April 5, 2009
TEMPE, Ariz. - The ninth-ranked Purdue women's golf team came up one stroke shy of a playoff at the 2009 PING/ASU Invitational, finishing in second place with a 54-hole score of 882 (+18). Senior Maria Hernandez overcame a two-stroke deficit to claim medalist honors for the 12th time in her career.
Purdue began Sunday's final round five strokes behind leader Arizona State and remained at even-par for much of the afternoon, at one time holding a two-stroke lead over the 17-team field. The Boilermakers could not hold the lead however, finishing with a final round score of 292 (+4) and a second-place finish behind the fifth-ranked Cowgirls.
Hernandez won medalist honors for the fourth time this season firing a three-round total score of 211 (-5). The Pamplona, Spain, native began Sunday's final round in second place and remained there until knocking in a birdie on the 13th hole, giving her a slim lead over USC's Jennifer Song. Hernandez went on to shoot bogey on No. 17, cutting her lead to a single stroke, before making par on No. 18 to seal the one-stroke victory over Song.
The two-time first team All-American opened with an even-par 72 on Friday, shot a three-under par 69 on Saturday and finished her final round with score of 70 (-2). The three-round score of 211 (-5) is Hernandez's third best 54-hole score at Purdue.
The Boilermakers also landed two other golfers in the top 25.
Sophomore Thea Hoffmeister finished in a tie for 15th with a three-round score of 224 (+8). The Berlin, Germany, native played consistently, sandwiching a second round 76 (+4) between first- and third-round scores of 74 (+2).
Sophomore Junthima Gulyanamitta finished one stroke behind Hoffmeister and in a tie for 20th with a 54-hole score of 225 (+9). The Muang Rayong, Thailand, native shot her best round on Friday, firing a one-over par 73 , followed by a 78 (+6) on Saturday and a final round 74 (+2).
Sophomore Maude-Aimee LeBlanc just missed the top 25, finishing in a tie for 27th at 11-over par (227). The Sherbrooke, Quebec, native rebounded nicely after an opening round 79 (+7), with back-to-back scores of 74 (+2) in her final two rounds.
Freshman Vaishavi Sinha shot a three-round score of 236 (+20, 74-85-80), placing her in a tie for 67th.
Following first place Oklahoma State (881, +17) and second place Purdue (882, +18) are Arizona State (886, +22), USC (891, +27), New Mexico (893, +29), UCLA (897, +33), Arizona (898, +34), Pepperdine (907, +43), Denver (910, +46), Stanford (917, +53), Vanderbilt (917, +53), Tulsa (919, +55), California (922, +58), Texas A&M (926, +62), Colorado (931, +67), UCF (936, +72) and Oregon (941, +77).
This was the second consecutive event that Purdue has finished higher than top-ranked Arizona State. The Boilermakers had a six-stroke victory over the Sun Devils at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational on March 22.
The 54-hole event was hosted by top-ranked Arizona State at the 6,230-yard par-72 ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.
Purdue will have their final regular season tune up before the Big Ten Championships when they host the Ladies Midwest Shootout at the Birck Boilermaker Complex-Kampen Course in West Lafayette, Ind., on April 11.