FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Sun Devil Women's Golf delivered a fantastic opening round of the Mason Rudolph Invitational, hosted at Vanderbilt Legends Club.
In their first trip to Tennessee since 2018, Arizona State made themselves right at home, carding a 277 (-11) in the first round. That places them in second, only three strokes behind Auburn with two rounds to play. It was the ultimate team performance that led Head Coach Farr-Kaye's team, as all five Sun Devils shot under par and sit in the Top-25 of a 96-golfer field.
Paula Schulz-Hanssen led the way with a 67 (-5), with fellow sophomore Beth Coulter at 69 (-3) and not far behind. Grace Summerhays had one of only four Eagles on the first day of the Mason Rudolph on her way to shooting a 70 (-2). Ashley Menne and Patience Rhodes are each tied for 23rd after finishing with 71s (-1). All sit within striking distance of overall leader Ami Gianchandani of Auburn. ASU begins their round tomorrow at 8:09 AM AZT, paired with Auburn and Vanderbilt in the feature group. Live scoring for the Mason Rudolph Invitational can be found at the following link.
ROUND BREAKDOWN
Paula Schulz-Hanssen (-5/67/T4th)
Schulz-Hanssen led the way for the Sun Devils, enjoying success immediately. She birdied three of her first five holes, starting out red hot. Over her first eight holes, she was already four-under. She remained steady and recovered from a brief mid-round setback, finishing the round as strong as she started. She birdied three of her final seven holes to finish with a 67 (-5), the second-lowest score of her career.
BIRDIES (8): 1st Hole (Par 4; 384 yards), 4th Hole (Par 5; 477 yards), 5th Hole (Par 3; 167 yards), 8th Hole (Par 4; 382 yards), 10th Hole (Par 4; 388 yards), 13th Hole (Par 4; 420 yards), 15th Hole (Par 4; 403 yards), 18th Hole (Par 5; 504 yards)
Beth Coulter (-3/69/T8th)
Coulter played extremely consistent golf through the day, managing to avoid mistakes on her way to a strong round. She did not record a bogey on the front nine, with her two birdies putting her a two-under before making the turn. She would birdie two more holes on the back nine and added to her team-leading 13 pars. Her 69 (-3) places her in the Top-10 after the first round.
BIRDIES (4): 4th Hole (Par 5; 477 yards), 7th Hole (Par 5; 508 yards), 11th Hole (Par 4; 362 yards), 17th Hole (Par 4; 321 yards)
Grace Summerhays (-2/70/T15th)
Summerhays showed flashes of brilliance and continued her solid play on par five holes. She had the lone Eagle for the Sun Devils, coming on the par-five fourth hole. It is her second Eagle of the season and one of only four on the first day of the Mason Rudolph Invitational. She added four birdies as well on her way to a 70 (-2) and looks to duplicate her success on the back nine, finishing two-under after making the turn.
EAGLES (1): 4th Hole (Par 5; 477 yards)
BIRDIES (4): 6th Hole (Par 4; 389 yards), 10th Hole (Par 4; 388 yards), 14th Hole (Par 5; 547 yards), 17th Hole (Par 4; 321 yards)
Ashley Menne (-1/71/T23rd)
Menne was able to erase an early bogey by bouncing back to birdie the third hole during a solid front nine. She picked up her play after making the turn, with three of her four birdies coming down the stretch. Over her final nine holes, she finished two-under, a big part of the Sun Devils late surge in the team standings.
BIRDIES (4): 3rd Hole (Par 3; 166 yards), 10th Hole (Par 4; 388 yards), 11th Hole (Par 4; 362 yards), 17th Hole (Par 4; 321 yards)
Patience Rhodes (-1/71/T23rd)
Rhodes caught fire after a bogey on her first hole, ripping off a stretch of three-under over her next nine holes. She remained consistent on the back nine, going even after making the turn. She is one of five Sun Devils in the Top-25 of 96-golfer field.
BIRDIES (4): 4th Hole (Par 5; 477 yards), 7th Hole (Par 5; 508 yards), 10th Hole (Par 4; 388 yards), 14th Hole (Par 5; 547 yards)
QUOTABLES
"We had a really good day," Coach Farr-Kaye reflected. "We started off solid, which was one of our main goals. We have been working on a lot of different things and it is great to see this team execute the things we have been working on."
"Paula was extremely disciplined with her course management today and is leading us at five-under," Coach Farr-Kaye added. "There were a lot of birdies, which makes me proud of how well this group is functioning together as a team. We look forward to two more days here."
NOTABLES
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
UP NEXT
Arizona State will begin the second round of the Mason Rudolph Invitational Saturday morning at 8:09 AM AZT on the first hole, with a new golfer starting their round every nine minutes. They will be in the featured group paired with first-place Auburn and tournament host Vanderbilt.
