Kelsey Chen was already in a great position to make history. She needed just one more round and got it on Tuesday.
The K-State junior shot a 5-under-par 67 in the final round of the Powercat Classic at Colbert Hills Golf Course, finishing the tournament at 15-under 201 and setting the school’s 54-hole scoring record.
Chen’s 201 surpassed the previous record of 202, which Noa van Beek set at the Westbrook Invitational back in February. It also gave Chen her first individual title at the Powercat Classic and helped K-State win the team championship by 18 strokes.
Chen’s week was as consistent as it gets. She shot a 66 in the first round, 68 in the second and finished with a 67 on Tuesday. She became the first golfer in K-State women’s golf history to shoot three consecutive rounds in the 60s.
Her final round started with a bang. Chen made a hole-in-one, the first in program history, on the par-3 fifth hole and then picked up birdies and an eagle on four of her first six holes. She kept piling up low scores while avoiding the mistakes that can quickly add up at Colbert Hills.
Her only bogey came on the 51st hole, with the record within reach.
“Kelsey’s performance this week was incredibly impressive,” head coach Stew Burke said. “To win at home while putting together a school-record score is something really special.”
Chen wasn’t the only Wildcat near the top of the leaderboard, as junior Nanami Nakashima finished second at 1-under 215, giving K-State the top two individual finishers in the tournament. Nakashima struggled at times Tuesday, making five bogeys, but recovered with four birdies and an eagle on the par-4 13th.
The Wildcats also got a big final round from sophomore Keen Visavapattamawan. She shot a 1-under 71 and jumped 19 spots, finishing in a tie for 13th at 8-over 224.
Julia Ballester Barrio, competing as an individual, finished in a three-way tie for fourth at 2-over 218. The Castellon, Spain, native shot a 1-under 71 Tuesday and earned her second career top-five finish. It was also her final tournament at Colbert Hills.
Freshman Mia Ingham moved up 24 spots Tuesday after shooting a 1-under 71, including an eagle on the par-4 13th. She carded a 10-over 226 to finish in a tie for 18th.
Amy Wang ended in a tie for 30th at 12-over 228, while Stalee Fields tied for 37th at 15-over 231. Casey Kang recorded a 28-over 244, tying for 60th.
As a team, K-State finished at even-par 864, continuing its recent run of success at Colbert Hills. The Wildcats have now won the team and individual titles at their home tournament for three consecutive seasons.
But this year’s tournament belonged to Chen. She came into Tuesday leading the field and left Colbert Hills with the individual championship, a team championship and a school record that now has her name next to it.
“It’s a pretty special combination,” Burke said.
The Wildcats will be back on the course Saturday when they travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Blessings Collegiate Invitational at Blessings Golf Club. The tournament runs through Monday, Oct. 2.
