Quick 9: Atypical Trophies IV
Fall 2024
One of the best things about college golf is the sheer number of tournaments hosted around the country each season. Each one has its own unique style and array of atypical trophies and awards. Some will make excellent additions to trophy cases while others will adorn practice facility walls. All of them tell a story.
Won’t you join me for a picturesque quick 9?
*NOTE: underlined text provides a link to references or sites with more information
1. DIANE THOMASON INVITATIONAL [Sep 30 - Oct 1, 2024]
Diane Thomason is the longtime Iowa women’s golf coach (1975-2002) who means a great deal to the University of Iowa. Winning their home tournament and have the tournament namesake hand them the (very uniquely golf-themed) trophy was made sweeter by the fact it was Iowa’s first team victory since 2021. On the individual side, grad transfer (from Grand Canyon) Becca Tschetter won in her debut at Montana State. She had been forced to sit out the first two events of the season, but the wait was well worth it.
2. MARILYNN SMITH SUNFLOWER INVITATIONAL [Oct 7-8, 2024]
Kansas hosted the 26th annual (started in 1994) Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational which proved to be a fun event for the home team. The Jayhawks walked away with a new sunflower vase for the first time since 2013, while Kent State’s Veronika Kedronova earned her first (but her second trophy already this season). The tournament is named in honor of Kansas’ famous alum who won an early (pre-NCAA) individual title which we covered in our women’s college golf championship series. Marilynn Smith would join Shirley Spork and a number of other recent (at the time) collegiate players as one of the 13 recognized founders of the LPGA Tour.
3. HARBOTTLE INVITATIONAL [Sep 30 - Oct 1, 2024]
The 10th annual Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational was won by CSU Fullerton which outlasted the host Seattle University by just three strokes. Seattle’s own Rivekka Jumagulova won medalist honors, setting a new program record for lowest score to par (-13) in the process. The tournament is named in honor of legendary Seattle U alum Pat Lesser who won the 1953 Women’s collegiate championship. Patricia “Pat” Lesser burst on to the national golf scene in the Fall of 1950 when, at the age of 17, she first won the Western Girl’s Junior Amateur and then the (second ever) US Girl’s Junior Amateur over future legend Mickey Wright. She took her game against older competitors and still found success, gaining Low Am honors in both the 1951 and 1952 US Women’s Open. Since Seattle University didn’t have a women’s golf team, Lesser joined the men’s team and proved her earned spot multiple times over during the 1952 and 1953 seasons.
4. PAT BRADLEY INVITATIONAL [Sep 30 - Oct 1, 2024]
One of the longest running women’s college golf tournaments, this year marks the 47th edition of the Pat Bradley Invitational, hosted by FIU held at Silver Fox Golf Course at Trump National Doral in Florida. Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU) came out on top with a program record setting -18/834 total over 54 holes. FGCU’s previous low 54-hole scoring record was achieved in 2022 when then-freshman Lousiane Gauthier tied a program record with a first round 65 on her way to earning her first medalist honors. Now a junior, Gauthier again was part of setting the new team scoring record, but this time bettered the individual 18-hole scoring record with a second round 64. She became the second FGCU medalist in as many tournaments (Amelie Alcantara) after sinking a birdie putt on the 54th hole to give her the one stroke victory.
Named after the FIU alum (1970 All-American) Pat Bradley who is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, amassed 31 LPGA Tour victories - including completing the career major grand slam - during her incredible pro career, and is the aunt of the recently-name 2025 Ryder Cup Team USA captain, Keegan Bradley.
5. STANFORD INTERCOLLEGIATE [Oct 18-20, 2024]
The 28th Stanford Intercollegiate (or is that the 59th??) was full of dramatics down the stretch. The USC Trojans caught up to the host Cardinal as their star freshman Jasmine Koo battled All-American teammate Catherine Park for medalist honors. In the end both teams finished at -18, but Stanford was said to have ultimately gained the win using the combined drop scores as a tie-breaker. Despite Park shooting a program record-tying 63/-8, Koo held on to become the first USC freshman since Amari Avery to earn consecutive medalist honors.
Each of the trophies handed out had a special message: Play For Her. For the third year, this event held a special fundraiser which encouraged donors to make pledges based on the total birdies their favorite team made during the tournament. All of the proceeds went to the Stanford Breast Cancer Center, and this year’s event was dedicated to ASU head coach Missy Farr-Kaye and her late sister, Heather Farr.
6. CULLAN BROWN COLLEGIATE [Oct 7-8, 2024]
Second year Kentucky head coach Gator Todd pitched the idea to host a tournament in honor of former Wildcat Cullan Brown and the Lexington Country Club loved the idea. The first annual Cullan Brown Collegiate was Kentucky’s first home tournament since 2015, but looks to be another long-running event. Kennesaw State gained the lead in the second round and never relinquished to earn their first victory of the season. UNA’s Andrew Ferworn had the lead through 36 holes but ended up sharing medalist honors with Kennesaw State’s Claes Borregaard.
Here is a nice video tribute to Cullan, who succumbed to a rare form of bone cancer in 2020 at the age of 20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyxZY-0jsuY
7. PINETREE INTERCOLLEGIATE [Oct 14-15, 2024]
The very next week, Kennesaw State successfully defended home turf at the Pinetree Intercollegiate. The Owls earned a 30 stroke victory led by senior Claes Borregaard who edged out teammate Shaun Cook by a single stroke for his second medalist honors in as many weeks.
8. ALISTER MACKENZIE INVITATIONAL [Oct 7-8, 2024]
This year marked the 20th playing of the Alister MacKenzie Invitational, hosted by Cal. The tournament is played at the Meadow Club in Fairfax, CA, the first North American course designed by the legendary Dr. Alister MacKenzie. San Jose State won in dramatic fashion this year after a final round 265/-19 to edge out Pacific by a single stroke thanks in part to Zubair Firdaus’s final round 61/-10 which won medalist honors by 5 strokes. There was some incredible scoring this year:
Firdaus becomes the second person to reach 190/-23 for 54 holes
Two teams eclipsed the thresholds for 800 and -50
Pacific shot a 2nd round 256/-23 (top3 lowest known) with a drop score of 66/-5 which is tied for the lowest known
This tournament is no stranger to national collegiate tournament records. Here are some of the more prominent:
Zach Bixler [Washington] shot 60/-11 in 2007 which is still lowest raw score for 18 holes (one back of lowest to par score)
Eugene Wong [Oregon] shot 195/-18 in 2011
2018
RJ Manke [Pepperdine] shot 192/-21 which at the time tied lowest known raw score for 54 holes; also shot a 61 (round 2)
Pepperdine shot 262/-22 (round 2) and 800/-52 total
9. SHARK INVITATIONAL [Oct 7-8, 2024]
That same day in another part of the country, the Shark Invitational concluded with wins by Embry-Riddle (FL) and Ethan Gough [Barry, “B” team]. Along with the cool team plaque, Joonho Kim [Embry-Riddle] left with an entry in the record books after a 60/-11 in round 1. He is the 19th player to do so on the men’s side and just the 4th DII golfer to reach that milestone.
We will definitely be doing more posts on college golf trophies! Let me know what suggestions you have on trophies to highlight.