Women's Golf Finishes Runner-Up at Nanea Invitational

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii - Sun Devil Women's Golf finished in second place at the 2024 Nanea Invitational.

In a field features three of the Top-10 teams in the latest Scoreboard rankings, No. 7 Arizona State (-17/859) climbed into second place on the final day in the 11-team field. They only finished by No. 1 Stanford, jumping No. 5 Texas thanks to a 285 (-7), which was the second-best round of any team on Wednesday. No. 47 San Jose State and No. 27 California rounded out the rest of the Top-5. The Maroon and Gold combined for 57 birdies in 54 holes, second-most in the field behind only tournament champion Stanford.

Freshman Isla McDonald-O'Brien led the way all week, putting forth a career-best effort. She earned her first Top-10 finish, shooting a 213 (-6) over three rounds to end in a tie for sixth. McDonald-O'Brien led the entire field in par five scoring, shooting nine-under on such opportunites. Joining McDonald-O'Brien in the Top-10 is junior Paula Schulz-Hanssen, who delivered a third consecutive round under par. Schulz-Hanssen remained in a tie ninth place, her sixth Top-10 result of her career. Redshirt sophomore Patience Rhodes makes it three Sun Devils in the Top-12, as she fired the lowest final round of any Sun Devil (-3/70) to move up four spots. Senior Grace Summerhays moved up the most of any Sun Devil, climbing eight spots into a tie for 18th thanks to her 71 (-2). Beth Coulter made it all five Sun Devils in the Top-20 of the 60-golfer field after carding another round under par (72/-1).

For the second time this season, all five Sun Devils finished in the Top-20. ASU also accomplished the feat on their way to winning the Windy City Collegiate Classic earlier in the month. Coach Farr-Kaye's squad showed effectiveness in all scenarios on the course, recording the second-best scoring average on par three, four, and five opportunities. Paula Schulz-Hanssen's 17 birdes over the three days tied her for the most of any golfer in the field. Beth Coulter finished with the most pars as well. Arizona State completed the Fall season and now enjoy a two-month break before their next event. The Spring season begins on January 27, as the Sun Devils make their debut in the state of Arizona when they compete at the Match in the Desert in Gold Canyon.

Final standings | Tournament Stats

Round breakdown
Isla McDonald-O'Brien (-6/213/T6)
Final Round: 75 (+2)
Birdies (3): Hole 4 (Par 5; 466 yards), Hole 14 (Par 4; 303 yards), Hole 18 (Par 5; 536 yards)

Paula Schulz-Hanssen (-5/214/T9)
Final Round: 72 (-1)
Birdies (5): Hole 4 (Par 5; 466 yards), Hole 5 (Par 4; 319 yards), Hole 6 (Par 5; 462 yards), Hole 13 (Par 5; 464 yards), Hole 18 (Par 5; 536 yards)

Patience Rhodes (-3/216/T12)
Final Round: 70 (-3)
Birdies (3): Hole 6 (Par 5; 462 yards), Hole 10 (Par 4; 379 yards), Hole 13 (Par 5; 464 yards)

Grace Summerhays (+1/220/T18)
Final Round: 71 (-2)
Birdies (4): Hole 1 (Par 4; 382 yards), Hole 10 (Par 4; 379 yards), Hole 14 (Par 4; 303 yards), Hole 18 (Par 5; 536 yards)

Beth Coulter (+2/221/T20)
Final Round: 72 (-1)
Birdies (4): Hole 4 (Par 5; 466 yards), Hole 5 (Par 4; 319 yards), Hole 13 (Par 5; 464 yards), Hole 14 (Par 4; 303 yards)

Quotables 
"I am extremely proud of my team and how how hard they've worked this fall and their continuing to get better," Coach Farr-Kaye reflected. "On the golf course, physically and mentally,  we've just really grown as a team. The way they finished today speaks to a lot to that."

"Isla breaking through in the Top-10 and being at the top of the leaderboard for the first time in her college career was tremendous," Coach Farr-Kaye added. "She's gonna learn from that and I was excited to see her her finish with that birdie. Great things are ahead for that young lady."

"Top to bottom, each of them were awesome," Coach Farr-Kaye bragged. "Grace came back with a very good round today and shot seven under to come back to beat a team that is ranked ahead of us. We are really not far behind from Stanford and they are very strong team. Very deserving of being number one team number one in the country. So, we are excited to end the fall here in Hawaii and we will come back ready to go back in January."

Team standings

Individual standings

Up next
Match in the Desert – January 27 (Gold Canyon, AZ)
The Sun Devils will make their first appearance in the state of Arizona when they travel to Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club for the Match in the Desert. This will also serve as one of six NCAA Regional sites, with Arizona State hosting. The Sun Devils will enter the event having won four of the past six titles. This will be the first opportunity for fans to check out the Maroon & Gold in action. Kansas will host for the fourth consecutive year, with the tournament taking place on one day. In the 2024 version, Arizona State (-9/279) put together a terrific score on the way to finishing in third place. Ashley Menne led the way with an outstanding performance, carding a 66 (-6) on her way to earning second place at the 34-golfer event. 

