Women's Golf Dominates Windy City Collegiate Classic

Wilmette, Ill. - Sun Devil Women's Golf are the 2024 Windy City Collegiate Classic Champions.

Arizona State (+11/875) claimed the title on Tuesday afternoon, putting the finishing touches on an impressive performance. In a field with six of the Top-10 teams in GOLF Channel's preseason rankings, Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye's team separated themselves over three rounds at the two-day event. In total, 10 of the GOLF Channel's preseason Top-25 teams were in Illinois and the Sun Devils came out on top.

Heading into the day with a five stroke lead over Virginia, Arizona State sealed the victory by shooting a 296 (+8) to clinch a six-stroke win over No. 5 South Carolina. It was an excellent second round that pushed them out to a lead, as their 283 (-5) yesterday afternoon remained the lowest team score over the three rounds. ASU battled windy conditions befitting of the Windy City Collegiate Classic, but still managed to complete their title run. It is the program's second team championship at this event, previously winning back in 2017 thanks to Top-10 finishes by Olivia Mehaffey and Linnea Strom.

"Mikayla (Tatman) and I are so proud of his team and how well they played," Coach Farr-Kaye boasted after the win. "We executed and performed all the things we've been working on, not just recently, but for the past year. We beat some very good Top-10 teams this week."

The Maroon and Gold won their 19th team championship during the Missy Farr-Kaye era. The Sun Devils won two titles in the Spring of 2024, meaning they now have three total titles in the calendar year. This is the third straight Top-5 finish as a team to start the year, which is a strong statement especially when you consider GOLF Channel identified each tournament as an "Event to Watch" in September.

Sun Devil Women's Golf was led by redshirt sophomore Patience Rhodes, who continues to emerge as one of the nation's top golfers. She put together her third consecutive Top-6 finish to start the year, ending in a tie for fifth. Rhodes moved up 20 spots on the final day thanks to a 70 (-2), which was one of the lowest rounds of the day. Juniors Beth Coulter and Paula Schulz-Hanssen joined her in recording Top-10 finishes, with both tying for 10th. ASU and South Carolina were the only teams to have three golfers finish in the Top-10.

Contributions from the entire lineup were key in the Arizona State victory. Freshman Isla McDonald-O'Brien enjoyed the best result of her collegiate career. She earned a tie for 15th thanks to a fantastic 36-hole effort on Monday. Even though she was the lowest finishing ASU golfer, senior Grace Summerhays still found herself in the Top-20, as she ended tied for 18th. It is the 15th Top-20 finish of her career. All five Sun Devils finished in the Top-18, the only team to accomplish the feat.

Final Scores (Team | Individual)
All-Time Sun Devil Team/Individual Championships

Team Championships Under Missy Farr-Kaye (19)
---> 2024 Windy City Collegiate Classic
2024 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational
2024 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
2022 Match in the Desert
2022 PING/ASU Invitational  
2021 Bruin Wave Invitational
2021 Clover Cup
2021 PING/ASU Invitational (Co-Champs)
2020 Stanford Intercollegiate
2020 Tri-Match vs. UCLA & Denver
2020 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational 
2019 Wildcat Invitational
2019 Tri-Match against Denver & Georgia
2018 Windy City Collegiate
2017 NCAA Championships (NATIONAL CHAMPION)
2017 NCAA Regional Championships
2017 PING/ASU Invitational
2017 Clover Cup
2016 Pac-12 Preview

Round Breakdown
Patience Rhodes (219/+3/T5)
Today's Round: 70 (-2)
Birdies (6): Hole 6 (Par 4; 319 yards), Hole 7 (Par 4; 349 yards), Hole 9 (Par 4; 415 yards), Hole 10 (Par 4; 408 yards), Hole 15 (Par 5; 530 yards), Hole 17 (Par 3; 141 yards)
-- Third straight Top-10 finish to start the 2024-25 season
Patience Rhodes Best Career Finishes
3rd - 2024 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational
---> T5th - 2024 Windy City Collegiate Classic
T5th - 2024 Mason Rudolph Championship
T6th - 2024 ANNIKA Intercollegiate
T12th - 2024 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate

