The Northern Illinois University women’s golf team shot the lowest round in school history on Feb. 9 as the Huskies claimed the championship at the season-opening Mid-American Challenge tournament in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
The Huskies’ final round score of eight-under par 280 broke the previous single round school record by seven strokes and gave NIU a 54-hole total of four-under par 860 as the Huskies came from behind to defeat second round leader Florida Gulf Coast by three strokes.
“Obviously it was a great tournament for us,” said NIU head coach Kim Kester. “Everyone played great from start to finish today, and really over both days. We came to the turn today a few strokes behind [second round leader Florida Gulf Coast] so we knew we had to have a great back nine. If you keep the mindset that you are going out to win, good things happen. Today, they went out and got it done.”
The team played the final two holes in four under par, and the final four holes in six-under, with each player whose team counted in the final total accounting for at least one birdie.
School of Nursing student, Lauren Ingle, tied the school record for lowest 54-hole score as her final round 69 put her at eight-under par 208 for the tournament.
“So impressed with Lauren, as a nursing major with everything she puts into that, it’s remarkable to see her come out and throw those scores on the board,” Kester said.
The win, NIU’s first tournament title since the 2018 Redbird Invitational (Sept. 9-10, 2018), jump starts the Huskies’ long-awaited 2021 season.
NIU returns to action on February 28 at the Kiawah Island Classic at Kiawah Island, S.C.
-Article courtesy of NIU Athletics.
