Balanced Badgers place fourth at Big Ten Championships

Sunday, April 23

TPC River's Bend, Maineville, Ohio

All Day

Wisconsin Badgers

Big Ten Championship

Balanced Badgers place fourth at Big Ten Championships

April 23, 2017 | Women's Golf

Klongland ties for eighth to lead UW

MAINEVILLE, OHIO -- With four top-25 finishes, a balanced Wisconsin women's golf team powered its way to a fourth place finish at the 2017 Big Ten Championships to match its best conference finish since 2011.

Playing at TPC River's Bend, the Badgers (291-306-287=884) ended the tournament with their best round and recorded the second-best round of the day.

Leading the way for the Badgers was junior Becky Klongland, (72-73-74=219), who finished at 3-over to tie for eighth overall. The finish marked her best finish of the season and second-straight top-10 conference finish after tying for ninth in 2016.

Both senior Brooke Ferrell (71-77-76=224) and sophomore Jessica Reinecke (75-78-71=224) finished in a tie for 17th. Ferrell shaved one stroke off her second round total to collect her third top-20 finish in the Big Ten Championships of her career. With a season scoring average of 72.25, the Edgerton, Wisconsin, native is on pace to reset her own program record set last season at 73.25.

Reinecke saved her best round for last by firing a 1-under 71 to pick up her second-consecutive top-20 finish.

Sophomore Nat Zeng (73-86-69=228) recorded the Badgers' best round of the day with a 3-under 69 to match her career low and jump into a tie for 25th. The jump up the leaderboard marked the Bangkok, Thailand, native's fourth top-30 finish of the season.

At 13-over, junior Gabby Curtis (75-78-76=229) finished one stroke behind Zeng to end in a tie for 31st after shooting a 4-over 76 to close.

Senior Michelle Cheung (77-86-73=236) ended the tournament with her best round by firing a 1-over 73 to move into a tie for 49th place.

In team standings, Michigan State came from behind to take home the Big Ten title at 2-over par, while Northwestern (+4) took second and Ohio State (+13) claimed third. The Badgers finished eight strokes ahead of Michigan (+28) and 17 in front of Purdue (37).