San Diego State’s Aztec women’s golf team was invited to Augusta, Georgia from March 12 to March 13 competing in the Valspar Augusta Invitational — placing ninth out of a 16-team field. Senior Sara Kjellker and junior Bernice Olivarez llas led by 148 (+4) and tied for 10th out of a 36-hole score of 609 (+33) made by SDSU.
The weather did not change much from the previous week, limiting the golfers to playing an 18-hole game on Saturday due to extremely high winds. By Sunday the winds were gone, but the cold temperature remained.
Agusta’s Natalia Yoko took home the individual crown with an even-par (72-70), playing on her home course. The first place was tied with a 590 (+14) by No. 4 South Carolina and No. 25 Ole Miss.
The Aztecs overpowered Saturday’s winds by 19 strokes. Three players lowered their scores by six or more strokes. Kjellker and Olivarez llas both shot a 71(-1) finishing in the top 20.
For the third time this year senior Kjellker finished in the top 10. Kjellker had three five birdies, tying for most of the tournament with eight birdies making three in Kjelkler’s first eight holes — three bogeys overall.
Junior Olivarez llas made the top 20 for the third time this year — second in a consecutive row, 12 pars on Saturday, 13 pars on Sunday, three birdies, and two bogeys. Oliver llas met her fifth round below par this year with 71 on Sunday.
Sophomore Anna Lina Otten improved her score by seven from Saturday to Sunday in which she shot a 73, making nine straight nine pars on the front nine and one-over on the back nine. Freshman players Anika Sato and Esti Garcia Rubio both shot in the 80 range, with Sato making 80 and Garcia Rubio an 82.
