Huskers Shoot to Lead at Westbrook

The Nebraska women’s golf team put up a pair of outstanding rounds to surge to the top of the leader board through 36 holes at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, Ariz., on Sunday.

The Huskers matched No. 24 Ohio State for the best opening round, posting a team score of 286 (-2) on the par-72, 6,248-yard layout at the Westbrook Village Golf Club. Nebraska was even better in the second round, as the Big Red fired the best 18-hole score of the day with a 280 (-8), while the Buckeyes managed a 288. The Huskers (566, -10) enter Tuesday’s final round with an eight-shot lead over the Buckeyes (574, -2). Denver matched Ohio State’s 574 (-2) with a pair of one-under-par scores of 287, as the Pioneers also sit eight strokes back of Nebraska.

Freshman Kelli Ann Strand (Challis, Idaho) sits in a five-way tie atop the individual leader board with a 36-hole total of 140 (-4). Strand opened the day with a one-under-par 71, before leading the Big Red with a second-round 69 (-3).

Minnesota’s Mariana Mesones (73-67) and Emma Carpenter (71-61) matched Strand’s 140, as did Maeve Rossi (72-68) from Rutgers and Ohio State’s Caley McGinty (70-70).

Husker graduate student Megan Whittaker (Elkhorn, Neb.) added impressive rounds of 70 and 71 to close the day in a tie for sixth at 141 (-3), just one shot back of the tournament leaders. Nebraska sophomore Miu Takahashi (Nasu-Machi, Japan) continued her strong play with two rounds of 71 to end the first 36 holes at 142 (-2) in a tie for 11th, just two strokes behind the leaders.

Junior Lindsey Thiele (Wahoo, Neb.) put four Huskers in the top 15 with rounds of 74 and 69 to close Sunday in a tie for 14th at 143 (-1).

Michaela Vavrova (Bojnice, Slovakia) rounded out Nebraska’s lineup in a tie for 50th (150) in the 79-player field, while Andrea Velez (Pereira, Colombia) managed a 155 to tie for 72nd through 36 holes while competing as an individual outside the Husker lineup.

Nebraska will take aim at the tournament title in Tuesday’s final round, beginning with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. (CT). Live scoring will be provided by GolfStat.com.

Westbrook Spring Invitational

Feb. 26-27, 2023

Peoria, Arizona (Westbrook Village GC)

Par 72, 6,248 Yards

Team Standings (Two Rounds)

1. (49) Nebraska – 286-280-566 (-10)

T2. (24) Ohio State – 286-288-574 (-2)

T2. (44) Denver – 287-287-574 (-2)  

4. Minnesota – 296-280-576 (E)

5. UNLV – 296-283-578 (+3)

T6. (36) College of Charleston – 291-289-580 (+5)

T6. Kansas – 294-286-580 (+5)

8. Rutgers – 293-288-581 (+6)

9. Penn State – 291-293-584 (+10)

T10. Kansas State – 296-291-587 (+13)

T10. Oklahoma – 294-293-587 (+13)

12. Iowa – 293-298-591 (+17)

13. Missouri – 298-294-592 (+18)

14. Wisconsin – 300-302-602 (+28)

Individual Leaderboard (Two Rounds)

T1. Kelli Ann Strand, Nebraska – 71-69-140 (-4)

T1. Mariana Mesones, Minnesota – 73-67-140 (-4)

T1. Maeve Rossi, Rutgers – 72-68-140 (-4)

T1. Emma Carpenter, Minnesota – 71-69-140 (-4)

T1. Caley McGinty, Ohio State – 70-70-140 (-4)

T6. Megan Whittaker, Nebraska – 70-71-141 (-3)

T6. Veronica Joels, UNLV – 70-71-141 (-3)

T6. Kary Hollenbaugh, Ohio State – 70-71-141 (-3)

T6. Noa Van Beek, Kansas State – 70-71-141 (-3)

T6. Jordan Rothman, Kansas – 69-72-141 (-3)

Nebraska Individuals

T1. Kelli Ann Strand – 71-69-140 (-4)

T6. Megan Whittaker – 70-71-141 (-3)

T11. Miu Takahashi – 71-71-142 (-2)

T14. Lindsey Thiele – 74-69-143 (-1)

T50. Michaela Vavrova – 76-74-150 (+6)

*T72. Andrea Velez – 76-79-155 (+11)

*competed as an individual outside the Nebraska lineup