Women’s Golf Begins Spring Season Saturday vs. The Citadel

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Youngstown State’s women’s golf team will kick off the spring portion of its 2022-23 season on Saturday with a game-by-play against The Citadel at Patriots Point Links in Mount Pleasant, SC

The Penguins are coming off a strong fall season that saw them earn two tournament wins and a second-place finish. Saturday’s spring season opener will begin a slate of seven spring events for the Penguins from early February through late April. The spring season will culminate with the 2023 Horizon League Championships April 23-25 ​​at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida.

The two teams will play 18 holes in match play on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. Match play is a form of play where a player (or players) play directly against an opponent (or opponents) in a one-on-one match. You win a hole by completing it in as few strokes as possible, and you win a match when you win by more holes than there are left to play. The course will play approximately 5,974 yards and the par is 72.

Head coach Nate Miklos announced YSU’s six-man roster will include Puthita Khuanrudee, Titita Loudtragulngam, Danae Rugola, Madie Smithco, Lizzie Saur and Adena Rugola.

The Citadel’s head coach is former Penguin Lori Bonacci (Hatcher), who played golf at YSU from 2001-2004. As a junior in 2003, Bonacci led the Penguins to the first Horizon League championship of the program’s history while earning medalist honours. She followed that performance by again capturing every conference and every tournament in her senior season.

Fall season recap

Two tournament wins

Youngstown State started the fall portion of its 2022-23 schedule with back-to-back tournament wins. The Penguins started the fall roster with a 28-hit kickoff win over YSU at Mill Creek Golf Course on Sept. 3. YSU shot a team score in one round of 290 to finish 28 shots ahead of runners-up Northern Kentucky. YSU’s 290 ranks sixth in the lowest 18-hole performance in program history. Six of the top seven players in the individual standings were Penguins. YSU followed up its season-opening win with a 24-stroke win at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational at Mill Creek Golf Course on Sept. 13. Bellarmine. YSU’s two-round 585 is tied for the fourth-lowest 36-hole performance in program history. The Guins shot a single-round team score of 291 in the second and final round on Tuesday to claim their second victory in as many tournaments. YSU’s second-round 291 is tied for the seventh-lowest 18-hole performance in school history.

Two more top-five finishes

In addition to its two tournament victories during the fall season, YSU earned two other top-five rankings. The Penguins finished an impressive fourth out of 16 teams at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Invitational on Sept. 18 before placing second out of 15 teams at the Butler Fall Invitational on Oct. 4. Against an impressive number of teams at Penn State, the Penguins finished with a total of 890 teams in three rounds, which ranks as the second-lowest 54-hole performance in program history. At the Butler Fall Invitational, YSU finished with a total of 916 teams over three rounds, which ranks ninth in the lowest 54-hole performance in program history.

Khuanrudee wins medal honors twice

Fifth-year senior Puthita Khuanrudee continued her solid game for the Penguins in 2022-23. Khuanrudee earned medalist honors in each of YSU’s first two tournaments during the fall season. She has a team average and record 74.6 shots per round heading into the spring season. Khuanrudee notched a career-high 69, three under par, to earn medalist honors for the fourth time in her career at YSU’s Sept. 3 kickoff. and an eagle on No. 1 to start his round. Khaunrudee’s 69 is tied for the ninth-lowest round in school history. She became the fifth golfer in YSU history to record a round under 70. At the Roseann Schwartz Invitational, Khuanrudee finished the tournament at one under par with a career-best 141 (72-69) to earn medalist honors for the second consecutive event. The fifth-year senior’s two-round 141 ranks third among the lowest 36 holes in program history. Khuanrudee finished tied for 11th at the Nittany Lion Invitational with a score of 220 in three rounds (76-71-73). The performance ranks as the eighth-lowest 54-hole score in program history. She also finished tied for 14th at the Butler Fall Invitational with a 231 over three rounds (78-75-78).

Rugola remains a constant presence

Senior Danae Rugola has remained a constant presence in the YSU roster so far this season after being named All-Horizon League Second-Team in 2021-22. The Uniontown, Pennsylvania native had four top-10 finishes in five events during the fall campaign. She is averaging a career-best 74.8 strokes per round heading into the spring season. Rugola shot a single-round 78 to place fifth in the YSU season opener. She then finished tied for sixth at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-run total of 149 (75-74). The senior finished tied for fourth at the Nittany Lion Invitational with a career-best 217 (71-71-75). Rugola’s three-round 217 is tied for the third-lowest 54-hole score in program history. Rugola finished tied for second at the Butler Fall Invitational with a three-round score of 223 (75-75-73) to earn his second straight top-five finish.

Loudtragulngam has an immediate impact

In his first action as a Penguin, Tulsa transfer Titita Loudtragulngam earned three top-five finishes while competing in all five tournaments and 12 rounds in the fall. In her YSU debut, Loudtragulngam placed second in the YSU kickoff with a 73 in a single round. She followed that up by placing fifth at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a 146 in two rounds (74-72). Loudtragulngam finished fifth at the Butler Fall Invitational with a 226 over three rounds (74-75-77). She concluded the fall by surveying the Penguins at the Lady Blue Hen Invitational with a 227 in three rounds (77-78-72). The junior matched her career-low round of 72 three times during the fall season. She ranks second on the team with an average of 74.7 shots per round heading into the spring.

On-screen depth

The depth of YSU’s 2022-23 roster was on full display during the fall season as eight of the team’s nine players appeared in at least two tournaments. Sophomore Kelly Hutton missed the fall slate due to injury. Junior Madie Smithco appeared in all five tournaments and 12 rounds with a career-best average of 77.6 strokes per round and a low round of 74 during the fall season. The Cranberry Township, Pa., native finished third at the YSU kickoff with a single-round 74, and she finished 11th at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round 153 (79-74). Sophomore Lizzie Saur appeared in all five tournaments and 12 rounds with a career-best 78.1 per round average and a career-low 69 round during the fall roster. The Grove City, Ohio native finished fifth at the YSU kickoff with a single-round 78, and she placed fourth at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round 145 (69-76). . Saur became only the sixth golfer in YSU history to record a round under 70. Senior Christina Lewis played in two tournaments and three rounds averaging 78.0 strokes per round and a low round of 74 during the fall season. The Wexford, Pa. native finished tied for third in the YSU kickoff with a 74 in a single round. Rookie Chaela Barnett appeared in three tournaments and six rounds averaging 79.3 strokes per round and a low round of 73 last fall. . Her best finish came when she placed eighth at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a 150 in two runs (77-73). Rookie Adena Rugola competed in two events and three rounds averaging 77.3 shots per round and a low round of 74 during the fall campaign. The Uniontown, Pennsylvania native finished tied for eighth in her college debut at the YSU Kickoff with a single-round 79. She followed that up by finishing tied for 11th at the Roseann Schwartz Invitational with a two-round score of 153 (74-79).

For news and updates throughout the spring season, follow @YSUWomensGolf on Twitter and Instagram.