Boilermakers Start Strong in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. – Entering the NCAA Raleigh Regional as the No. 9 seed, Purdue Women’s Golf proved to be able to compete with anyone during Monday’s opening round at Lonnie Poole Golf Course. The Boilermakers fired a 1-under 287 as a team, sitting in fifth place with 36 holes remaining. The top five teams after three rounds of play advance to the NCAA Championships in Scottsdale, Arizona.
 
Purdue is just one shot back of Arizona (-2), while ahead of ranked opponents in No. 21 Florida (+2) and No. 2 Wake Forest (+4). NC State, the host of the regional, holds the clubhouse lead at 6-under with No. 14 Florida State (-5) and No. 11 Arizona State (-4) lurking closely behind.
 
Kan Bunnabodee fired a 2-under 70 to lead the Boilermakers in the opening round. The senior parred the first three holes before a birdie at the short, par-4 fourth. After a bogey at No. 5, Bunnabodee rattled off a trio of threes. In between pars on a pair of par 3s (Nos. 6 and 8), she eagled the par-5 seventh by reaching the green in two and draining a 30-foot putt. It was her first eagle of the season. Balancing two birdies with two bogeys on the back side, Bunnabodee was even par on the final nine to secure her 2-under par round. The Boilermaker is tied for fifth on the individual leaderboard, three shots behind the leaders.
 
Ashley Kozlowski battled back from a tough start to card an under-par round of her own. A double bogey on her opening hole did not deter the veteran Boilermaker. She rattled off five consecutive pars before nearly chipping in for eagle at the seventh. Tapping in for birdie, Kozlowski made it back-to-back birdies with a deuce at the par-3 eighth. Making birdies on both par 5s on the back nine, she moved into red figures and stayed there. Kozlowski is tied for ninth individually with two rounds left to play.
 
Momo Sugiyama added an even-par 72, making 14 pars to go along with two birdies and two bogeys. The Second Team All-Big Ten golfer played a bogey-free front nine, which included a birdie at the fourth. Her other birdie came at the par-5 15th, and pars on each of the last three holes kept her even for the day.
 
Jocelyn Bruch matched Sugiyama with a team-high 14 pars on her way to a 74 (+2) to contribute to the team total. After carding a 38 (+2) on the opening nine, she birdied No. 10 to start the back….