Illinois, on the heels of a win at the Badger Invitational earlier this month, finished ninth this week at the Windy City Collegiate Classic.
The meet was hosted by Northwestern at the Glen View Golf Club in Golf, Illinois. The tournament brought together 11 schools from all over the lower 48 for an intense 72-par tournament that consisted of three rounds across Monday and Tuesday.
The Illini posted rounds of 289, 387 and 300 to total 876, 12-over par. This score was good enough for the team to finish ninth, their lowest of the young season. Duke and Northwestern tied for first, each shooting 851 (-13).
Senior Brielle Mapanao paced the Illini. Mapanao’s consistent play tied her for 11th with a 213 (-3). The senior shot a steady 71 in all three rounds, never taking her foot off the pedal.
Senior Anna Ritter also had a strong tournament. She finished second on the Illini and tied for 35th overall. Ritter shot a 221 (+5). The senior had her best performance in round two, where she shot a 73 (+1).
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After her phenomenal performance at the Badger Invitational, freshman standout Alexis Myers scuffled. In Madison, Wisconsin, two weeks ago, Myers took home the gold, Big Ten Women’s Golfer of the Week and Freshman of the Week. This week, she tied for 44th place, shooting 223 (+7).
Senior Victoria Zheng and junior Erica Lee rounded out Illinois’ field. Zheng finished tied for 48th, shooting 224 (+8), while Lee ended up tied for 54th after shooting 227 (+11).
UCLA sophomore Jenny Lee won the tournament individually after leading nearly the entire event. Lee shot an 8-under 208.
Despite some struggles in a very competitive field this tournament, the Illini will try to bounce back and improve next week in Medinah, Illinois, for the Illini Women’s Invitational. The two-day tournament takes place on Monday and Tuesday.