THE COURSE
Since opening in 1992, Vanderbilt Legends Club has made its mark in the world of golf by receiving national recognition and accolades. The par 72 North Course, stretching 6,491 yards for this tournament, was designed by Hall of Fame golfer Tom Kite and world-renowned golf course architect, Bob Cupp. The greens are well undulated with the promise of multiple hole locations and the bunkers are large and boldly shaped. The course path provides an inspired variety of holes playing through lush fields and around lakes and streams. It is widely recognized as among the finest in Tennessee, having served as the hosts of many local, regional, and national amateur and professional competitions.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live scoring for the Mason Rudolph Invitational can be found at the following link. For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com). Find Coach Farr-Kaye (@missymkaye) and Coach Tatman (@CoachMikayla_) on Twitter as well.
HISTORY AT MASON RUDOLPH
For the first time since 2018, Sun Devil Women's Golf will compete in the Mason Rudolph Invitational. The 23rd edition of the event will be played at Vanderbilt Legends Club near Nashville, where host institution Vanderbilt is based. Arizona State hopes weather isn't a factor this time as it was in their last appearance, with rain cutting the third round short. Coach Farr-Kaye's squad still managed to finish second behind host Vanderbilt.
The Sun Devils tied their program-low 54-hole score vs. par (-25) with a third-place finish in 2017, their first appearance in the event since a second-place finish in 2013. ASU also competed at the Mason Rudolph Invitational from 2007-09 and 2005. In 2007, All-American Anna Nordqvist finished second while leading Arizona State to a second-place finish. The Maroon & Gold will be tested with an early trip to the southeast part of the country, a potential landing spot for NCAA Regionals.
In their first trip to Tennessee since 2018, Arizona State made themselves right at home, carding a 277 (-11) in the first round. That places them in second, only three strokes behind Auburn with two rounds to play. It was the ultimate team performance that led Head Coach Farr-Kaye's team, as all five Sun Devils shot under par and sit in the Top-25 of a 96-golfer field.
Paula Schulz-Hanssen led the way with a 67 (-5), with fellow sophomore Beth Coulter at 69 (-3) and not far behind. Grace Summerhays had one of only four Eagles on the first day of the Mason Rudolph on her way to shooting a 70 (-2). Ashley Menne and Patience Rhodes are each tied for 23rd after finishing with 71s (-1). All sit within striking distance of overall leader Ami Gianchandani of Auburn. ASU begins their round tomorrow at 8:09 AM AZT, paired with Auburn and Vanderbilt in the feature group. Live scoring for the Mason Rudolph Invitational can be found at the following link.
ROUND BREAKDOWN
Paula Schulz-Hanssen (-5/67/T4th)
Schulz-Hanssen led the way for the Sun Devils, enjoying success immediately. She birdied three of her first five holes, starting out red hot. Over her first eight holes, she was already four-under. She remained steady and recovered from a brief mid-round setback, finishing the round as strong as she started. She birdied three of her final seven holes to finish with a 67 (-5), the second-lowest score of her career.
BIRDIES (8): 1st Hole (Par 4; 384 yards), 4th Hole (Par 5; 477 yards), 5th Hole (Par 3; 167 yards), 8th Hole (Par 4; 382 yards), 10th Hole (Par 4; 388 yards), 13th Hole (Par 4; 420 yards), 15th Hole (Par 4; 403 yards), 18th Hole (Par 5; 504 yards)
Beth Coulter (-3/69/T8th)
Coulter played extremely consistent golf through the day, managing to avoid mistakes on her way to a strong round. She did not record a bogey on the front nine, with her two birdies putting her a two-under before making the turn. She would birdie two more holes on the back nine and added to her team-leading 13 pars. Her 69 (-3) places her in the Top-10 after the first round.
BIRDIES (4): 4th Hole (Par 5; 477 yards), 7th Hole (Par 5; 508 yards), 11th Hole (Par 4; 362 yards), 17th Hole (Par 4; 321 yards)
Grace Summerhays (-2/70/T15th)
Summerhays showed flashes of brilliance and continued her solid play on par five holes. She had the lone Eagle for the Sun Devils, coming on the par-five fourth hole. It is her second Eagle of the season and one of only four on the first day of the Mason Rudolph Invitational. She added four birdies as well on her way to a 70 (-2) and looks to duplicate her success on the back nine, finishing two-under after making the turn.
EAGLES (1): 4th Hole (Par 5; 477 yards)
BIRDIES (4): 6th Hole (Par 4; 389 yards), 10th Hole (Par 4; 388 yards), 14th Hole (Par 5; 547 yards), 17th Hole (Par 4; 321 yards)
Ashley Menne (-1/71/T23rd)
Menne was able to erase an early bogey by bouncing back to birdie the third hole during a solid front nine. She picked up her play after making the turn, with three of her four birdies coming down the stretch. Over her final nine holes, she finished two-under, a big part of the Sun Devils late surge in the team standings.
