Oct. 5, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Windy City has been good to the Boilermakers. For the third-consecutive year, Purdue has claimed both the team and individual championships at the Windy City Collegiate Classic hosted by Northwestern.
The eighth-ranked women's golf team earned a seven-stroke victory over Iowa State after leading by just two strokes going into the final round. Purdue posted a 293 on Tuesday for a three-round total of 876 (290-293-293, +24), while the Cyclones recorded a 298 in the third round for an 883 (298-287-298, +31). Texas Tech finished third with a final score of 891 (299-296-296, +39). The head coach of the Red Raiders is former Boilermaker assistant, JoJo Robertson.
For the second time in three years, Numa Gulyanamitta won the individual medal at the Windy City. The Rayong, Thailand, native fired a one-under par 70 in the final round to take the lead. She finished with a total of 215 (72-73-70, +2) for a two-stroke victory over TCU's Brooke Beeler and Iowa State's Prima Thammaraks, who was leading with 18 holes to play.
The Boilermakers once again displayed impressive depth, with all five golfers finishing in the top 26. Paula Reto was competing in her first tournament of the season and earned a tie for sixth place with a 220. The sophomore opened with a 71, followed by a 75 and closed with a 74 on Tuesday to finish seven-over par. Teammate Thea Hoffmeister also tied for sixth at 220. The Berlin, Germany, native carded a 76 in the first round, recorded an even-par 71, followed by a 73 for the final 18 holes.
Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Purdue's highest rated individual, finished 12th just one stroke behind Hoffmeister and Reto with a 221 (71-74-76=221). Alex Stewart tied for 26th with a 231 (76-76-79=231). The freshman from Peoria, Ariz., was averaging 73.3 strokes per round coming into the tournament.
Purdue is the only team to have won the team and individual titles at the Windy City Collegiate, which is in its third year of existence. The team and Gulyanamitta also won in 2008, while LeBlanc won the individual medal last season and helped Purdue to a 14-stroke victory.
This year's Windy City Collegiate was held at the Northmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Ill., and was set up as a par-71, 6,108-yard venue.
The Boilermakers will return to action - and to the Chicagoland area - next Monday and Tuesday for the Lady Northern Invitational in Glencoe, Ill., also hosted by Northwestern. The Lady Northern will feature a field of 12 teams consisting primarily of Big Ten Conference teams. The tournament will be held at the Lake Shore Country Club, the site of the 2011 Big Ten Championships.