Wildcats Tie for Fourth in Season Opener

Monday, September 8

Corinth, Texas

Kansas State University

Sam Golden Invitational

Sep 09, 2025 | Women's Golf

Final Results

CORINTH, Texas – The Kansas State women's golf team was able to regain the momentum it had in the first round as the Wildcats improved two spots to tie for fourth place during the final round of the Sam Golden Invitational on Tuesday at the par-72, 6,343-yard Oakmont Country Club.

K-State, which recorded a final-round tally of 9-under par 279, tied with Texas Tech for fourth place with a 54-hole score of 22-under par 842. It was the third-best 54-hole score in school history and tops for a season opener, 14 shots better than the previous record of 856 in the 2023 opener, the Schooner Fall Classic. Additionally, the score of 279 on Tuesday tied for the 10th-lowest team round in program history.

"It was great seeing the ladies compete again and bounce back with a good final round," said head coach Stew Burke. "I know this team is very capable of low scores, but seeing them respond with one today was reassuring. I was impressed by our underclassmen and how they played. They are a fun group to coach – we've got a nice blend of youth and experience on our roster, so competition for spots on the travel team is fierce. However, the support they have for one another in practice and competition is what will make the difference as the season progresses."

The Wildcats and Red Raiders finished two shots ahead of sixth-place Louisville, while they were two shots behind a second-place tie between Tulsa and home-standing North Texas. K-State tied for first in the 13-team field with a pair of eagles, while the Wildcats were second in par-5 scoring at 23-under par, just one shot behind Texas Tech.

K-State was led during the event by sophomore transfer Kelsey Chen, who improved four spots during the final round to tie for eighth place at 7-under par 209, a 54-hole total that tied for 13th in school history. Her jump up the standings was thanks to a final-round total of 3-under par 69, which was one shot shy of her collegiate-low round of 68 during the final round of the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional while playing for Georgia Southern. A native of Dalian, China, Chen had an eagle on the par-5 15th hole on Tuesday in addition to three birdies.

One shot back of Chen in a tie for 12th place was senior Noa van Beek and sophomore Nanami Nakashima. van Beek recorded a career-low 54-hole score of 6-under par 210, three shots better than the 213 she produced once in each of her first three seasons at K-State. She was able to maintain her 36-hole position on the leaderboard with a final-round total of 2-under par 70, which included an eagle on her 15th hole of the day, the par-5 third.

Nakashima rose 16 spots on the day thanks to a final-round total of 4-under par 68, which was one stroke shy of her career-low round of 67 produced during the final round of the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional. A product of Kani, Japan, Nakashima tallied six birdies during the final round.

A pair of K-State freshmen earned top-30 finishes in their first collegiate event as Keen Visavapattamawan tied for 19th place at 5-under par 211, and Stalee Fields tied for 30th with a three-round total of 3-under par 213. Visavapattamawan, who was playing as an individual, improved nine spots on the leaderboard on Tuesday with a round of 3-under par 69, which included birdies on her final two holes of the day. After going 4-under par and then 1-over par in the first two rounds, Fields recorded a score of even-par 72 to close out the event.

Junior Alenka Navarro tied for 61st place at 5-over par 221, shaving two shots off her second-round score with a 2-over par 74 tally during the final round.

Missouri earned a 16-shot victory at 40-under par 824, and the Tigers also had the individual winner in Ebba Liljeberg at 19-under par 197.

The Wildcats are back in action September 20-22 when they compete in the Schooner Fall Classic held at Belmar GC in Norman, Oklahoma.

– k-statesports.com –

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