In the Field (7 Teams): Baylor, Eastern Michigan, Kansas (Host), Purdue, San Jose State, Texas A&M

The competition (Scoreboard Rankings)
The Nanea Invitational features a competitive field with ranked teams including #1 Stanford, #6 Texas, and #8 Arizona State. In total, seven of the 11 teams in Hawaii for the event are ranked inside the Top-50.

In the Field (11 Teams): BYU, California, Colorado, Hawaii (Host), Michigan, San Jose State, Stanford, Texas, USC, Washington

The course
Since the inaugural event in 2013, the Nanea Invitational (formerly Pac-12 Preview) has been permanently hosted at the Nanea Golf Club located in Kailua Kona on the island of Hawaii. The Par-73, 6,449-yard private course opened in 2003. Billionaires Charles Schwab and George Roberts partnered up to create the club located on the slopes of Mount Hualalai.

History at Nanea Invitational
Previously called the Pac-12 Preview, the Nanea Invitational reunites some teams from the disbanded conference with Hawaii serving as the host. It will be the 12th time in the past 13 years that Sun Devil Women's Golf has had the opportunity to compete at an event in Hawaii. During their last appearance, Coach Farr-Kaye's squad set a new program record for 18-hole team score vs. par, shooting -17 to open the 2022 event. Arizona State wraps up the Fall and will have a three-month break before resuming play in the Spring. 

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 - Beth Coulter, Stanford Intercollegiate
T5th - Patience Rhodes, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T5th - Patience Rhodes, Mason Rudolph Championship
---> T6th - Isla McDonald-O'Brien, Nanea Invitational
T6th - Patience Rhodes, ANNIKA Intercollegiate
---> T9th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen, Nanea Invitational
T9th - Beth Coulter, ANNIKA Intercollegiate
T10th - Beth Coulter, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T10th - Paula Schulz-Hanssen, Windy City Collegiate Classic
---> T12th - Patience Rhodes, Nanea Invitational
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, Nanea Invitational
T18th - Grace Summerhays, Windy City Collegiate Classic
T18th - Isla McDonald-O'Brien, Stanford Intercollegiate
---> T20th - Beth Coulter, Nanea Invitational
17 total Top-20 finishes;  9 Top-10 finishes by Sun Devils this year

Best rounds in 2024-25
---> 67/-6 Isla McDonald-O'Brien (Nanea Invitational First Round/Oct. 28, 2024)
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)
68/-3 Beth Coulter (Stanford Intercollegiate First Round/Oct. 18, 2024)
69/-3 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Windy City Collegiate Classic Second Round/Sept. 30, 2024)
69/-2 Beth Coulter (Stanford Intercollegiate Second Round/Oct. 19, 2024)
---> 70/-3 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Nanea Invitational First Round/Oct. 28, 2024)
---> 70/-3 Patience Rhodes (Nanea Invitational Third Round/Oct. 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)
70/-1 Paula Schulz-Hanssen (Stanford Intercollegiate First Round/Oct. 18, 2024)
70/-1 Isla McDonald-O'Brien (Stanford Intercollegiate First Round/Oct. 18, 2024)
70/-1 Isla McDonald-O'Brien (Stanford Intercollegiate Second Round/Oct. 19, 2024)
70/-1 Beth Coulter (Stanford Intercollegiate Third Round/Oct. 20, 2024)
23 total rounds of 70 or lower

Birdies by Sun Devil (2024-25 Season totals)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen (61 birdies)
Isla McDonald-O'Brien (57 birdies)
Patience Rhodes (47 birdies; 1 eagle)
Beth Coulter (47 birdies)
Grace Summerhays (42 birdies; 4 eagles)
Total (254 birdies; 5 eagles)

Career appearances
Grace Summerhays, 38 (35 stroke; 3 match)
Beth Coulter, 29 (26 stroke; 3 match)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 29 (26 stroke; 3 match)
Patience Rhodes, 15 (13 stroke; 2 match)
Isla McDonald-O'Brien, 5 (5 stroke)
Total 111 (100 stroke; 11 match)

Career top-20 finishes 
Grace Summerhays, 16 (7 Top-10)
Paula Schulz-Hanssen, 14 (6 Top-10)
Beth Coulter, 12 (5 Top-10)
Patience Rhodes, 8 (4 Top-10)
Isla McDonald-O'Brien, 3 (1 Top-10)
Total 53 (23 Top-10)

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 standings for the Nanea Invitational 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.