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round before closing with a 3-over 287.

   The individual title went to Maryland’s Nicha Kanpai, a junior from Thailand and No. 80 in the Women’s WAGR, as she closed with a sizzling 5-under 66 to edge Davis and SMU’s Mackenzie Lee, a junior from North Little Rock, Ark. and No. 60 in the Women’s WAGR, by a shot with a 7-under 206 total.

   Kanpai had opened with a pair of 1-under 70s in the opening-day double round that left her four shots behind Davis.

   Davis was coming off a busy August that saw her reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills and compete for the United States in a loss to Great Britain & Ireland in a hard-fought Curtis Cup Match at Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire, England.

   Davis had taken the lead in the individual standings as she opened with a 4-under 67 and added a 2-under 69 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round. She matched par in the final round with a 71 to share second place with Lee.

   Lee trailed Davis by three shots going into the final round as she added a 2-under 69 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her morning 70. Lee closed with a 3-under 68 to catch Davis for a share of runnerup honors.

   It was the college debut for Penn State’s Jiratthitinun and she got off to a solid start, finishing in the group tied for 26^th place with a 3-over 216 total to lead the way for the Nittany Lions. Jiratthitnun added a 1-over 72 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her morning 74 before closing with a solid 1-under 70.

   Cox opened her senior season with a solid showing as she added a pair of 1-over 72s in the final two rounds to her opening-round 74 to finish among the group tied for 38^th place with a 5-over 218 total.

   Nienhaus added a pair of 3-over 74s in the final two rounds to her opening-round 78 to finish in the group tied for 69^th place with a 226 total.

   Morris got off a solid start with a 1-over 72 in the opening round before adding a pair of 78s in the final two rounds to finish in the group tied for 75^th place with a 228 total.

   Rounding out the Penn State lineup at the Yeamans Hall Club was Quinton, the junior from Canada, and she finished in 90^th place with a 235 total. Quinton added a 7-over 78 in the afternoon of the opening-day double round to her morning 80 before closing with her best round of the tournament, a 6-over 77.