BYU Shows Improvement in Tough Tournament

LAS -- The BYU women’s golf team went three shots better from Tuesday to Wednesday, going 23-over-par in the final round of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown to finish 17th. In a field featuring 13 ranked teams, the Cougars fought hard and put together a solid finish.

“This is the strongest field we have competed in this season,” said BYU head coach Sue Nyhus. “Our team is young and still developing, and competing with the best will help us dream bigger and reach a bit higher. We’re looking forward to a good performance in our final fall event in Hawaii next week.”

Just as she did in the Cougars’ last tournament, sophomore Maggie Yuan led the way for BYU. The team co-captain finished 11-over-par, tied for 32nd overall. After posting an impressive first round at 1-under-par and going +8 in round two, Yuan had was solid over the final 18 holes of the event as she led the Cougars with a 4-over-par 76 including two birdies. Yuan played to 1-under-par through 13 holes before struggling through the last five.

Junior Jade Bollinger led the Cougars in round two and posted a 7-over-par 79 in the third round to finish +16 overall, tied for 57th. She tallied one birdie over the final 18 holes. Freshman Kelsey Vines was one shot back of Bollinger in round three at 80 after an up-and-down round that featured three birdies. She finished 19-over-par to tie for 69th.

Two opposite ends of the spectrum tied for the second-best Cougar score of the third round as senior Shayla Forsey and freshman Amanda Keith both went 6-over-par. Forsey finished just ahead of Keith overall, tying for 78th place at +21 while Keith tied for 83rd at +24.

Freshman Jenteal Jackson, a two-sport athlete at BYU, made her Cougar links debut in the tournament after focusing on basketball last year. Jackson went +20 and tied for 75th while competing independently.

No. 17 Arizona won the event at 14-over-par.

The Cougars will wrap up the fall season next week at the Turtle Bay Collegiate Invitational held in Laie, Hawaii, next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown Results
The Field
1. No. 17 Arizona +14
2. No 15 Florida +19
3. No. 19 Louisville +22
4. No. 36 UC Davis +25
5. Arkansas +32
6. No. 23 Washington +35
7. No. 38 TCU +36
T8. No. 46 Idaho +37
T8. No. 29 Kent State +37
10. No. 40 UNLV +47
T11. Colorado State +48
T11. No. 34 Texas Tech +48
13. No. 39 Northwestern +49
T14. Colorado +52
T14. Minnesota +52
16. No. 47 Missouri +61
17. BYU +64
18. UNLV (B) +92
BYU +64 (303-314-311--928)
T32 M. Yuan 71-80-76--227 +11
T57 J. Bollinger 77-76-79--232 +16
T69 K. Vines 78-77-80--235 +19
T78 S. Forsey 78-81-78--237 +21
T83 A. Keith 77-85-78--240 +24
T75 J. Jackson* 77-79-80--236 +20
*competing independently