HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - Sun Devil Women's Golf won the 2024 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate on Wednesday afternoon at Long Cove Club.
Featuring live coverage on GOLF Channel, the 2024 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate was considered one of the most prestigious events of the 2023-24 women's collegiate golf schedule. In a field containing three of the Top-5, six of the Top-10, and 11 of the Top-25 teams in the nation, No. 19 Arizona State emerged victorious. Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye adds yet another signature tournament victory to her decorated resume.
It was a total team effort that led the Sun Devils (+3/855) past No. 11 Northwestern, as several individuals stepped up under pressure to help ASU secure the victory. Clutch holes down the stretch from Grace Summerhays, Patience Rhodes, and Beth Coulter allowed Arizona State to clinch their first team title since the 2022 PING/ASU Invitational.
Five of the Top-10, 10 of the Top-25, and 22 of the Top-50 golfers in the nation were competing for the individual crown at Long Cove. Grace Summerhays finished tied for seventh in the deep and talented field, battling some of the sport's most recognizable names for top positioning on the leaderboard. Patience Rhodes and Beth Coulter each tied for 12th, which put them ahead of seven of the Top-25 golfers in the nation. Ashley Menne and Paula Schulz-Hanssen each provided counting scores at different points throughout the week, playing a major factor in Arizona State winning the championship.
QUOTABLESTAKING HOME A TITLE ??
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) March 7, 2024
The Darius Rucker Intercollegiate featured…
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Arizona State got it done in a loaded field ??
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"We have been doing things a little bit different the past couple of months," Coach Farr-Kaye told GOLF Channel after the round. "We have been focusing on doing some training on being a positive team and what all that means on and off the golf course. Getting to that place where they understand you can only control what you can control. I am proud of how we were able to do that this week."
"This week's win gives us so much confidence," Grace Summerhays remarked after the round. "This is the best field in college golf besides nationals, so to win against such a strong field feels amazing. We have known how good we are, but the results weren't showing. So to get this win is so rewarding! We will enjoy this win for a while."
"This group has just really come together and supported each other," Coach Farr-Kaye added. "Even tough we didn't start off great today, we just kept on going and tried to be positive. Have the mentality of whatever happens, happens. And it happen to be our day."
ROUND BREAKDOWN
Grace Summerhays (211/-2/T7)
TODAY'S ROUND: 75 (+4)
BIRDIES (2): Hole 4 (Par 4; 362 yards), Hole 6 (Par 5; 520 yards)
Patience Rhodes (213/E/T12)
TODAY'S ROUND: 71 (E)
BIRDIES (3): Hole 5 (Par 4; 314 yards), Hole 7 (Par 4; 398 yards), Hole 8 (Par 3; 151 yards)
Beth Coulter (213/E/T12)
TODAY'S ROUND: 70 (-1)
BIRDIES (3): Hole 5 (Par 4; 314 yards), Hole 8 (Par 3; 151 yards), Hole 17 (Par 3; 178 yards)
Ashley Menne (221/+8/T54)
TODAY'S ROUND: 75 (+4)
BIRDIES (1): Hole 8 (Par 3; 151 yards)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen (228/+15/75)
TODAY'S ROUND: 77 (+6)
BIRDIES (1): Hole 15 (Par 5; 530 yards)
Embracing the Pressure ??@SunDevilWGolf stepped up when it mattered most ??
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) March 7, 2024
?? @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/Qe31eYKStj
HOW IT HAPPENED
With the nation watching live on GOLF Channel and Peacock, Sun Devil Women's Golf came through in clutch moments. At the start of the day the Maroon and Gold trailed No. 11 Northwestern by one stroke. They were able to erase that deficit thanks to a steady effort despite the increased magnitude of the circumstances.
Showing no signs of nerves, several birdies on the front nine helped Arizona State catapult back in front of the team leaderboard. Grace Summerhays got things started with a birdie on four, followed quickly by birdies on five from Beth Coulter and Patience Rhodes. Summerhays added another birdie on the sixth hole as she maintained her lead in the individual race. Rhodes caught fire in the middle of the front nine, recording back-to-back birdies on seven and eight. Beth Coulter and Ashley Menne joined her in recording birdie on the eighth hole, creating a big swing to put ASU back in front.