Beth Coulter (220/+4/T10)
Today's Round: 76 (+4)
Birdies (2): Hole 8 (Par 5; 481 yards), Hole 16 (Par 4; 384 yards)
-- 10th Top-20 finish of her career
Beth Coulter Best Career Finishes
2nd - 2023 Pac-12 Championship
5th - 2024 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational
T9th - 2024 ANNIKA Intercollegiate
---> T10th - 2024 Windy City Collegiate Classic
T11th - 2023 PING/ASU Invitational
T11th - 2023 Match in the Desert

Paula Schulz-Hanssen (220/+4/T10)
Today's Round: 74 (+2)
Birdies (4): Hole 2 (Par 4; 410 yards), Hole 11 (Par 5; 505 yards), Hole 14 (Par 4; 384 yards), Hole 15 (Par 5; 530 yards)
-- 5th Top-10 finish of her career
Paula Schulz-Hanssen Best Career Finishes
3rd - 2023 Match in the Desert
T4th - 2023 Nexus Collegiate
T5th - 2023 Mason Rudolph Invitational
6th - 2024 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational
---> T10th - 2024 Windy City Collegiate Classic
T11th - 2023 PING/ASU Invitational

Isla McDonald-O'Brien (222/+6/T15)
Today's Round: 79 (+7)
Birdies (2): Hole 9 (Par 4; 415 yards), Hole 18 (Par 4; 383 yards)

Grace Summerhays (224/+8/T18)
Today's Round: 76 (+4)
Birdies (3): Hole 3 (Par 4; 405 yards), Hole 7 (Par 4; 349 yards), Hole 13 (Par 3; 165 yards)
-- Second career Top-20 finishes at the Windy City Collegiate Classic (T19th in 2023)
-- 15th Top-20 finish of her career
Grace Summerhays Best Career Finishes
4th - 2022 Match in the Desert
T4th - 2023 Nexus Collegiate
6th - 2023 Silverado Showdown
7th - 2024 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
T9th - 2024 PING/ASU Invitaitonal
T9th - 2023 PING/ASU Invitational
T10th - 2022 NCAA Stillwater Regional
T14th - 2023 NCAA Raleigh Regional
T14th - 2023 McGuire Invitational
T16th - 2024 Pac-12 Championship
T17th - 2024 Match in the Desert
T17th - 2023 Match in the Desert
---> T18th - 2024 Windy City Collegiate Classic

Quotables
"Their performance yesterday in the second 18 was really phenomenal," Farr-Kaye added. "Today, the conditions were really tough. It was very windy, but they just they just hung in there and did a great job. We had a couple little tough stretch, but they came back and finished strong. There was no doubt!"

"I don't know when was the last time that we had all five members of our team finishing in the Top-20," Coach Farr-Kaye mentioned. "That's pretty phenomenal. I can't remember when we've done that and especially in a field this strong."

"We're a little tired and ready for a two week break," Coach Farr-Kaye concluded. "We then go back to another big field at Stanford. Really proud of them. It is great to see hard work pay off."

"The ladies were absolutely phenomenal all week from start to finish," Assistant Coach Mikayla Tatman mentioned. "That was a very hard course we played against the best teams in the nation. We're very proud of how they competed and it's fun to see all the hard work start to pay off. This truly is just the beginning for this team 

"This is an amazing event with so many great teams so it felt great to finish on top this time," Patience Rhodes reflected. "Our team spirit was very high this week, sharing positive energy all around and that definitely helped us. I love being a part of this team and when i'm on the course all I do is think about the process not the outcome."

