K-State in Fifth After First Round in Arkansas
Oct 03, 2026 | Women's Golf
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Led by a round of 1-under par from junior Kelsey Chen, the Kansas State women's golf team has three players in the top 15 as the Wildcats are in fifth place following the first round of the Blessings Collegiate Invitational on Saturday held at the par-72, 6,503-yard Blessings Golf Club.
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K-State posted a first-round score of 9-over par 297, one shot behind fourth-place Rice and six shots shy of the second-place team, Arkansas.
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Chen put together her fourth-straight round of under-par golf dating back to a win earlier this week during the Powercat Classic. Her first-round total of 71 has her in a tie for sixth place entering moving day, while junior Nanami Nakashima and freshman Amy Wang are tied for 15th place at 2-over par 74.
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"Overall, it was pretty disappointing today," head coach Stew Burke said. "We just couldn't get ourselves that fourth score we needed. We played some good golf in spells, but continued to shoot ourselves in the foot with unforced errors. Collectively, I know we're in a good place with this group, and I expect a bounce back tomorrow."
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A native of Dalian, China, Chen was able to rebound from a double-bogey on No. 5 by going 3-under par over her final 13 holes with birdies on Nos. 6, 8, 10 and 15. She is looking for consecutive top-10 finishes for the third time over the last two seasons.
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Nakashima and Wang each tallied four birdies on the day as they look to move up the leaderboard during round two.
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Sophomore Keen Visavapattamawan is tied for 29th place at 6-over par 78, while senior Julia Ballester Barrio is tied for 39th place after a first-round total of 9-over par 81.
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Alabama is the only team under par after posting a first-round score of 8-under par 280, and the Crimson Tide also have the individual leader in Amely Bochaton at 6-under par 66.
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K-State continues the Blessings Collegiate Invitational with the second round on Sunday. Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.
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K-State posted a first-round score of 9-over par 297, one shot behind fourth-place Rice and six shots shy of the second-place team, Arkansas.
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Chen put together her fourth-straight round of under-par golf dating back to a win earlier this week during the Powercat Classic. Her first-round total of 71 has her in a tie for sixth place entering moving day, while junior Nanami Nakashima and freshman Amy Wang are tied for 15th place at 2-over par 74.
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"Overall, it was pretty disappointing today," head coach Stew Burke said. "We just couldn't get ourselves that fourth score we needed. We played some good golf in spells, but continued to shoot ourselves in the foot with unforced errors. Collectively, I know we're in a good place with this group, and I expect a bounce back tomorrow."
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A native of Dalian, China, Chen was able to rebound from a double-bogey on No. 5 by going 3-under par over her final 13 holes with birdies on Nos. 6, 8, 10 and 15. She is looking for consecutive top-10 finishes for the third time over the last two seasons.
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Nakashima and Wang each tallied four birdies on the day as they look to move up the leaderboard during round two.
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Sophomore Keen Visavapattamawan is tied for 29th place at 6-over par 78, while senior Julia Ballester Barrio is tied for 39th place after a first-round total of 9-over par 81.
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Alabama is the only team under par after posting a first-round score of 8-under par 280, and the Crimson Tide also have the individual leader in Amely Bochaton at 6-under par 66.
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K-State continues the Blessings Collegiate Invitational with the second round on Sunday. Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.
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– k-statesports.com –
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How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
Friday, October 02
Tuesday, September 29
Tuesday, September 29
Thursday, September 17
