Women’s Golf Hosts Spartan Sun Coast Invitational Starting on Sunday
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State's women's golf team is back out on the course this weekend, hosting the Spartan Sun Coast Invitational at the Palm Aires Champions Course in Sarasota, Fla.
The two-day, 54-hole tournament will be held at the par-72, 6,191-yard Palm Aires Champions Course. Teams will play 36 holes on Sunday, Feb. 16 with an 8:15 a.m. shotgun start and the tournament concludes on Monday, Feb. 17 (8:30 a.m. shotgun).
THE LINEUP
1. Paula Balanzategui
2. Brooke Biermann
3. Taylor Kehoe
4. Katie Lu
5. Ana Sofia Murcia
IND. Catalina Monroy
IND. Shannon Kennedy
IND. Amelie Weber
LIVE SCORING
Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.
THE SPARTAN SUN COAST INVITATIONAL FIELD
The 15-team field includes seven teams ranked among the top-50 in the latest NCAA Rankings in Division I and one school among the top-10 in Division II: host Michigan State (22), Charleston, Florida International, Georgia Southern (37), Grand Valley State (6, DII), Illinois, Kent State, Kentucky (39), Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame (25), Ohio State, Oklahoma (36), Oklahoma State (24), Purdue (35).
LAST TIME OUT
The Spartans shot a 3-under par 285 in the final round and finished in fifth place at the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic, played at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico from Feb. 2-4 … The Spartans finished the three-day, 54-hole tournament, an 18-team field with 12 of the top-50 teams in the country, with a score of 2-over par 866 (287-294-285) … Junior Taylor Kehoe was the top finisher for Michigan State, shooting a 2-under par 70 on Tuesday and tying for seventh place at 2-under par 214 (73-71-70) … Senior Brooke Biermann posted an even-par 72 in the final round and tied for 18th place at even-par 216 (69-75-72), while senior Katie Lu and sophomore Ana Sofia Murcia tied for 28th place at 2-over par 218. Lu closed out with a 1-over par 73 for her 218 (72-73-73), while Murcia tied for the team low round of the day at 2-under par 70 for her 218 (73-75-70) … Freshman Catalina Monroy tied for 86th place at 14-over par 230 (77-76-77) … Junior Paula Balanzategui, playing as an individual, tied for 28th place at 2-over par 218 (69-72-77).
LAST YEAR AT THE SPARTAN SUN COAST
Michigan State fired a 2-under par 286 in the second round and finished in a tie for eighth place among 15 teams at last year's event … The three-round tournament was reduced to two rounds after inclement weather in the area … Ohio State shot an even-par 576 (291-285) to top the 15-team field, with the College of Charleston in second place at 2-over par 578 … Tennessee placed third (4-over par 580), Georgia Southern finished in fourth (5-over par 581) and Oklahoma rounded out the top-five teams at 7-over par 585 … Michigan State tied for eighth place with North Carolina at 14-over par 590 … Brooke Biermann was the top finisher for the Spartans, tying for 11th place at even-par 144 (70-74) … Katie Lu and Paula Balanzategui both posted scores of 3-over par 147 and tied for 26th place … Ana Sofia Murcia shot a 14-over par 158 (81-77) and tied for 72nd place while, playing as individuals, Shannon Kennedy tied for 26th place at 3-over par 147 (76-71) and Ella Weber shot a 13-over par 157 (78-79) and tied for 67th place.
THE COURSE
The Palm Aire Champions Course was designed by renowned architect Dick Wilson in 1957 and updated by architect Michael Benkusky in 2021. Palm Aire is a members only privately run club which has played host to several PGA and LPGA events over its storied history. The Club features full athletic facilities, including 36 holes of golf; the Champions Course specifically is its signature golf course and a jewel nestled in beautiful Sarasota, Fla.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
