DALLAS, Texas – The No. 18 Fighting Illini women's golf team closed a successful 2018 fall campaign with another win on Tuesday at the Trinity Forest Invitational in Dallas, Texas. Participating in the tournament for the first time in program history, the Orange and Blue posted a three-round total of 872 (+8).
"I am proud of how the team finished the fall season," said head coach Renee Slone. "Conditions were challenging today as indicated by the scores. We stayed patient and started off strong to set the tone for the day."
Illinois finished the fall season with their third team victory. The last time the Illini earned at least three team titles during the fall season was Betsy Kimpel's 1975 team. That was the second year the program was in existence. This feat also marks back-to-back victories for the Illini, as the team finished first overall at the Cardinal Cup last weekend.
Atop of the leaderboard for both days, the Illini (+8) finished 9 strokes ahead of SEC opponent No. 40 Tennessee (+17). 2018 NCAA Championship qualifier, No. 25 Oregon State, finished third with a 25-over par total. Illinois led the competition in total birdies, posting 44.
Three out of the five Illini finished in the top five, while the entire team earned top-35 finishes. Leading the Orange and Blue to victory were lone senior Bing Singhsumalee and freshman duo Crystal Wang and Kornkamol Sukaree.
"Bing (Singhsumalee) played some great golf the past two weeks," noted Slone. "She is knocking on the door and her time is coming. I am excited for her and the possibilities in the spring."
Coming off a successful run at the Cardinal Cup, Singhsumalee capped off her final fall season with another runner-up finish, posting a 215 (-1). Singhsumalee was one stroke shy from the top spot as Oregon State's Ellie Slama won the individual crown. The Naperville, Ill. native impressed in the second round with a 69 (-3). Singhsumalee's back-to-back top-three finishes the past two weeks marks a first in her career.Â
"My overall performance this week was pretty steady," said Singhsumalee. "I think one of the keys to this week was hitting low and controlling the ball with the wind."
Wang continues to be a force for the Orange and Blue, earning her second top-three finish of her career. The Diamond Bar, Calif. native recorded a 217 (+1), finishing as the top freshman in the tournament. Wang shot under-par in her first two rounds with a 71 (-1) and 70 (-2) respectively. Sukaree earned her third consecutive top-10 finish this season, tying for fourth with a 218 (+2). The Thailand native posted 12 birdies with five in the second round. Her birdie total tied overall winner, Slama, for the top spot.
Rounding out the team of five are junior Tristyn Nowlin and sophomore Ali Morallos, who both finished in the top 35 individually. Nowlin opened the tournament steady with an even-par 72 in the first round. Overall, she recorded a 227 (+11) to tie 29th. Morallos tied 34th with a 228 (+12), showing consistency in the second round with an even-par 72.
Playing as an individual, freshman Katie Hallinan showed immense improvement finishing as the fourth best Illini this week. Hallinan earned a career-best finish, tied for 24th with a 226 (+10). The Loveland, Ohio native also posted four birdies in the final round.
"Katie (Hallinan) showed growth this week and we are looking forward to working on some key areas during the off season to continue the trajectory she is on," said Slone.
Illinois will return to Champaign for some offseason work before opening the spring season in February. The Fighting Illini will travel to the Sunshine State for the UCF Challenge at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando Fla. (Feb. 3-5).
"We feel really good finishing the fall strong," said Singhsumalee. "It is definitely a good confidence booster for us going into the spring season and showed us our potential."
Follow the Illini
Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for all the latest information on Fighting Illini Women's Golf. Follow the Orange and Blue on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for complete coverage.Â