Team Standings

Individual Standings

-- For the first time since winning the 2024 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational in March, three Sun Devils finished in the Top-10

The Competition (Golf Channel Preseason Rankings)
The Windy City Collegiate Classic once again features one of the most decorated fields in all of collegiate golf. Preseason ranked teams include #3 USC, #4 UCLA, #5 South Carolina, #8 Oregon, #9 Arizona State, #10 Northwestern, #14 Arizona, #15 Wake Forest, #20 Virginia, and #22 Duke. In total, 10 of the GOLF Channel's preseason Top-25 teams in the country will be in Illinois for the event.

In the Field (15 Teams): Arizona, Augusta, Duke, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa State, Northwestern (Host), Oregon, Purdue, South Carolina, UCLA, USC, Virginia, Wake Forest

The Format
Holes: 54 (36 Day 1, 18 Day 2)
Days: 2 (Mon-Tues.)
Scoring: 5 count 4
Par: 72
Yardage: 6,491

The Course
Westmoreland Country Club was founded back in 1911. Over the years, the club has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments. That includes the 1917 Western Open, the 1921 Western Amateur, the 1924 & 1934 Western Golf Association's Junior Girls Tourney and the 42nd annual U.S.G.A. Women's Amateur Championship in 1938. 

History at Windy City Collegiate
Arizona State was back in a familiar spot when they returned to the Windy City Collegiate. This was the sixth overall appearance for the Sun Devils at the Windy City Collegiate Championship, first competing in the event in 2015.

In 2019, Arizona State finished in fourth place as a team lead by Top-10 finishes from Linn Grant (6th) and Alessandra Fanali (10th). In 2018, Raquel Olmos earned a career-best finish at this event, as she posted a 207 (-9) which was good enough for second place. Her second round score of 66 was a career-low, with her first collegiate hole-in-one coming on the 13^th hole. The Sun Devils finished in second as a team thanks to Olmos' effort.

During the 2017 edition, Olivia Mehaffey matched her career-low (65) in the first-round. Arizona State took home the team championship that year, with Linnea Strom and Olivia Mehafffey earning Top-10 finishes. The program has fond memories of the Windy City area, having won the 2017 National Championship in nearby Sugar Grove, Illinois.

Up Next
Stanford Intercollegiate – Oct. 18-20 (Stanford, CA)
Arguably the biggest challenge of the Fall will come from Arizona State's annual appearance in the Stanford Intercollegiate, hosted by Stanford at Stanford Golf Course. The Sun Devils have been a regular participant at this event since its inception, winning the team championship six times. The last time came in 2019 when Linn Grant and Raquel Olmos recorded Top-5 finishes. All four returning Sun Devils have played the Stanford Golf Course, with three competing in this event in two consecutive years. 

In the Field (19 Teams): California, Colorado, Denver, Iowa State, LSU, Oregon State, Pepperdine, Princeton, San Diego State, San Jose State, SMU, Stanford (Host), Texas, UC Davis, UCLA, USC, Virginia, Washington

2024-25 Arizona State Women's Golf Schedule
Arizona State will be tested throughout the campaign as Coach Farr-Kaye built one of the nation's toughest slates once again. The Maroon and Gold will compete in a total of ten regular season events, five in the Fall and five in the Spring. The postseason begins April 15 at the Big 12 Championship, with NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships scheduled for the month of May.

ANNIKA Intercollegiate – Sept. 9-11 (Lake Elmo, MN)
Mason Rudolph Championship – Sept. 20-22 (Franklin, TN)
Windy City Collegiate Classic – Sept. 30 - Oct. 1 (Wilmette, IL)
Stanford Intercollegiate – Oct. 18-20 (Stanford, CA)
Nanea Invitational - Oct. 28-30 (Kailua-Kona, HI)
Match in the Desert – January 27 (Gold Canyon, AZ)*
Therese Hession Regional Challenge – Feb. 2-4 (Palos Verdes, CA)
Darius Rucker Intercollegiate – March 3-5 (Hilton Head Island, SC)
Clover Cup – March 10-12 (Litchfield Park, AZ | Wigwam Golf Club)*
PING/ASU Invitational – March 28-30 (Phoenix, AZ | Papago Golf Club)*
Big 12 Championship – April 15-17 (Hockley, TX)
NCAA Regionals – May 5-7 (Columbus, Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; Norman, Oklahoma; Lubbock, Texas; Charlottesville, Virginia; Gold Canyon, Arizona)*
NCAA Championship – May 16-21 (La Costa, CA; Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, Champions Course)
Italicized = Home Tournament
*Held in the state of Arizona

