PHOENIX - Sun Devil Women's Golf got off to another terrific start, taking the lead after the first day of the PING/ASU Invitational.
No. 13 Arizona State (-7/281) is hosting the 51st edition of the PING/ASU Invitational, welcoming 16 teams to Papago Golf Club. Nobody was better on day one than the Sun Devils, as they took control after the first 18 holes. ASU leads No. 1 Stanford and No. 4 UCLA by two strokes with two days remaining as they look for their third consecutive tournament win.
The Maroon and Gold were led by the efforts of Patience Rhodes, who fired a 69 (-3) and sits just one stroke out of the lead in a tie for fifth. Right behind Rhodes is Beth Coulter (-2/70) who is tied for 14th. Grace Summerhays and Ashley Menne are also in striking distance of the overall lead after each carded a 71 (-1) and sit in a tie for 18th. Four of the Top-20 individuals are Sun Devils, with ASU taking advantage of their familiarity with the course.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
The PING/ASU Invitational is free and open to the public. Don't miss a chance to check out the nation's No. 13 team in action. Make sure to stop by Papago Golf Club Friday and Saturday as Arizona State will compete starting in the morning each day. On Friday, the Sun Devils tee-off at 9:39 AM on Hole 1. Tee-times for Saturday will be determined based on scoring.
ROUND BREAKDOWN
Patience Rhodes (69/-3/T5)
BIRDIES (4): Hole 11 (Par 3; 148 yards), Hole 13 (Par 4; 365 yards), Hole 15 (Par 5; 506 yards), Hole 18 (Par 4; 413 yards)
NOTABLES
-- Fourth-straight round in the 60s
-- Seventh round in the 60s this season
-- Four birdies on the back nine
-- Tied for a team-high four birdies
Beth Coulter (70/-2/T14)
BIRDIES (3): Hole 4 (Par 3; 161 yards), Hole 10 (Par 5; 525 yards), Hole 11 (Par 3; 148 yards)
NOTABLES
-- Under par in three-straight rounds
-- Three-straight rounds under par at Papago Golf Club dating back to 2023 Pac-12 Championship
--2.50 scoring average on par three holes is tied for best in field
Ashley Menne (71/-1/T18)
BIRDIES (2): Hole 8 (Par 8; 154 yards), Hole 14 (Par 4; 365 yards)
NOTABLES
-- Under par in four-straight rounds
-- Eight-career round under par at Papago Golf Club
-- 15 pars are tied for second-most in the field.
Grace Summerhays (71/-1/T18)
BIRDIES (4): Hole 1 (Par 5; 530 yards), Hole 3 (Par 4; 424 yards), Hole 4 (Par 3; 161 yards), Hole 14 (Par 4; 365 yards)
NOTABLES
-- Third-career round under par at Papago Golf Club
-- Tied for a team-high four birdies
Paula Schulz-Hanssen (80/+8/T87)
QUOTABLES
"We are working hard to continue to focus on what is important to us and that is our process," Coach Farr-Kaye remarked after the round. "We are staying away from outcome, which has worked really well for us, while just focusing on one day at a time. Today, mission accomplished. Now we go to day two, let's do it again."
"Trying to keep it simple and enjoy ourselves while making sure to do the little things well," Coach Farr-Kaye added. "It is really going in our favor right now. We have a great field here at PING/ASU playing against some top competition, so we have to stay focused on one day at a time."
"It is terrific to watch Patience continue to grow as a golfer," Coach Farr-Kaye mentioned. "She is very hard on herself and has very high goals, but has done a better job of staying with the process and not getting ahead of herself. Don't worry about the future or focus on the past, just continue to stay in the present."
"It is really exciting to watch all of them progress," Coach Farr-Kaye concluced. "Paula might have had a rough day today, but I expect her to come out tomorrow ready to go."
TEAM STANDINGS
| Place | Team | 1 | To Par |
| 1 | #13 Arizona State | 281 | -7 |
| 2 | #1 Stanford | 283 | -5 |
| T3 | #11 Northwestern | 284 | -4 |
| T3 | #4 UCLA | 284 | -4 |
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
| Place | Player | 1 | To Par |
| 1 | 4 Tied (G. Starkute, AZ; C. Fouillet, Cal; E. Bushnell, OSU; A. Yun, NW) | 68 | -4 |
| T5 | Patience Rhodes | 69 | -3 |
| T14 | Beth Coulter | 70 | -2 |
| T18 | Grace Summerhays | 71 | -1 |
| T18 | Ashley Menne | 71 | -1 |
| T87 | Paula Schulz-Hanssen | 80 | +8 |
UP NEXT
Arizona State will begin the second round of the PING/ASU Invitational on Friday morning at 9:39 AM AZT, with a new golfer beginning their round every nine minutes. The Sun Devils will be paired with No. 1 Stanford and No. 4 UCLA in the featured group starting on hole one.
