FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2023 (Paradise Island, Bahamas) – A freshman came of age for Kansas State on Saturday, as Julia Ballester Barrio registered the only sub-par round of the day, giving the Wildcats an insurmountable 13-stroke lead after 36 holes of the White Sands Bahamas NCAA Women’s Invitational at the Ocean Club Golf Course at Paradise Island, Bahamas. The 54-hole event concludes Sunday.
Ballester Barrio, of Spain, finished at 3 under par over the wind-swept 6,156-yard layout to claim the low round of the event so far. The winds, which were again steady at more than 20 miles per hour, with gusts reaching 30 miles per hour, has proved a tough defense for the seaside course, as it has yielded just five scores under par for the 64 golfers through two rounds. Ballester Barrio was three strokes better than the rest of the field Saturday. Becca Tschetter of Grand Canyon had the next best score, at even par.
“I don’t like playing in the wind, so I don’t know how I did it today,” said Ballester Barrio. “I made a lot of close putts today. The longest putt I made was from 15’. We are in a good position, but I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Every day is a new day.”
Haley Vargas, a senior from Lubbock, Tex., who was the leader after the first round, with a 70, and Alenka Navarro, a freshman from Mexico, gave Kansas State three of the four low totals after two rounds. Ballester Barrio is the individual leader after 36 holes, at even, while Navarro and Vargas are tied for second, at 2 over. Kansas State also counted Noa van Beek of the Netherlands, who was 3 over Saturday and is 7 over for the event.
“These are the most challenging conditions we have played in all semester,” said first-year head coach Stew Burke. “We played good again, but we just didn’t finish it off today.”
Kansas State is 11 over as a team, having increased its leading margin by six strokes in the second round. North Florida held steady in second place. The Ospreys stand at 24 over, one stroke ahead of Grand Canyon. Delaware is fourth in the team standings, followed by Santa Clara, Tulane, Eastern Kentucky, UNC-Charlotte, Troy, Tampa and Eastern Michigan.
This is the fourth year for the annual golf tournament, which also was played at the Ocean Club Golf Course in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Texas, Campbell and Lipscomb are the past women’s winners over this layout designed by past major champion Tom Weiskopf.
For more coverage of the 2023 White Sands Bahamas NCAA Invitational, follow @WhiteSandsBah on social media and use the following hashtags: #WhiteSandsBahamas and #WhiteSandsNCAA or visit WhiteSandsBahamas.com
TEAM SCORING
1 Kansas State 293 294 587 +11
2 North Florida 300 300 600 +24
3 Grand Canyon 302 299 601 +25
4 Delaware 309 309 618 +42
5 Santa Clara 308 312 620 +44
6 Tulane 308 314 622 +46
7 Eastern Kentucky 315 312 627 +51
8 Charlotte 319 312 631 +55
9 Troy 310 327 637 +61
10 Tampa, U. of 319 323 642 +66
11 Eastern Michigan 326 328 654 +78
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
1 Julia Ballester Barrio Kansas State 75 69 144 E
T2 Alenka Navarro Kansas State 72 74 146 +2
T2 Haley Vargas Kansas State 70 76 146 +2
4 Christina Carroll Delaware 70 77 147 +3
5 Casilda Allendesalazar North Florida 73 75 148 +4
T6 Leighton Shosted Grand Canyon 76 73 149 +5
T6 Becca Tschetter Grand Canyon 77 72 149 +5
T8 Christin Eisenbeiss North Florida 76 74 150 +6
T8 Ana Maria Jimenez Rios Tampa, U. of 74 76 150 +6
T10 Alisa Khokhlova Delaware 75 76 151 +7
T10 Constanza Guerrero Grand Canyon 72 79 151 +7
T10 Dili Sitanonth Eastern Kentucky 74 77 151 +7
T10 Noa van Beek Kansas State 76 75 151 +7
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ABOUT THE BAHAMAS
With over 700 islands and cays and 16 unique island destinations, The Bahamas lies just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, offering an easy fly-away escape that transports travelers away from their everyday. The Islands of The Bahamas have world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the earth’s most spectacular water and beaches waiting for families, couples and adventurers. Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram to see why “It’s Better in The Bahamas.”
ABOUT OCEAN CLUB GOLF COURSE
Atlantis Paradise Island’s Ocean Club Golf Course offers a challenging and beautiful course for golfers desiring championship play. Masterfully conceived, the Tom Weiskopf-designed 18-hole, par 72 championship course stretches over 7,100 yards on Atlantis’ peninsula. The course has hosted iconic sporting events such as the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI), the Michael Douglas & Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament and the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. For more information about Atlantis Paradise Island Resort and the Ocean Club please visit www.atlantisbahamas.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For White Sands Bahamas NCAA Invitational
Contact: Mike Harmon
[email protected]
BAHAMAS MINISTRY OF TOURISM, INVESTMENTS & AVIATION CONTACT:
Anita Johnson-Patty
[email protected]
ATLANTIS CONTACT:
Katie Longley
Atlantis Paradise Island
242-376-1034
[email protected]
