Sunday, February 1
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Kansas State University
vs
Puerto Rico Classic
Chen Ties for First, Wildcats Finish Sixth in Spring Opener
Feb 02, 2026 | Women's Golf
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Kansas State sophomore Kelsey Chen produced the first individual victory of her collegiate career as she rose six spots to tie for first place during the final round of the Puerto Rico Classic on Monday held at the par-72, 6,305-yard Grand Reserve Golf Club. As a team, the Wildcats finished in sixth place at 7-under par 857.
Chen notched the 28th individual championship in school history and the ninth since head coach Stew Burke's first season of 2023-24. It marked a second-consecutive top-five finish for Chen after she closed the fall with a third-place showing at the Powercat Invitational, which was then a career best. She now has three top-10 finishes this season.
A native of Dalian, China, Chen recorded a three-round total of 10-under par 206, which tied for the sixth-best 54-hole performance in school history and was a three-shot improvement off her previous career best of 209 at the season-opening Sam Golden Invitational.
"Kelsey had a great week by winning her first collegiate event in a field that included the nation's top-ranked player," Burke said of Chen, who topped No.1 Maria Jose Marin of Arkansas by five shots. "Equally impressive was getting to double digits under par, which took a monumental effort. I am really proud of her and the team, and I am excited to see what we can achieve this semester."
Chen's final-round score of 4-under par 68 tied her career best with Sunday's first round and the final round of the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional while playing for Georgia Southern. She now has four rounds in the 60s this season after just one a year ago. Chen tallied five birdies and one bogey during the final round, including a bogey-free and 2-under par back 9.
No. 26 K-State edged 20th-ranked Northwestern by two shots for sixth place after recording a final-round total of 1-over par 289 while battling rainy conditions. The sixth-place finish was the Wildcats' best showing in the Puerto Rico Classic in three tries, bettering a ninth-place showing in 2024 and an eighth-place finish last season.
"The weather was the biggest challenge today, and the ladies really hung in there after a rough start," said Burke. "They never gave up, and they showed great effort and resilience to a few bad breaks early on. They toughed it out through the worst of the weather in the middle of the round and really finished strong. Coach Rinko (Mitsunaga) did a great job with the middle of our lineup by getting them through that stretch and avoiding any bogeys. To see the whole lineup contribute over the course of the tournament was really reassuring this early in the season."
Senior Noa van Beek tied for 36th place at 1-over par 217 after a final-round score of 2-over par 74. Junior Julia Ballester Barrio tied for 55th place with a three-round total of 4-over par 220 following a score of 3-over par 75 on Monday, which included an eagle on her final hole of the day, the par-5 5th. She finished one shot better than Nanami Nakashima, as the sophomore tied for 59th place.
Freshman Keen Visavapattamawan had a bounceback round of even-par 72 on Monday, moving 13 spots up the leaderboard to tie for 68th place. The Bangkok, Thailand, native finished with a 54-hole score of 6-over par 222.
Fourth-ranked Arkansas won the event with a score of 23-under par 841 as the Razorbacks finished six shots ahead of tie for second place between No. 10 Vanderbilt and 15th-ranked Ole Miss. North Carolina's Reagan Southerland and Arkansas' Abbey Schutte tied with Chen atop the individual leaderboard.
Next action for the Wildcats is February 22-23, when they take part in the Westbrook Invitational held at Westbrook Village GC in Peoria, Arizona.
Chen notched the 28th individual championship in school history and the ninth since head coach Stew Burke's first season of 2023-24. It marked a second-consecutive top-five finish for Chen after she closed the fall with a third-place showing at the Powercat Invitational, which was then a career best. She now has three top-10 finishes this season.
A native of Dalian, China, Chen recorded a three-round total of 10-under par 206, which tied for the sixth-best 54-hole performance in school history and was a three-shot improvement off her previous career best of 209 at the season-opening Sam Golden Invitational.
"Kelsey had a great week by winning her first collegiate event in a field that included the nation's top-ranked player," Burke said of Chen, who topped No.1 Maria Jose Marin of Arkansas by five shots. "Equally impressive was getting to double digits under par, which took a monumental effort. I am really proud of her and the team, and I am excited to see what we can achieve this semester."
Chen's final-round score of 4-under par 68 tied her career best with Sunday's first round and the final round of the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional while playing for Georgia Southern. She now has four rounds in the 60s this season after just one a year ago. Chen tallied five birdies and one bogey during the final round, including a bogey-free and 2-under par back 9.
No. 26 K-State edged 20th-ranked Northwestern by two shots for sixth place after recording a final-round total of 1-over par 289 while battling rainy conditions. The sixth-place finish was the Wildcats' best showing in the Puerto Rico Classic in three tries, bettering a ninth-place showing in 2024 and an eighth-place finish last season.
"The weather was the biggest challenge today, and the ladies really hung in there after a rough start," said Burke. "They never gave up, and they showed great effort and resilience to a few bad breaks early on. They toughed it out through the worst of the weather in the middle of the round and really finished strong. Coach Rinko (Mitsunaga) did a great job with the middle of our lineup by getting them through that stretch and avoiding any bogeys. To see the whole lineup contribute over the course of the tournament was really reassuring this early in the season."
Senior Noa van Beek tied for 36th place at 1-over par 217 after a final-round score of 2-over par 74. Junior Julia Ballester Barrio tied for 55th place with a three-round total of 4-over par 220 following a score of 3-over par 75 on Monday, which included an eagle on her final hole of the day, the par-5 5th. She finished one shot better than Nanami Nakashima, as the sophomore tied for 59th place.
Freshman Keen Visavapattamawan had a bounceback round of even-par 72 on Monday, moving 13 spots up the leaderboard to tie for 68th place. The Bangkok, Thailand, native finished with a 54-hole score of 6-over par 222.
Fourth-ranked Arkansas won the event with a score of 23-under par 841 as the Razorbacks finished six shots ahead of tie for second place between No. 10 Vanderbilt and 15th-ranked Ole Miss. North Carolina's Reagan Southerland and Arkansas' Abbey Schutte tied with Chen atop the individual leaderboard.
Next action for the Wildcats is February 22-23, when they take part in the Westbrook Invitational held at Westbrook Village GC in Peoria, Arizona.
– k-statesports.com –
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.
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
K-State Women's Golf | Carla Bernat ANWA Recognition
Tuesday, November 11
K-State Women's Golf | Behind The Scenes Photoshoot
Tuesday, November 11
K-State Men's Golf | Wildcat Invitational
Tuesday, November 11
K-State WGOLF | Carla Bernat Augusta National Women's Amateur Recognition
Saturday, November 01
