Strand, Huskers Take Fifth at Westbrook – University of Nebraska

Kelli Ann Strand battled for the individual title until the final holes before taking fifth to help the Nebraska women’s golf team to a fifth-place finish at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, Ariz., Monday.

Strand played outstanding golf again over the final 18 holes, after closing the first 36 holes at 136 (-8) in a tie for third. The sophomore from Challis, Idaho, was five-under through 15 on Monday, including birdies on No. 9, 11, 12, 14 and 15, after beginning her day with five consecutive pars (No. 4-8) in the shotgun start on the 6,248-yard, par-72 layout of the Westbrook Village Golf Club.

She ran into her only blemish of the day on No. 1, settling for a bogey before closing the round with back-to-back pars on No. 2 and 3. She finished the round with a 68 (-4) to close the 54-hole tournament at 204 (-12) in fifth place. It was Strand’s second top-five finish of the season and sixth top-15 showing in seven events in 2023-24.

Wisconsin’s Chloe Chan earned the individual title with a 202 (-14) that included a final-round 65 (-7) after opening the tournament with a 66 (-8). Jordan Rothman from Kansas, Oklahoma’s Savannah Barber  and Colorado State’s Andrea Bergsdottir shared runner-up honors at 203 (-13). Rothman closed with back-to-back rounds of 67 (-5), while Barber and Bergsdottir capped their tournaments with a final rounds of 66 (-8).

Kansas took the team title at 821 (-43), while Oklahoma finished second with an 827 (-37). The hosts from Wisconsin took third at 830 (-34), while South Florida snuck ahead of the Huskers late in the final round for a fourth-place finish at 837 (-27). Nebraska finished fifth with a season-best three-round total of 838 (-26) that included wins over eight top-100 teams in the 14-team tournament field, including Kansas State, Colorado State and Minnesota, who were ranked ahead of the Huskers entering the tournament. Nebraska’s final-round 278 (-10) matched its best round of the season, joining a 278 in the opening-round of the Sam Golden Invitational (Sept. 11).

Miu Takahashi capped a solid tournament with her three consecutive round better than par with a 71 (-1) on Monday. She tied for 29th with a career-best 211 (-5), just ahead of senior teammate Lindsey Thiele, who tied for 32nd at (212), including a second straight round of 70 (-2) to close the tournament.

Freshman Arden Louchheim added a top-40 finish of her own in the 77-player field, posting a final-round 71 (-1) to end the tournament with a…