Empty the Notebook

• Arizona State is one of ten teams that made the 2024 NCAA Championship and returns four members from that team.
• The Sun Devils will face a team in the Top-10 of GOLF Channel's preseason rankings a total of 28 times this year.
• Missy Farr-Kaye enters her ninth season as the Head Coach of Sun Devil Women's Golf. She is tied with Bobby Hurley (Men's Basketball) and Greg Powers (Hockey) as the second-longest tenured Sun Devil Athletics Head Coach. She trails only Zeke Jones, who is getting ready for his 10th year at the helm of the Sun Devil wrestling program.
• ASU has the chance to play in the state of Arizona up to four times this year. Regular season events have them playing Superstition Mountain Golf Club (Gold Canyon), Wigwam Golf Club (Litchfield Park), and Papago Golf Club (Phoenix). Should they qualify for a regional, the Sun Devils would compete at Superstition Mountain Golf Club a second time, serving as one of six regional hosts.

Top Finishes in 2024-25
---> T5th - Patience Rhodes, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T5th - Patience Rhodes, Mason Rudolph Championship
T6th - Patience Rhodes, ANNIKA Intercollegiate
T9th - Beth Coulter, ANNIKA Intercollegiate
---> T10th - Beth Coulter, Windy City Collegiate Classic
---> T10th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen, Windy City Collegiate Classic
14th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen, ANNIKA Intercollegiate
---> T15th - Isla McDonald-O'Brien, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T16th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen, Mason Rudolph Championship
---> T18th - Grace Summerhays, Windy City Collegiate Classic
10 TOTAL TOP-20 FINISHES BY SUN DEVILS THIS YEAR

Best rounds in 2024-25
67/-5 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Championship Third Round/Sept. 22, 2024)
67/-5 Patience Rhodes (Mason Rudolph Championship Second Round/Sept. 21, 2024)
68/-4 Isla McDonald-O'Brien (Mason Rudolph Championship Third Round/Sept. 22, 2024)
68/-4 Patience Rhodes (Mason Rudolph Championship First Round/Sept. 20, 2024)
68/-4 Beth Coulter (ANNIKA Intercollegiate Third Round/Sept. 11, 2024
68/-4 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (ANNIKA Intercollegiate Third Round/Sept. 11, 2024)
68/-4 Patience Rhodes (ANNIKA Intercollegiate First Round/Sept. 9, 2024)
69/-3 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Windy City Collegiate Classic Second Round/Sept. 30, 2024)
---> 70/-2 Patience Rhodes (Windy City Collegiate Classic Third Round/Oct. 1, 2024)
70/-2 Beth Coulter (Windy City Collegiate Classic Second Round/Sept. 30, 2024)
70/-2 Beth Coulter (ANNIKA Intercollegiate Second Round/Sept. 10, 2024)
70/-2 Patience Rhodes (ANNIKA Intercollegiate Third Round/Sept. 11 2024)
70/-2 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Mason Rudolph Championship First Round/Sept. 20, 2024)
70/-2 Beth Coulter (Mason Rudolph Championship First Round/Sept. 20, 2024)
14 TOTAL ROUNDS OF 70 OR LOWER

Birdies by Sun Devil (2024-25 Season totals)
Patience Rhodes (36 birdies; 1 eagle)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen (36 birdies)
Beth Coulter (30 birdies)
Isla McDonald-O'Brien (30 birdies)
Grace Summerhays (26 birdies; 3 eagles)
Total (158 birdies; 4 eagles)

