Women’s Golf Is In Arizona For Rio Verde Invitational

MUNCIE, Ind. - - It is back to stroke play for the Ball State women's golf team which will take part in the Rio Verde Invitational hosted by Western Michigan starting Friday at the Rio Verde Country Club.

Following a practice round Thursday, the Cardinals take to the course Friday at 2 p.m. ET / Noon MT for the first of three rounds on the 6,001-yard, 72-par White Wing Golf Course at the Rio Verde Country Club. The second round will start at Noon ET / 10 a.m. MT Saturday and the final round takes place at 10:30 a.m. / 8:30 a.m. MT. All three rounds will feature shotgun starts.

Ball State is one of 20 teams in the field which is highlighted by Mid-American Conference rivals Bowling Green, Ohio, host Western Michigan, Central Michigan and Akron. Other teams include Illinois State, Xavier, California Baptist, Missouri State, Bradley, Cal State Northridge, Butler, Utah Tech, Kennesaw State, Wichita State, South Dakota, Oakland, Loyola and Creighton.

Overall, 104 different golfers are slated to compete in the three-day event, with Jasmine Driscoll, JJ Gregston, Sarah Gallagher, Madelin Boyd and Sophie Korthuijs representing Ball State.

The Cardinals opened its 2025 spring slate with a runner-up finish at the Rust Buster Match Play (Feb. 10-11) which was co-hosted by Ball State and Murray State. BSU earned wins over Northern Iowa (4.5-1.5) and league rival Toledo (4.0-2.0) on the opening day of the event, before suffering a 3.0-3.0 tiebreaker loss to Omaha in the championship match.

After missing the Rust Buster Match Play due to illness, Driscoll climbs back into the top spot in the Ball State lineup for the Rio Verde Invitational. Gregston filled in at the top of the lineup last time out and ended her week with a 2&1 victory in the championship match.

Gallagher earned a pair of 6&5 wins over her tournament run, while Boyd added a pair of 1Up wins. Korthuijs also sealed the team's victory against the Rockets with her 4&2 win.

NEWS & NOTES:
- Ball State earned its first tournament win of the season by capturing its second straight Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 16-17) team title … The Cardinals held a 17-stroke advantage over the tournament field after the first two rounds and cruised to an 11-stroke victory … Ball State finished at +14 (878) with Mid-American Conference rival Ohio placing second at +25 (889).

- Ball State has now won three events under third-year head coach Cameron Andry … In addition to wining each of the last two Brittany Kelly Classics (2023 & 2024), the Cardinals took top billing at last season's Lady Jaguar Invitational.

- The Ball State women's golf program returns eight of nine golfers from last season's squad which produced a new program standard for scoring average at 303.61 strokes … They also helped the team establish program records for lowest team round (285 / -3), lowest 36-hole total (580 / +4) and lowest 54-hole total (865 / +1).

- In fact, five of the returners - Jasmine Driscoll, JJ Gregston, Sarah Gallagher, Madelyn Young and Madelin Boyd - helped the Cardinals break the lowest 36-hole total for the third time in the last two seasons by combining for a 579 (+3) over the opening two rounds of the 2024 Brittany Kelly Classic … The previous 36-hole record was 580 (+4) set at the Diamante Intercollegiate (Oct. 22-24, 2024), just ahead of the 584 (+8) set at the 2023 Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 18-19, 2023).

- Five stroke play events into the 2024-25 season, and the Cardinals are already on pace to break last season's scoring average record … Ball State currently has a 300.40 stroke average, with its golfers owning 14 rounds at-or-below par so far this year …

- Junior Jasmine Driscoll enters the Rust Buster Match Play with a 76.19 career scoring average … It is currently the second-best individual career average in program history trailing only Kiah Parrott's (2021-24) mark of 76.06 … She is just ahead of Brittany Kelly's (2008-11) career average of 76.46 … She has played 12 career rounds at-or-below par, with a career-low round of 68 in the third round of the 2023 Boilermaker Classic and in the second round of the 2024 Brittany Kelly Classic.

