The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Betsy Rawls Invitational
Record-setting final day leads No. 2 Women's Golf to Betsy Rawls Invitational title
10.13.2019 | Women's Golf
The Longhorns shot a program-best 15-under-par on Sunday.
AUSTIN, Texas – The best 18-hole round in program history on Sunday at UT Golf Club propelled the No. 2 Texas women's golf team to its third consecutive Betsy Rawls Invitational title.
The Longhorns, who entered the final round eight strokes off the team lead, turned in a 15-under-par 273 on Sunday to best No. 5 Kent State by two strokes. The 15-under-par broke the school record for the best 18-hole team round relative to par.
The victory was the second this season for Texas. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the Longhorns have won 11 tournaments.
Texas finished with a 19-under-par three-round total of 845 [288-284-273] to capture the Betsy Rawls Invitational for the third consecutive year. Prior to Sunday, the Longhorns had never won three consecutive Betsy Rawls Invitational crowns in program history. Texas defeated previously undefeated Kent State, which placed second with a 17-under-par 847 [287-277-283]. No. 23 Oklahoma State finished third with a 13-under-par 851 [283-284-284].
Freshman Sophie Guo carded a school-record, bogey-free, eight-under-par 64 on Sunday to lead the Longhorns. She finished the tournament in fourth place with a nine-under-par 207 [70-73-64]. Her third-round 64 tied the school's individual 18-hole record and her eight-under mark set a new individual school record relative to par. Her 64 also tied the UT Golf Club competitive course record.
Oklahoma State's Isabella Fierro captured individual medalist honors with a 15-under-par 201 [68-68-65].
As a team, Texas led the field with 56 birdies over the course of the tournament, while also recording 168 pars. The Longhorns had the best par-four scoring average [4.05 +8] of any team and the second-best scoring average on par-three [3.02, +1] and par-five [4.73, -16] holes.
LINEUP AT A GLANCE
- Guo earned her first collegiate top-10 finish on Sunday by placing fourth at the Betsy Rawls Invitational. Her three-round total of 207 tied for the fourth-best 54-hole individual total in program history. Guo led the tournament field with 16 birdies and added 32 pars on the weekend.
- Sophomore Sara Kouskova recorded her third career top-10 individual finish, tying for sixth with a five-under-par 211 [71-73-67]. Her third-round 67 tied for the second-best round of her collegiate career. Kouskova earned her third eagle of the season on Sunday on the par-five ninth hole. Kouskova's 36 pars on the weekend tied for the team lead.
- Junior Kaitlyn Papp, the September Big 12 Golfer of the Month, carded her third top-10 individual finish in as many events this season, placing eighth with a four-under-par 212 [73-71-68]. Her third-round 68 marked her third round in the 60s this season and her seventh round this year at par or better. Papp finished the weekend with 13 birdies and 32 pars.
- Sophomore Hailee Cooper tied for 16th with a one-over-par 217 [74-69-74] for her best finish of the season. Cooper led her team and had the fourth-best par-four scoring average [3.93, -2] among all individuals in the field.
- Senior Maren Cipolla tied for 44th with a 10-over-par 226 [78-71-77]. She tied for the team lead with 36 pars.
- Senior Kelly Xac, competing as an individual, tied for 75th with a 32-over-par 248 [84-85-79].
TEXAS HEAD COACH RYAN MURPHY
On Texas' school-record 15-under-par final round on Sunday …
"When you start eight back and then you have the day that we had – 15-under – we needed all of it. We only won by two shots. It's kind of a dream round, honestly. As coaches, we dream about days like this. It was fantastic."
On freshman Sophie Guo …
"She shot the course record today for competition on this golf course. Eight birdies and no bogeys as a true freshman. She's the real deal, no question."
TEXAS FRESHMAN SOPHIE GUO
On Texas winning the 2019 Betsy Rawls Invitational …
"It was awesome to win this tournament in my first year here. I had a good round on the last day and I want to give credit to the team."
On her school record eight-under-par round on Sunday …
"It meant a lot to me. I know, on the final day, we had to make a lot of birdies and that was my goal for today. Just keep making birdies, never stop and keep going lower."
TEXAS JUNIOR KAITLYN PAPP
On Texas winning the 2019 Betsy Rawls Invitational …
"I'm really proud of everyone's effort, especially Sophie [Guo] and Sara [Kouskova]. They played really well today. I feel like we all just kind of dug in deep and made some birdies when we knew we needed to in order to catch up to Kent State."
UP NEXT
Texas returns to action Oct. 28-30 when it travels to Nassau, Bahamas, to participate in the White Sands Invitational at the Atlantis Ocean Club Golf Course.
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Texas [288-284-273=845, -19]
2. Kent State [287-277-283=847, -17]
3. Oklahoma State [283-284-284=851, -13]
4. Miami [293-279-286=858, -6]
5. Maryland [293-292-284=869, +5]
6. Colorado [299-288-291=878, +14]
T7. Denver [306-280-296=882, +18]
T7. Baylor [305-288-289=882, +18]
9. TCU [312-289-284=885, +21]
10. Yale [301-299-295=895, +31]
11. North Texas [308-292-296=896, +32]
12. Texas State [312-293-292=897, +33]
13. UNLV [303-301-300=904, +40]
14. New Mexico [309-300-303=912, +48]
15. SMU [315-302-300=917, +53]
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
1. Isabella Fierro [Oklahoma State], 68-68-65=201 [-15]
T2. Pimnipa Panthong [Kent State], 71-67-68=206 [-10]
T2. Kirsty Hodgkins [Colorado], 71-67-68=206 [-10]
4. Sophie Guo [Texas], 70-73-64=207 [-9]
5. Renate Grimstad [Miami], 69-66-73=208 [-8]
TEXAS GOLFERS
4. Sophie Guo [70-73-64=207, -9]
T6. Sára Kousková [71-73-67=211, -5]
8. Kaitlyn Papp [73-71-68=212, -4]
T16. Hailee Cooper [74-69-74=217, +1]
T44. Maren Cipolla [78-71-77=226, +10]
* T75. Kelly Xac [84-85-79=248, +32]
* Denotes golfer competing as an individual.
Players Mentioned
