NC State women’s golf won the Daniel Island Invitational with a total team score of 17-under par — three strokes ahead of the second-place team and tournament host, College of Charleston. Led by freshman Marie Eline Madsen’s 11-under-par performance, the Pack dominated the two-day, 54-hole tournament.
This marks the first team victory since 2017 when the Pack won the Ocean Course Invitational at Kiawah Island.
Madsen was in prime position to win the tournament after shooting 11-under in the first 36 holes, but a 72 final round allowed Charlotte’s Pimchompoo Chaisilprungruang to spring up the leaderboard and snatch the victory. Nevertheless, her efforts helped carry the Pack to victory.
Madsen’s second-round score of 66 was the best of her young career. The day prior, she tied her career-best round with a 67, including a stretch from the sixth hole to the 11th hole where she recorded six straight birdies. Madsen’s second-place finish was her best placement this season.
Madsen has been a familiar face at the top of leaderboards throughout her freshman campaign, but the factor that pushed the Pack over the edge in Daniel Island was the efforts of junior Vania Simont.
Simont has had an up-and-down season with a top placement thus far of T22 — but on Monday and Tuesday, Simont put on a career performance to finish tied for fifth. She finished every round under par, with a first-round score of 69, followed by a 70 and 71 for 2-under and 1-under par respectively.
Senior Lauren Olivares Leon had been on a hot streak coming into this tournament with recent placements of fourth at the Collegiate Invitational and capturing a share of the crown at the Landfall Tradition, but she couldn’t get going in the first two rounds and finished both at even par. A final round score of 2-under-par in the final 18 brought her up the leaderboard to 11th place.
Graduate Jaclyn Kenzel finished tied for 15th with a final score of 2-over par. She recorded a first-round score of even par, followed by a second-round score of 2-over par, and then a final-round even par to help secure the victory for NC State.
Placing four players in the top-15, the Pack put together a true team effort at the Daniel Island Invitational. Statistically, NC State finished second in par-3 scoring, par-4 scoring and par-5 scoring, signifying an all-around effort on the course.
Also competing was senior Caitlin Whitehead, who finished at 15-over par to tie for 52nd. Her best round came in the first round, where she shot 2-over par.
Competing as an individual was sophomore Lea Ludvig, who finished at 7-over par, placing 36th. Her best golf came in the second round, where she had four birdies and finished at 1-over par.
No. 45 ranked NC State took down solid competition, including No. 37 Tennesee, No. 46 Virginia Tech, No. 47 Campbell and No. 48 Charleston.
Next, the Pack will head back down to South Carolina for another tournament hosted by the College of Charleston. It will face off against strong competition, including No. 6 Florida State at the Briar’s Creek Invitational in John’s Island, South Carolina from March 10-11.