For the second straight day, birdies were hard to come by on the back nine. The Sun Devils battled through the pressure of a big stage, converting several par opportunities to stay in front of No. 11 Northwestern and No. 12 Auburn. It was a crucial birdie putt from Coulter on 17, who shot a team-best 70 (-1) on the day, that provided a timely boost for the team. Rhodes delivered a pivotal par putt on 18 to finish her round at 71 (E), followed by the championship-sealing putt on 18 from Grace Summerhays, who fittingly clinched the title for the Sun Devils.
NOTABLES
- No. 19 Arizona State won the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, an event that included the nation's No. 1 team and defending National Champion Wake Forest.
- The Demon Deacons were one of three Top-5 teams in the field, joined by No. 4 LSU and No. 5 South Carolina.
- ASU beat out six Top-10 and 11 Top-25 teams for the title, as the Long Cove Club hosted arguably the toughest field of any 2023-24 women's collegiate event.
- To take it a step further, 15 of the Top-33 teams participated and Arizona State came out on top.
- This is the program's 17th team title under Missy Farr-Kaye, who is in her ninth season at the helm in Tempe.
- Arizona State now has 97 overall team titles since 1982.
- It is the first time the Sun Devils have secured a victory as a team since claiming the 2022 PING/ASU Invitational at their home course.
- Not only is it the first team championship for ASU at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, it is also the program's first victory in the southeastern part of the United States since winning the 2008 Derby Invitational (Auburn, AL).
- The field was decorated with individual talent in addition to team talent, with some of the nation's top-ranked golfers competing at Long Cove Club. This makes the finishes by Grace Summerhays (T7th), Patience Rhodes (T12th), and Beth Coulter (T12th) even more impressive. Here is a closer look at who competed for the individual crown...
- Five of the Top-10
- 10 of the Top-25
- 22 of the Top-50 (including ASU's #46 Ashley Menne)
- 39 of the Top-100
Top-25 Individuals in the Field (Clipp'd National Ranking)
#1 Maria Jose Marin, Arkansas
#3 Ingrid Linblad, LSU (top-ranked female amateur in the World)
#4 Kiara Romero, Oregon
#9 Julia Lopez Ramirez, Mississippi State
#10 Louise Rydqvist, South Carolina
#21 Farah O'Keefe, Texas
#22 Caterina Don, Georgia
#23 Rachel Kuehn, Wake Forest
#24 Laney Frye, Kentucky
#25 Savannah De Bock, Georgia
- Grace Summerhays, Patience Rhodes, and Beth Coulter all finished ahead of the following golfers: #1 Maria Jose Marin, #4 Kiara Romero, #10 Louise Rydqvist, #22 Caterina Don, #23 Rachel Kuehn, #24 Laney Frye, #25 Savannah De Bock (3 Top-10; 7 Top-25).
- Arizona State led the entire field in par-three scoring average (3.0 average strokes).
TEAM STANDINGS
| Place | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | To Par |
| 1 | #20 Arizona State | 278 | 286 | 291 | +3 |
| 2 | #11 Northwestern | 281 | 282 | 293 | +4 |
| 3 | #12 Auburn | 284 | 282 | 291 | +5 |
Let the Celebration Begin ??@SunDevilWGolf has won the 2024 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Championship ??