| PAIRING | Stanford, UCLA |
| HOLE | 1 |
| TIME (MST) | GOLFER |
| 9:39 AM | Paula Schulz-Hanssen |
| 9:48 AM | Grace Summerhays |
| 9:57 AM | Ashley Menne |
| 10:06 AM | Beth Coulter |
| 10:15 AM | Patience Rhodes |
SUN DEVILS IN THE RANKINGS
Clipp'd, backed by the NCAA, are now responsible for the 2024 NCAA Golf Rankings. Arizona State moved up to No. 13 in the ranking, gaining three spots after their victory at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Intercollegiate. Three Sun Devils are in the Top-100 after both Beth Coulter and Patience Rhodes made a massive jump. Here is where each of the Sun Devils' rank in the latest Clipp'd Individual Rankings:
No. 41 Ashley Menne UP 22 spots
No. 69 Patience Rhodes UP 32 spots
No. 82 Beth Coulter UP 29 spots
No. 125 Grace Summerhays
No. 138 Paula Schulz-Hanssen UP 23 spots
THE COMPETITION (CLIPP'D RANKINGS)
All 17 teams at the PING/ASU Invitational are ranked in the Top-78 of the latest Clipp'd National Team Rankings. Arizona State is one of eight Top-15 teams in the field. In total, 14 of the Top-50 teams in the country will be competing at Papago this week. The loaded event features 32 of the Top-100 ranked golfers in the nation, including No. 42 Ashley Menne, No. 72 Patience Rhodes, and No. 83 Beth Coulter from Arizona State. In total, 62 of the Top-200 individuals will be vying for the PING/ASU crown, including all five members of the Sun Devil lineup.
| #13 Arizona State | |
| #1 Stanford | #4 UCLA |
| #6 USC | #7 Texas |
| #11 Northwestern | #12 Oregon |
| #14 Arizona | #27 California |
| #39 Oklahoma State | #41 Kansas |
| #42 Oregon State | #48 Denver |
| #50 Baylor | #70 New Mexico |
| #71 Colorado | #78 New Mexico State |
THE FORMAT
The PING/ASU Invitational is three rounds of stroke play, with a round taking place each day Friday through Sunday. An individual and team champion crowned after 54 holes. Papago Golf Course is set up as a Par 72 at 6,543 yards.
THE COURSE
Originally built in 1963, Papago Golf Club was one of the original Valley golf courses and has been an asset to the Phoenix public-golf community. Designed by well-known and esteemed golf course architect William Francis (Billy) Bell. The course provides spectacular views of Phoenix from its unique, strategic setting at the base of Papago Buttes. Despite its convenient central location, golfers experience a setting rich with the native elements that make Arizona a unique state.
The home of Sun Devil Men's and Women's Golf was named the Arizona Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) of Arizona in 2021. The annual host venue of both the ASU/PING Invitational and Thunderbird Collegiate has long been considered one of the top courses in the state. Arizona State hosted the 2023 Pac-12 Women's Golf Championships at this venue.
HISTORY AT PING/ASU INVITATIONAL
This is the 51st edition of the PING/ASU Invitational, which has developed a reputation as one of the toughest fields in the Spring women's golf season. The first 45 were at Karsten Golf Course, with the past five taking place at Papago Golf Club. It represents a prime opportunity for the top teams in the nation to get a taste of the intensity of postseason golf leading up to the conference champions.
Arizona State has won the most event titles, claiming the team championship at PING/ASU an incredible 22 times. This included back-to-back wins in 2021 & 2021. ASU finished in second place as a team last year, as four individuals finished in the Top-11. Linda Vollstedt led the Sun Devils to five-straight PING/ASU titles from 1991-1996. ASU also won the title in 2017 on their way to a National Championship.
The Maroon & Gold also boast the most individual medalists in tournament history, with Sun Devils earning the crown 17 times. This includes Alexandra Forsterling in 2022. Forsterling (-9/207) had to beat out current Sun Devil Ashley Menne for the title, as Arizona State finished 1-2 in the final player standings. She became the first Sun Devil to win at PING/ASU since Roberta Liti back in 2017. Some of the top scores in program history have come at PING/ASU, with Monica Vaughn leading the way with a historic 64 (-8) in the first round of the 2017 version. Menne will look to earn her third-straight Top-10 finish at the event.
BEST ROUNDS IN 2023-24
64/-8 Ashley Menne (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational second round/March 18, 2024)
65/-7 Beth Coulter (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational second round/March 18, 2024)
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 (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational third round/March 19, 2024)
68/-4 Patience Rhodes (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational first round/March 17, 2024)
68/-4 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational second round/March 18, 2024)
68/-4 Patience Rhodes (McGuire Invitational second round/Sept. 11, 2023)
68/-3 Patience Rhodes (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate first round/March 4, 2024)
68/-3 Grace Summerhays (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate first round/March 4, 2024)
68/-3 Grace Summerhays (Darius Rucker Intercollegiate second round/March 5, 2024)
---> 69/-3 Patience Rhodes (PING/ASU Invitational first round/March 28, 2024)
69/-3 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational third round/March 19, 2024)
69/-3 Ashley Menne (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational third round/March 19, 2024)
69/-3 Patience Rhodes (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational second round/March 18, 2024)
69/-3 Ashley Menne (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational first round/March 17, 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
1st - Ashley Menne (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational)
T2nd - Ashley Menne (Match in the Desert)
3rd - Patience Rhodes (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational)
5th - Beth Coulter (Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational)
T5th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Invitational)
6th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Dr. Donnis Thompson 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)
BIRDIES BY SUN DEVIL (SEASON TOTALS)
Ashley Menne - 69 (plus 1 Eagle)
Patience Rhodes - 69 (plus 2 Eagles)
Grace Summerhays - 68 (plus 4 Eagles)
Beth Coulter - 64 (plus 2 Eagles)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen - 58 (plus 3 Eagles)
CAREER APPEARANCES
Ashley Menne, 40 (37 stroke; 3 match)
Grace Summerhays, 30 (27 stroke; 3 match)
Beth Coulter, 21 (18 stroke; 3 match)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 21 (18 stroke; 3 match)
Patience Rhodes, 10 (8 stroke; 2 match)
CAREER TOP-20 FINISHES
Ashley Menne, 23
Grace Summerhays, 12
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 9
Beth Coulter, 7
Patience Rhodes, 4
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
Live scoring for the PING/ASU 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.