- Junior Sarah Gallagher is not far behind with a 76.59 average … Gallagher earned Second Team All-MAC honors and MAC All-Tournament Team accolades after placing fourth at the 2023-24 MAC Championships with a score of +9 (225) … She has played nine career rounds at-or-below par, with a career-low round of 70 in opening round of the 2024 Brittany Kelly Classic.

- Sophomore JJ Gregston has shined through the first five events of the season, leading the team with 46 total birdies over her 270 holes played … She is also first on the squad with a 74.93 stroke average, including a career-low round of -3 (69) in the second round of the 2024 Brittany Kelly Classic, one of her eight collegiate rounds at-or-below par.

- Freshman Sophie Korthuijs made her collegiate debut at the Boilermaker Classic, including firing Ball State's second-lowest round of the tournament with a +4 (76) in the second round … She was back in action at the Loyola Parkinson Family Invitational, where her +3 (75) was the Cardinals' lowest score of the opening round … She added the lowest round of her collegiate career to date in the second round of the Diamante Intercollegiate, posting a second-round +2 (74).

- Junior Madelin Boyd fired a season-low round of +1 (73) in the second round of the 50th Lady Paladin Invitational and tied the mark in her final round of the Diamante Intercollegiate … Her effort at the Lady Paladin was the second-lowest round for a Ball State golfer during the event and was BSU's lowest score of the round … Boyd owns a career-low round of -3 (69) in the first round of the 2023 Diamante Intercollegiate.

- Sophomore Jenna Estravillo made some noise at the 2024 Brittany Kelly Classic, leading the field's 12 individual players by placing 13th overall with a score of +6 (222) … The effort ties as the lowest 54-hole score of her collegiate career and started with a season-best round of E (72) … Estravillo shot a career-low round of -2 (70) to open the 2023 Brittany Kelly Classic.

- Sophomore Madelyn Young shined in her final round of the 2024 Fall slate, firing a career-low round of E (72) at the Diamante Intercollegiate … The effort helped her finish with a career-low 54-hole score of +15 (231), which included a second round +6 (78).

INDIVIDUAL 2024-25 LOW ROUNDS:
Jasmine Driscoll: 68 (-4) in the second round of the Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 16)
JJ Gregston: 69 (-3) in the second round of the Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 16)
Sarah Gallagher: 70 (-2) in the first round of the Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 16)
Payton Bennett: 72 (E) in the third round of the Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 17)
Jenna Estravillo: 72 (E) in the first round of the Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 16)
Madelyn Young: 72 (E) in the third round of the Diamante Intercollegiate (Oct. 22)
Madelin Boyd: 73 (+1) in the second round of the 50th Lady Paladin Invitational (Sept. 21) and in the third round of the Diamante Intercollegiate (Oct. 22)
Sophie Korthuijs: 74 (+2) in the third round of the Diamante Intercollegiate (Oct. 21)

TEAM 2024-25 LOW ROUNDS:
289 (+1) in the second round of the Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 16)
290 (+2) in the first round of the Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 16)
291 (+3) in the second round of the Diamante Intercollegiate (Oct. 21)

TOP TEAM SCORES AFTER 36 HOLES:
579 (+3) to open the Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 16)
586 (+10) to open the Diamante Intercollegiate (Oct. 20-21)
604 (+28) to open the 50th Lady Paladin Invitational (Sept. 20-21)

TOP TEAM SCORES AFTER 54 HOLES:
878 (+14) at the Brittany Kelly Classic (Sept. 16-17)
884 (+20) at the Diamante Intercollegiate (Oct. 20-22)
904 (+40) at the 50th Lady Paladin Invitational (Sept. 20-22)

Women’s Golf Is In Arizona For Rio Verde Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Payton Bennett

Madelin Boyd

Jasmine Driscoll

Jenna Estravillo

Sarah Gallagher

JJ Gregston

Sophie Korthuijs

Kiah Parrott

Madelyn Young