BIRDIES (4): 3rd Hole (Par 3; 166 yards), 10th Hole (Par 4; 388 yards), 11th Hole (Par 4; 362 yards), 17th Hole (Par 4; 321 yards)
Patience Rhodes (-1/71/T23rd)
Rhodes caught fire after a bogey on her first hole, ripping off a stretch of three-under over her next nine holes. She remained consistent on the back nine, going even after making the turn. She is one of five Sun Devils in the Top-25 of 96-golfer field.
BIRDIES (4): 4th Hole (Par 5; 477 yards), 7th Hole (Par 5; 508 yards), 10th Hole (Par 4; 388 yards), 14th Hole (Par 5; 547 yards)
QUOTABLES
"We had a really good day," Coach Farr-Kaye reflected. "We started off solid, which was one of our main goals. We have been working on a lot of different things and it is great to see this team execute the things we have been working on."
"Paula was extremely disciplined with her course management today and is leading us at five-under," Coach Farr-Kaye added. "There were a lot of birdies, which makes me proud of how well this group is functioning together as a team. We look forward to two more days here."
NOTABLES
- Coach Farr-Kaye's team now has carded rounds of 277 (-11) today and 278 (-10) at the McGuire Invitational, two of the Top-15 rounds vs. par in program history.
- Arizona State had by far the lowest scoring average on par four holes of any team in the field.
- They finished -5 on such opportunities, four strokes better than the second best team.
- By going -9 on par five holes, ASU boasted the second-best scoring average of any team in the field on those holes.
- The Sun Devils finished the first round with 24 birdies as a team, the second-most in the field.
- Grace Summerhays recorded her second Eagle of the season. It was one of only four Eagles all day.
- Paula Schulz-Hanssen is tied for second in the field with eight birdies.
- Her 67 is the lowest by any Sun Devil this season and the second-lowest score of her collegiate career.
- All five Sun Devils shot under par and recorded at least four birdies.
- Patience Rhodes and Grace Summerhays (4.25) are tied for second in par-five scoring average.
- Beth Coulter, Ashley Menne, and Paula Schulz-Hanssen all rank in the Top-5 in par-four scoring average (3.8).
| Place | Team | 1 | To Par |
| 1 | Auburn | 274 | -14 |
| 2 | Arizona State | 277 | -11 |
| 3 | Vanderbilt | 280 | -8 |
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
| Place | Player | 1 | To Par |
| T4 | Paula Schulz-Hanssen | 67 | -5 |
| T8 | Beth Coulter | 69 | -3 |
| T15 | Grace Summerhays | 70 | -2 |
| T23 | Patience Rhodes | 71 | -1 |
| T23 | Ashley Menne | 71 | -1 |
UP NEXT
Arizona State will begin the second round of the Mason Rudolph Invitational Saturday morning at 8:09 AM AZT on the first hole, with a new golfer starting their round every nine minutes. They will be in the featured group paired with first-place Auburn and tournament host Vanderbilt.
| PAIRING | Arizona State, Auburn, Vanderbilt |
| HOLE | 1 |
| TIME (MST) | GOLFER |
| 8:09 AM | Patience Rhodes |
| 8:18 AM | Ashley Menne |
| 8:27 AM | Grace Summerhays |
| 8:36 AM | Beth Coulter |
| 8:45 AM | Paula Schulz-Hanssen |
THE COURSE
Since opening in 1992, Vanderbilt Legends Club has made its mark in the world of golf by receiving national recognition and accolades. The par 72 North Course, stretching 6,491 yards for this tournament, was designed by Hall of Fame golfer Tom Kite and world-renowned golf course architect, Bob Cupp. The greens are well undulated with the promise of multiple hole locations and the bunkers are large and boldly shaped. The course path provides an inspired variety of holes playing through lush fields and around lakes and streams. It is widely recognized as among the finest in Tennessee, having served as the hosts of many local, regional, and national amateur and professional competitions.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live scoring for the Mason Rudolph Invitational can be found at the following link. For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com). Find Coach Farr-Kaye (@missymkaye) and Coach Tatman (@CoachMikayla_) on Twitter as well.
HISTORY AT MASON RUDOLPH
For the first time since 2018, Sun Devil Women's Golf will compete in the Mason Rudolph Invitational. The 23rd edition of the event will be played at Vanderbilt Legends Club near Nashville, where host institution Vanderbilt is based. Arizona State hopes weather isn't a factor this time as it was in their last appearance, with rain cutting the third round short. Coach Farr-Kaye's squad still managed to finish second behind host Vanderbilt.
The Sun Devils tied their program-low 54-hole score vs. par (-25) with a third-place finish in 2017, their first appearance in the event since a second-place finish in 2013. ASU also competed at the Mason Rudolph Invitational from 2007-09 and 2005. In 2007, All-American Anna Nordqvist finished second while leading Arizona State to a second-place finish. The Maroon & Gold will be tested with an early trip to the southeast part of the country, a potential landing spot for NCAA Regionals.