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2014 Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational UNM Championship Course Albuquerque, N.M. NU's Finish: 1st/16 teams Birdiefire Results Final Results  |
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Northwestern pulled away from the field at the 16-team Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational Tuesday with a final round 3-under 289 to claim a dominant eight-shot victory in the Wildcats' opening event of the 2014-15 season.
"This was a great start to our year," head coach Emily Fletcher said. "We are so proud of these girls! The first 5-6 holes played tough this morning, but the team stayed patient and took advantage of the par-5s in the middle of the round. They responded and that was the turning point."
Tuesday's action began with the conclusion of the suspended second round, which was stopped late Monday due to hail-producing storms at UNM's 6,192-yard, par-73 Championship Course. The Wildcats got late birdies early Tuesday from both junior Suchaya Tangkamolprasert (Bangkok, Thailand/Bromsgrove International School) and freshman Hannah Kim (Chula Vista, Calif./Otay Ranch) to give each `Cat a career-best 4-under 69 and stake NU to a four-shot lead entering the final round.
In that final round, which was played as a shotgun continuous to the conclusion of the second, Northwestern kept its cushion and extended its comfort with another 3-under 289 to win the team title by eight over second-place UNLV with a trio of under-par rounds and a 54-hole total of 8-under 868 (290-289-289).
The victory is the first in a season-opener for seventh-year head coach Fletcher, who led NU to the 2013 Big Ten Championship for her first-career tournament win. The Wildcats also previously won the Hurricane Invitational and took medalist honors in the stroke play portion of the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in 2013-14.
NU's total of 868 is the third-lowest in program history behind the Wildcats' 864 to win the 2014 Hurricane Invitational and their 867 at the 2013 Windy City Collegiate Classic -- both of which were played on par-71 tracts.
Tangkamolprasert carded a final-round 1-over 74 to earn a career-best second-place finish in the tournament with a 6-under 213 (70-69-74). On Tuesday, she was 3-over par through seven holes before clawing her way back to even on the day. Though she would make bogey on her 54th hole, Tangkamolprasert's play in the tourney had long before helped Northwestern wrap up the team title.
"Suchaya's runner-up finish was impressive," Fletcher said. "She made some bogeys early but in typical Suchaya fashion, she dug deep and kept fighting. Her game is as solid as I have seen it. I am excited to see how good she can get."
One shot behind her teammate in a three-way tie for third place was Kim, whose 5-under 214 (74-69-71) featured two under-par rounds and one round in the 60s during a stellar start to her college career. Kim carded an early bogey at the par-4 fifth hole Tuesday before making birdies at Nos. 7, 10 and 18 to lead the Wildcats in the final round with a 2-under 71.
"We're obviously pleased with Hannah's play, too," Fletcher said. "I walked a bunch with her and she was in complete control of her game. Notching a T3 finish in her first-collegiate event should really help her settle in and give her lots of confidence."
Tangkamolprasert's 213 is a career-best tally and is the fourth-lowest 54-hole total in Northwestern program history. Kim's 214 in her first college start is the fifth-lowest total in school history, bearing in mind again that both of these scores came on a par-73 layout.
Junior Kaitlin Park (Tustin, Calif./Beckman) had a nearly identical round to Kim's on Tuesday, making an early bogey at No. 6 before birdies at Nos. 9, 10 and 18 also gave her a final-round 2-under 71. Park soared up to 12th place in the individual standings with a 2-over 221 (76-74-71) after improving five strokes from the opening round to the last.
Sophomore Kacie Komoto (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou) started Tuesday with a birdie on her first hole, the par-5 18th, then had a wild front nine with three bogeys and three birdies all sandwiched into a seven-hole stretch. Seven pars and one bogey coming home gave her an even-par 73 and a 54-hole total of 5-over 224 (74-77-73) that placed her 27th overall.
Senior Hana Lee (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Wilson), whose 1-under 72 in the opening round played a huge part in the Wildcats' win, ended the tournament with a 2-over 75 in the final round. She placed 44th in the field at 9-over 228 (72-81-75).
Competing as an individual, freshman Sarah Cho (San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines) rebounded from two difficult rounds Monday to show her true promise, carding four birdies en route to a 1-under 72 -- an eight-stroke improvement over her first-round score. Cho placed 50th at 10-over 229 (80-77-72).
Northwestern returns to action in two weeks, Sept. 28-30, at the Annika Intercollegiate in Orlando, Fla.
Northwestern -- 1st/16 290-289-289=868 (-8)
2 - Suchaya Tangkamolprasert -- 70-69-74=213 (-6)
T3 - Hannah Kim -- 74-69-71=214 (-5)
T12 - Kaitlin Park -- 76-74-71=221 (+2)
T27 - Kacie Komoto - 74-77-73=224 (+5)
T44 - Hana Lee -- 71-81-75=228 (+9)
T50 - Sarah Cho * -- 80-77-72=229 (+10)
*Indicates playing as an individual
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