Results (PDF)
PEORIA, Ariz. – Illinois Women's Golf came out strong on the final day of the Westbrook Spring Invitational, as four Illini posted their best scores of the tournament in the third round. The Orange and Blue put together a team score of 877 (+13) for the fifth-best team 54-hole mark in program history. Illinois combined for five individual rounds at or below par across the two-day event.
"This is a good tournament to kick off the spring season," shared head coach Renee Slone. "It is a great chance to post numbers and build confidence to start the spring on the right foot."
Four Illini golfers carded their lowest round of the Westbrook Spring Invitational in today's action.
"The team had two more rounds under their belts after yesterday," Slone said of the improved third-round scores. "We haven't played a ton of rounds yet this spring, so our scores began to drop after seeing the golf course more. The team was able to build off day one and you could see that in today's round."
After shooting one-over par in the opening round, Grace Park responded with two rounds at par for a final tally of 217 (+1). The sophomore registered a trio of birdies in the final round at the Westbrook Village Vistas Golf Course to lead Illinois with a T-23rd individual standing.
Not far behind Park was Stephanie Miller, who entered Monday's round at one-under par. Miller commenced third-round play on the back nine, where she tallied two of her three birdies on the day. The junior led the team with 10 birdies at the University of Wisconsin-hosted event. Miller tallied a mark of 75 (+3) in the final round to bring her total to 218 (+2), her best showing of the season.
While she did not card a single birdie on the day, sophomore Chayanid Prapassarangkul turned in an eagle on the par-five fifth hole along with 14 holes at par to finish the round with a one-over par score of 73. Prapassarangkul finished with a combined reading of 222 (+6) and improved by a stroke each round in Peoria, Arizona.
Bing Singhsumalee tallied her team-leading fourth round below par this season on the final day of the Westbrook Spring Invitational. The freshman carded rounds of 76-77-71, respectively, at the event, for a combined score of 224 (+8). Singhsumalee shot three-under par on the front nine holes and carded four birdies across the final 18 holes.
Dana Gattone also contributed a cumulative score of 224 (+8) for a share of 56th individually on rounds of 75-75-74. The sophomore tallied a pair of consecutive birdies to shoot one-under par on the front nine and finished with a score of 74 in the final round.
In just her third collegiate tournament, Pailin Ruttanasupagid competed as an individual and recorded both her best single round and 54-hole scores at the Westbrook Spring Invitational. The sophomore carded a 77 in the closing round to finish with a combined reading of 238 at the event after scoring 87 and 74 on the first day.
"I am very proud of her [Pailin] for her efforts yesterday in turning things around from round one to round two," Slone said of Ruttanasupagid's career marks. "She noticed things going on and took it upon herself to make changes and put those into play in the afternoon. She had the awareness and courage to do that. This is a big step in the right direction."
As a team, Illinois finished 11th in the 15-team field. No. 30 Oregon captured the team title with a 10-under par score of 854. No. 44 Ohio State grabbed runner-up honors with an 859. Kansas State (861), No. 26 UNLV (863) and No. 41 SMU (864) rounded out the top five teams.
The Fighting Illini have two open weekends before they hit the links again for competition. Next on the slate for the Orange and Blue is a trip to Augusta, Georgia, for the 3M Augusta Invitational from March 11-13.
Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for all the latest information on Fighting Illini Women's Golf as the team begins the spring season. Follow the Orange and Blue on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for even more coverage.
