Kansas wins team title at 2012 Rio Verde Invitational

Akron’s Kristen Hill take individual medalist honors

Kansas Jayhawks take team title.

In a battle down to the final holes of the 2012 Rio Verde Invitational, Kansas emerged with a three-stroke victory thanks to a record-sharing final round by Jayhawk senior Katy Nugent.

The Jayhawks fired a team score of 291 on the final day to come from behind and take the team title, winning the tournament with a team score of 900, tied for the highest winning score since the event went to three rounds eight years ago (Michigan, 2005).

Missouri State (903), which had the second lowest team score on Sunday (295) came just three strokes shy of forcing the first ever team playoff. Akron, which led the tournament through 36 holes, finished third (906) with Penn State (911) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (919) rounding out the top five.

One of the reasons for the Kansas surge was individual runner-up Nugent (7-over par, 220) whose final round 3-under 68 tied the mark for the lowest single round in tournament history. That accomplishment was not enough to overtake Akron senior Kristen Hill, who won individual medalist honors with a 54-hole score of 6-over 219, besting Nugent by a stroke.

The tournament’s 36-hole individual leader, Missouri State’s Kelsey Welber, finished third (221, +8), while Akron’s Katie Junior (223, +10) and 18-hole leader Ryann White of TAMU-CC tied for fourth.

This was the 10th edition of the Rio Verde Invitational, played at Rio Verde Country Club’s Quail Run course. The tournament was hosted once again by Western Michigan University, and featured 16 teams competing over 54-holes.  A favorite among many of the participating teams, the Rio Verde Invitational has a uniqueness that can’t be found at other collegiate golf tournaments. The Rio Verde community opens up their homes to the more than 125 players, coaches and staff and houses them for the week, creating a special bond between the community and the schools.

Rio Verde is one of Arizona’s premier active adult golf communities. Nestled in the heart of the high Sonoran Desert just a few miles outside the city of Scottsdale, Rio Verde features two traditional, parkland-style championship golf courses, which were recently redesigned by the Tom Lehman Design Group.

For more information on Rio Verde Country Club visit www.rioverdecc.com.