FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Behind top-10 efforts from Linnea Strom and Roberta Liti, the No. 4 Arizona State women's golf team, defending NCAA national champions, finished third at the Mason Rudolph Women's Championship hosted by Vanderbilt.
"Today we didn't play our best, but this is a good start to our year with a third-place finish in a strong field," said head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. "We have a few things to work on to be ready to leave for Chicago in two weeks. Linnea and Robi led the team well with top-10 finishes."
The Sun Devils shot 839 (-25) as a team to tie the program record for low team 54-hole scores vs. par, a mark set at last season's PING/ASU Invitational. Their 277 (-11) and 276 (-12) in the first and second rounds, respectively, also each set top-five marks in program history for low team 18-hole scores.
Linnea Strom (206/-10) earned a top-five finish, tied for fourth, with her best round on day one (67), two sub-70 rounds, and all three under par (67, 69, 70). Her tournament score ties for fourth on the Sun Devils' all-time low 54-hole scores vs. par.
Roberta Liti (210/-6) started her final collegiate season on a high note with her second career top-10 finish after winning last season's home tournament, shooting her career low-tying best round of the tournament on day two (67).
Madison Kerley (T22) had her second lowest career tournament vs. par (213/-3) while Olivia Mehaffey (T30/214/-2) and Raquel Olmos Ros (T37/217/+1) rounded out the Sun Devil lineup.
No. 8 Arkansas and No. 3 Alabama finished first and second, respectively, while the Crimson Tide's Lauren Stephenson took the individual crown.
Dating back to last season, the Sun Devils have finished top-3 in nine of their last 10 tournaments.
ASU will have just over two weeks to prepare for their next outing, traveling to Chicago-suburb Highland Park, Ill. for the two-day Windy City Collegiate Classic (Oct. 2-3) hosted by national runner-up Northwestern.
"Today we didn't play our best, but this is a good start to our year with a third-place finish in a strong field," said head coach Missy Farr-Kaye. "We have a few things to work on to be ready to leave for Chicago in two weeks. Linnea and Robi led the team well with top-10 finishes."
The Sun Devils shot 839 (-25) as a team to tie the program record for low team 54-hole scores vs. par, a mark set at last season's PING/ASU Invitational. Their 277 (-11) and 276 (-12) in the first and second rounds, respectively, also each set top-five marks in program history for low team 18-hole scores.
Linnea Strom (206/-10) earned a top-five finish, tied for fourth, with her best round on day one (67), two sub-70 rounds, and all three under par (67, 69, 70). Her tournament score ties for fourth on the Sun Devils' all-time low 54-hole scores vs. par.
Roberta Liti (210/-6) started her final collegiate season on a high note with her second career top-10 finish after winning last season's home tournament, shooting her career low-tying best round of the tournament on day two (67).
Madison Kerley (T22) had her second lowest career tournament vs. par (213/-3) while Olivia Mehaffey (T30/214/-2) and Raquel Olmos Ros (T37/217/+1) rounded out the Sun Devil lineup.
No. 8 Arkansas and No. 3 Alabama finished first and second, respectively, while the Crimson Tide's Lauren Stephenson took the individual crown.
Dating back to last season, the Sun Devils have finished top-3 in nine of their last 10 tournaments.
ASU will have just over two weeks to prepare for their next outing, traveling to Chicago-suburb Highland Park, Ill. for the two-day Windy City Collegiate Classic (Oct. 2-3) hosted by national runner-up Northwestern.