Competing at the Golf Club of Houston for Chevron Collegiate on Monday and Tuesday, Illinois showcased a powerful final round, capitalizing off its second-round 13-under on Tuesday. This marked the Illini’s second tournament of the spring season, finishing sixth in this week’s tournament.
The Chevron Collegiate unfolded over two days and 54 holes. Monday featured 36 holes, followed by the final 18 on Tuesday. The Golf Club of Houston, a par-72 and 6,203-yard course, hosted the event. Designed by Rees Jones and David Toms, it challenged 16 teams with an 8 a.m. CT shotgun starting both days.
History made
Head coach Renee Slone fielded a talented lineup consisting of freshman Yurang Li, sophomore Anna Ritter, juniors Brielle Mapanao and Victoria Zheng and senior Lexanne Halama.
Their collective effort paid off in the final round, nearly matching a program record. The 13-under score ranks as the second-lowest single-round total in Illini history, two strokes shy of the 15-under mark set in 2022 at the same tournament.
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A well-rounded team performance
Zheng led the Illini, tying for 12th at 6-under. She carded a 2-under 70 in the final round, notching five birdies. Her 12 total birdies and 4.50 scoring average on par 5s stood out. Fellow junior Mapanao followed, tying for 20th. Her final-round 69 included five birdies, marking her second straight sub-70 score this season.
The Illini’s standout freshman, Li, finished tied for 25th with a 1-under 71 on Tuesday. She recorded 42 pars across the tournament, third-most in the field. Halama also shone, tying for 31st. Her 3-under 69 featured five birdies, boosting her 18 spots up the leaderboard. Ritter rounded out the lineup, tying for 25th. Her career-best 5-under 67 included seven birdies, rocketing her 31 positions.
The Illini’s 54-hole total of 17-under ranks fourth in program history. It builds on their legacy at this event. In 2023, they finished ninth, with senior Isabel Sy earning co-champion honors. In 2022, they placed second, setting a program-record 24-under 850.
Texas Christian University claimed the team title at 34-under 830. Texas A&M’s freshman Vanessa Borovilos won individual honors at 15-under 201. Illinois outpaced teams like Arkansas, Houston and Texas Tech in the 16-team field.
The Illini now rest until the Spring Break Shootout at Lake Jovita Golf Club in Florida. After a sixth-place finish, their late surge in Humble, Texas, signals promise for the season ahead.
@Jordan_Goodhart