— Sun Devil W. Golf (@SunDevilWGolf) March 7, 2024
?? @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/aFviyWES0G
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
| Place | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | To Par |
| T7 | Grace Summerhays | 68 | 68 | 75 | -2 |
| T12 | Patience Rhodes | 68 | 74 | 71 | E |
| T12 | Beth Coulter | 71 | 72 | 70 | E |
| T54 | Ashley Menne | 71 | 75 | 75 | +8 |
| 75 | Paula Schulz-Hanssen | 79 | 72 | 77 | +15 |
THE COMPETITION (CLIPP'D RANKINGS)
The Darius Rucker Intercollegiate features arguably the toughest field of any collegiate golf tournament on the 2023-24 schedule. Arizona State is one of 10 Top-20 teams in the latest Clipp'd rankings heading to Hilton Head, South Carolina. This includes SIX of the Top-10 and THREE of the Top-5 teams in the nation. 15 of the Top-33 ranked teams will be competing for the title at Long Cove Club.
| #20 Arizona State | |||
| #1 Wake Forest | #4 LSU | #5 South Carolina | #6 Arkansas |
| #7 Texas | #9 Oregon | #11 Northwestern | #12 Auburn |
| #18 Duke | #20 Vanderbilt | #28 Georgia | #30 Mississippi State |
| #32 Alabama | #34 Kentucky | #38 Ohio State | #62 Baylor |
COVERAGE ON GOLF CHANNEL
The Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Presented by Principal Financial and PXG will return after making its television debut on GOLF Channel two years ago when it became the first all-women's regular season collegiate golf tournament to be presented live on the network. Watch an encore of the final round at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate on GOLF Channel and Peacock running 4:30 - 7:30 pm MST this evening.
HISTORY AT DARIUS RUCKER
Long Cove Club, in partnership with Darius Rucker and South Carolina, will again play host on Hilton Head Island for the 12th time. This was the seventh time Arizona State has appeared, competing in each of the past three editions.
In 2023 at an event featuring 16 of the Top-46 and 14 of the Top-32 teams in the Golfstat rankings, Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye's team finished in sixth. Four of the five teams that finished ahead of them are ranked in the Top-10. Three Sun Devils finished in the Top-25 of the individual race, led by Ashley Menne. Menne had the best round of any Sun Devil throughout the three days, delivering a 69 (-2) to cap teh event. She made a jump up the standings for the second consecutive day, eventually finishing in a tie for 13th. Not far behind was Paula Schulz-Hanssen, who continued her strong play by finishing tied for 16th. Beth Coulter was the third Sun Devil in the Top-25 in a field that boasted 23 of the Top-52 and 41 of the Top-100 golfers in the latest Golfstat rankings.
In 2022, Calynne Rosholt and Alexandra Forsterling led the way individually for the Sun Devils, each finishing in the Top-10 at the Darius Rucker. Rosholt set the pace by tying for third place, with Forsterling not far behind her teammate finishing in a tie for sixth.
The Sun Devils have finished fourth or higher three times, including third-place finishes in 2022 & 2017. Linnea Strom finished second, while Sophia Zeeb claimed third place individually in 2017. Back in 2013, Noemi Jimenez won her second-straight individual title during a breakout sophomore season, claiming medalist honors at the Darius Rucker. She earned a four-stroke win and was joined by teammate Daniela Ordonez (4th) in finishing in the Top-5.
