Thiele Enjoys Career Day in Kansas

Lindsey Thiele fired the best two rounds of her Nebraska career to close the first 36 holes atop the leader board at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational in Manhattan, Kan., on Monday.

Thiele, a sophomore from Wahoo, Neb., opened her day with a career-best 70 (-2) on the par-72, 6,221-yard layout at Colbert Hills Golf Club. She added a 71 (-1) in the second round to end the day at 141 (-3) with a one-stroke lead over Kansas State’s Remington Isaac (142), who produced the best opening-round with a 68 before settling for a 74 in the second round.

“We were extremely impressed with Lindsey’s performance today,” Nebraska Head Coach Lisa Johnson said. “She played steady off the tee and had lots of birdie opportunities.”

Husker Miu Takahashi is also in position to challenge for the tournament title in Manhattan. The freshman from Nasu-machi, Japan matched Isaac for the best round of the day with her career-best 68 (-4) in the second round. Takahashi was actually seven under par through 14 holes in the second round, after scorching the back nine at Colbert Hills for a 30 (-6) to open her round. She unleashed five straight birdies (No. 11-15) before adding her sixth birdie on No. 17. She notched her seventh birdie of the round on No. 2, before registering three straight pars (No. 3-5). Takahashi closed the round with three bogeys on the final four holes.

Takahashi’s rebound to challenge the top of the leader board was somewhat remarkable after opening the day with a quadruple-bogey on her first hole (No. 10). She was five over through her first six holes, before going nine under through her next 22 holes. She closed the day at 143 (-1), just two strokes behind Thiele.

Huskers Vanessa Bouvet and Nicole Hansen joined Thiele and Takahashi among the top five individuals on the leader board through 36 holes. Bouvet managed an opening-round 75 (+3) before producing a solid 72 (E) in the second round. Hansen opened with a career-best 70 (-2) before settling for a 77 in the second round. Bouvet and Hansen sit in a four-way tie for fourth at 147 (+3) heading into Tuesday’s final round.

A fifth Husker, senior Kirsten Baete, also finds herself in the top 10 at 148 (+4). Baete opened with an even-par 72 before settling for a 76 in the second round. Baete’s second round was highlighted by an eagle on the 487-yard, par-5 No. 14. Her opening round featured three birdies and three bogeys around 12 pars, as she enters the final round in a tie for eighth.

Although five Huskers are in the top 10, Nebraska is playing with both an “A” and “B” lineup at Kansas State, and the “B” lineup sits atop the team standings at 581 (290-291) through two rounds. The “B” lineup features Thiele, Takahashi, Hansen and freshman Andrea Velez, who is tied for 18th at 150 (+6) after back-to-back rounds of 75 on Monday.

“I am really proud of the B team for showing up and playing so well,” Johnson said. “I am excited to watch the individual and team leader board tomorrow. There are lots of birdies still out there, and we will compete hard for them.”

Bouvet and Baete led the Husker “A” squad, which is in sixth at 601 (298-303) entering the final round. Megan Whittaker put up the “A” lineup’s No. 3 score at 152 in a tie for 23rd (75-77), while Michaela Vavrova is tied for 38th at 154 (76-78). Lena Hassert completed the “A” lineup with a 171 (89-82) in her collegiate debut.

The Nebraska “B” lineup carries a nine-shot lead over Kansas State, which produced a 590 (290-300) through two rounds. Sam Houston sits in third at 598, 17 shots back of the Big Red “B” lineup, while Kansas is fourth (599) and Tulane is in fifth (600), just one shot ahead of the Nebraska “A” lineup.

The Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational concludes with the final round Tuesday beginning with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Live scoring is available through GolfStat.com.

Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational

Sept. 20-21, 2021

Manhattan, Kan. (Colbert Hills Golf Club)

Par 72, 6,221 Yards

Team Standings (Two Rounds)

1. Nebraska “B” – 290-291-581 (+5)

2. Kansas State – 290-300-590 (+14)

3. Sam Houston – 295-303-598 (+22)

4. Kansas – 306-293-599 (+23)

5. Tulane – 301-299-600 (+24)

6. Nebraska “A” – 298-303-601 (+25)

T7. Arkansas State – 313-298-611 (+35)

T7. Incarnate Word – 302-309-611 (+35)

9. Wichita State – 313-309-622 (+46)

10. Toledo – 314-337-651 (+75)

Individual Leaders

1. Lindsey Thiele, Nebraska – 70-71-141 (-3)

2. Remington Isaac, Kansas State – 68-74-142 (-2)

3. Miu Takahashi, Nebraska – 75-68-143 (-1)

T4. Vanessa Bouvet, Nebraska – 75-72-147 (+3)

T4. Nicole Hansen, Nebraska – 70-77-147 (+3)

T4. Phisitkhwan Pooratanaopa, Kansas – 75-72-147 (+3)

T4. Cleo Liu, Tulane – 74-73-147 (+3)

T8. Kirsten Baete, Nebraska – 72-76-148 (+4)

T8. Sera Tadokoro, Kansas – 77-71-148 (+4)

T8. Anna Takahashi, Sam Houston – 76-72-148 (+4)

T8. Hanna Liu, Tulane – 73-75-148 (+4)

T8. Sandra Vasquez, Tulane – 72-76-148 (+4)

T8. Zulaikah Nasser, Sam Houston – 70-78-148 (-4)

Nebraska Individuals

1. Lindsey Thiele (B) – 70-71-141 (-3)

3. Miu Takahashi (B) – 75-68-143 (-1)

T4. Vanessa Bouvet (A) – 75-72-147 (+3)

T4. Nicole Hansen (B) – 70-77-147 (+3)

T8. Kirsten Baete (A) – 72-76-148 (+4)

T18. Andrea Velez (B) – 75-75-150 (+6)

T23. Megan Whittaker (A) – 75-77-152 (+8)

T38. Michaela Vavrova (A) – 76-78-156 (+12)

T59. Lena Hassert (A) – 89-82-171 (+27)