Career appearances
Grace Summerhays, 36 (33 stroke; 3 match)
Beth Coulter, 27 (24 stroke; 3 match)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 27 (24 stroke; 3 match)
Patience Rhodes, 14 (12 stroke; 2 match)
Isla McDonald-O'Brien, 3 (3 stroke)
Total 102 (91 stroke; 11 match)

Career Top-20 Finishes 
Grace Summerhays, 15 (7 Top-10)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 13 (5 Top-10)
Beth Coulter, 10 (4 Top-10)
Patience Rhodes, 7 (4 Top-10)
Isla McDonald-O'Brien, 1
Total 46 (20 Top-10)

Elite Company
The Sun Devils are one of just eight Division I Women's Golf teams to earn a spot at NCAA Regionals every year for the past 31 seasons. Only traditional powers Arizona State, Arizona, Duke, Florida, Stanford, USC, UCLA and Wake Forest have qualified for a regional each time since the postseason format changed in 1993. Arizona State is one of only five schools to receive a Top-3 seed in each of the last four NCAA Regional selections. They are joined by only Wake Forest South Carolina, LSU, and USC in this exclusive group, an indicator of the consistent success of Coach Farr-Kaye's program.

A Tradition Like No Other
During the past five decades, many of the premier amateur women's golfers have called Arizona State University home. Arizona State won its NCAA-leading eighth national championship title in 2017 to reinforce its standing as the premier women's golf school in the United States. Under legendary Head Coach Linda Vollstedt, the program became the first in women's collegiate golf to win six championships in a decade (1990, '93, '94, '95, '97, '98). ASU remains the lone program to ever capture three national titles in a row (1993, '94, '95). The Sun Devil Golf programs did something in 1990 that had never been done before and hasn't been accomplished since. ASU swept both the Men's and Women's Team National Titles in 1990, becoming the first school to capture both championships in the same year.

Here for the Long Haul
Sun Devil Athletics was thrilled to extend four of its head coaches back in December of 2023, including Women's Golf Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye. Entering her ninth year with ASU, Farr-Kaye has been extended through the 2027-28 athletic calendar. She completed the trifecta in 2017, becoming the first individual in NCAA history to win a National Championship as a player, assistant coach, and head coach at the same school.

"The Bird"
The Thunderbirds Golf Complex, designed by Douglas Fredrickson Architects and built by Rummel Construction Inc., is a 7,000-square foot facility featuring a grand entry lobby, national championship displays, a team gym and locker rooms for both men's and women's teams, a fueling station, study lounge, team lounge, indoor hitting bays and more. Designed by Sun Devil alumnus and five-time PGA Major Championships winner Phil Mickelson, who is known for his short-game expertise, the four-acre practice area consists of five practice greens, four practice bunkers and a three-acre fairway and rough designed to practice every possible golf shot. On Nov. 1, 2018, Papago Golf Course became the new home for Sun Devil Men's & Women's Golf with the unveiling of their new state-of-the-art practice facility -- The Thunderbirds Golf Complex -- through the generous commitment by The Thunderbirds organization. Arizona State, in partnership with The Thunderbirds, Arizona Golf Community Foundation, the City of Phoenix and Phil Mickelson Design, revitalized the course and helped build the Lou Grubb Clubhouse and Lou's Bar & Grill.

Fantastic Five
Patience Rhodes, Grace Summerhays, Paula Schulz-Hanssen, and Beth Coulter all return having gained another year of valuable experience. Highly-touted incoming freshman Isla McDonald-O'Brien joins the program, forming a talented 2024-25 roster under the direction of Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye and Assistant Coach Mikayla Tatman.

How to Follow
Final scores for the Windy City Collegiate Classic can be found at the following link. For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and visit our website (sundevils.com). Find Coach Farr-Kaye (@missymkaye) and Coach Tatman (@CoachMikayla_) on X as well.