BEST ROUNDS IN 2023-24
66/-6 - Ashley Menne (Match in the Desert/Jan. 22, 2024)
67/-5 - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Invitational first round/Sept. 22, 2023)
67/-4 - Ashley Menne (Stanford Intercollegiate second round/Oct. 21, 2023)
68/-4 - Patience Rhodes (McGuire Invitational second round/Sept. 11, 2023)
---> 68/-3 - Patience Rhodes (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate first round/Mar. 4, 2024)
---> 68/-3 - Grace Summerhays (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate first round/Mar. 4, 2024)
---> 68/-3 - Grace Summerhays (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate second round/Mar. 5, 2024)
69/-3 - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Invitational third round/Sept. 24, 2023)
69/-3 - Beth Coulter (Mason Rudolph Invitational first round/Sept. 22, 2023)
69/-3 - Ashley Menne (McGuire Invitational first round/Sept. 11, 2023)
69/-3 - Beth Coulter (McGuire Invitational second round/Sept. 11, 2023)
69/-3 - Calynne Rosholt (Windy City first round/Oct. 2, 2023)
69/-2 - Patience Rhodes (Stanford Intercollegiate third round/Oct. 23, 2023)
TOP FINISHES IN 2023-24
T2nd - Ashley Menne (Match in the Desert)
T5th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Invitational)
6th - Ashley Menne (McGuire Invitational)
---> T7th - Grace Summerhays (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate)
---> T12th - Patience Rhodes (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate)
---> T12th - Beth Coulter (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate)
T14th - Grace Summerhays (McGuire Invitational)
T14th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Match in the Desert)
T16th - Beth Coulter (Mason Rudolph Invitational)
BIRDIES BY SUN DEVIL (SEASON TOTALS)
Grace Summerhays - 54
Patience Rhodes - 53
Ashley Menne - 52
Beth Coulter - 49
Paula Schulz-Hanssen - 47
Calynne Rosholt - 27
CAREER APPEARANCES
Ashley Menne, 38 (35 stroke; 3 match)
Calynne Rosholt, 29 (25 stroke; 4 match)
Grace Summerhays, 28 (25 stroke; 3 match)
Beth Coulter, 19 (16 stroke; 3 match)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 19 (16 stroke; 3 match)
Patience Rhodes, 8 (6 stroke; 2 match)
CAREER TOP-20 FINISHES
Ashley Menne, 22
Grace Summerhays, 12
Calynne Rosholt, 10
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 8
Beth Coulter, 6
Patience Rhodes, 3
UP NEXT
Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational – March 17-19 (Honolulu, HI)
Arizona State returns to the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational for the first time since 2019. This will be the 38th edition of the tournament hosted by the University of Hawaii at Hoakalei Country Club. Back in 2020, the No. 3-ranked Sun Devils proved they were in a different class compared to the rest of the field, cruising to a 19-stroke win while posting what was then the sixth lowest total vs. par over 54 holes in program history. To put the Sun Devils total of 852 (-12) into perspective, no other team finished below par, including 12 of the 16 teams finishing 886 (+22) or worse.
In addition to the team title, future All-American Linn Grant (-7/209) took home Individual Medalist honors, capturing the first win of her illustrious collegiate career. She was tested on her way to claiming the crown, showing she can respond to pressure. After tying through 54 holes, Grant would come out on top of a five-hole playoff with TCU's Sabrina Iqbal thanks to a clutch birdie. Arizona State not only took home the 2011 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational team title, former All-American and current LPGA standout Carlota Ciganda captured individual medalist honors.
2023-24 CAMPAIGN
Arizona State will be tested throughout 2023-24 as Coach Farr-Kaye built one of the nation's toughest slates once again. The Maroon and Gold will compete in a total of ten regular season events, four in the Fall and six in the Spring. The postseason begins April 21 at the Pac-12 Championship, with NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships scheduled for the month of May.
ARIZONA STATE WOMEN'S GOLF SCHEDULE
McGuire Invitational – Sept. 11-12 (Albuquerque, NM)
Mason Rudolph Invitational – Sept. 22-24 (Franklin, TN)
Windy City Collegiate Classic – Oct. 2-3 (Chicago, IL)
Stanford Intercollegiate – Oct. 20-22 (Palo Alto, CA)
Match in the Desert – January 22 (Gold Canyon, AZ)
Therese Hession Regional Challenge – Feb. 3-4 (Palos Verdes, CA)
Duel in the Desert (vs. Denver) – Feb. 25 (Phoenix, AZ)
Darius Rucker Intercollegiate – March 4-6 (Hilton Head Island, SC)
Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational – March 17-19 (Honolulu, HI)
PING/ASU Invitational – March 28-30 (Phoenix, AZ) - HOSTED BY ASU
Pac-12 Championship – April 21-23 (Pullman, WA)
NCAA Regionals – May 6-8 (Auburn/Cle Elum/College State/East Lansing/Las Vegas/Winston-Salem)
NCAA Championship – May 17-22 (La Costa, CA; Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Champions Course)
HOW TO FOLLOW
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.