Junior Alexis Phadungmartvorakul tees off during the Lady Buckeye Invitational Friday. Credit: Danny Fogarty | Asst. Campus Editor
Ohio State hosted the Lady Buckeye Invitational for the first time since 2019, looking to win the outing for the 16th time and the first time since 2014. By the end of the tournament, head coach Lisa Strom and her team showed they could do just that.
The Buckeyes got their first No. 1 finish of the spring in the Lady Buckeye Invitational on the Scarlet course at the Ohio State University Golf Club Friday and Saturday. Ohio State led the field for all three rounds and won by 15 strokes, scoring 33-over 897 overall.
There were five Buckeye golfers inside the top 15 individually to end the tournament. Strom said she told her team to cherish the victory and remember the effort it took to get them there.
“I wanted them to make sure that they understood the importance of the moment and to not overlook what they had accomplished and what all goes into it,” Strom said. “There’s a lot of hard work that makes it look like we won by 15 overnight.”
This tournament was the Buckeyes’ last before entering the postseason, and Strom said the win will give her team momentum for its upcoming outings.
Ohio State got off to a quick lead Friday, shooting 10-over 298 in the first round — seven strokes ahead of second-place Kent State.
The Buckeyes continued their success in the second round that same day, maintaining a three-stroke lead over now-No. 2 Illinois heading into the final round Saturday.
After two rounds, Ohio State freshman golfer Emily Hummer was tied for the lead individually, shooting 1-over 145 through 36 holes. Hummer, who was playing in her first college tournament, played as an individual in this outing and finished tied for fifth place.
In the final round, the Buckeyes extended their lead, posting their best round and shooting 4-over 292 — the best round of any team throughout the tournament.
Ohio State had three golfers finish inside the top 10, including Hummer, senior Aneka Seumanutafa and junior Alexis Phadungmartvorakul.
Phadungmartvorakul is in her first year at Ohio State, as she transferred from Oregon entering the fall season. She said she has been working on getting better throughout the season and is glad to see that it paid off, especially in the team’s last regular-season outing.
“It’s really cool to be able to see the improvements to my game that I have been working on the past few months,” Phadungmartvorakul said. “I think that it’s showing up at the right time now heading into the postseason.”
Ohio State will move into the postseason for its next tournament in the Big Ten Championship at the Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh Friday and Saturday.
Strom said she looks forward to the postseason, and although the Big Ten Championship is only days away, she is confident in her team’s abilities.
“It’s a quick turnaround here for us, but I think that bodes well,” Strom said. “I think less time off for us right now and getting back on the golf course and being back where we know we’re kind of starting to fire on all cylinders is really good.”
