Spartans Extend Lead at Big Ten Women’s Golf Championships

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State’s women’s golf team shot a 5-under par 283 in the second round and continued to lead the Big Ten Championships, being held at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Md., just outside of Baltimore.
The three-round, 54-hole event concludes on Sunday, April 21, at Bulle Rock Golf Course (par 71, 6,045 yards).

Michigan State entered the second round with an 8-shot lead on the field and posted the best team round of the day on Saturday to extend its lead to 11 shots.

The Spartans will enter Sunday’s third and final round at 14-under par 562, 11 shots ahead of second-place Indiana (3-under par 573. Michigan is in third place (1-under par 575), with Purdue in fourth place (5-over par 581) and Northwestern rounds out the top-five teams (6-over par 582).

Second Round Results

Michigan State reached 10-under par at one point late in the first round before closing the first day of play at 9-under par 279. Northwestern is in second place at 1-under par 287, with Michigan and Indiana tied for third place at even-par 288 and Purdue rounds out the top-five teams at 4-over par 292.

Junior Katie Lu, who was tied for fourth place at 2-under 70 after the first round, fired a 4-under 68 on Saturday and moved into a tie first place at 6-under par 138. Lu finished her second round with six birdies, including four on the back nine and on four of the last five holes.

Sophomore Paula Balanzategui, who led the Spartans on Friday and was tied for the individual lead with a career-best 5-under par 67, shot an even-par 72 and is tied for third place at 5-under par 139.

Senior Leila Raines and graduate Valentina Rossi, who were tied for sixth place at 1-under par 71 after the first round, completed the second round with identical scores of even-par 72 and are tied for seventh place at 1-under par 143.

Junior Brooke Biermann had the team’s second-best round of the day, firing a 1-under par 71, connecting on five birdies in the second round. She is now tied for 19th place at 2-over par 146.

Junior Shannon Kennedy, who shot a 6-over par 78 on Friday, bounced back with an even-par 72 on Saturday and is tied for 42nd place at 6-over par 150.

The Spartans tee off at 9:48 a.m. on Sunday, playing alongside Indiana and Michigan