Missouri State earned the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship, going wire-to-wire, shooting a tournament first day low of 315 on Sunday and following that up a 315 on Day 2 and a 313 on Tuesday, April 18, for a three-round 943 -- nine strokes ahead of co runners-up Belmont and Evansville.
The championship was played at the par-72, 6,176-yard layout at Annbriar Golf Course in Waterloo, Ill.
In one of the most exciting finishes in MVC women's golf championship history, Evansville freshman Kate Petrova won a 2-hole playoff to become the third individual in Purple Aces program history to win the conference championship. Tuesday’s final round saw Petrova card a 4-over 76 to finish with a 231. She finished in a 3-way tie with Kristen Giles (Drake) and Payton Carter (Murray State) atop the standings. The three took to the 18th hole at Annbriar Golf Course where each earned a par in the first playoff. They replayed the 18th hole where Petrova earned a birdie to clinch the championship.
The playoff for medalist honors marked just the third time the MVC Women’s Championship has had an individual playoff, with the last occurring in 2019. Drake's Giles was the 2022 MVC Championships medalist, just narrowly missing a repeat. Carter was MVC Golfer of the Year. She becomes a rare player that has won two-straight league honors, after she won the award in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2022. Carter was also named to the All-MVC Team.
Petrova becomes the third UE player to win the individual championship in seven seasons, joining Kayla Katterhenry (2017) and Sophia Rohleder (2021). Along with her victory, Petrova was crowned as the league Newcomer of the Year while earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
Evansville wrapped up the tournament in a tie for second place with Belmont. Both squads finished with 3-round scores of 952. This marks the second-best finish in Evansville history, finishing only behind the championship squad of 2021. Belmont, meanwhile, earned runner-up honors in its first year as an MVC member. UE has now earned three consecutive top five finishes in the conference championship. The Bruins had two golfers finish among the top-10 for just the fourth time in school history. Junior Delia Gibbs shot a final round 76 to finish in a tie for fourth place with two other golfers at 232.
Notably, it’s the fifth team title for Missouri State and its first since winning back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. The championship trophy carries an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals. Missouri State’s Kevin Kane has now earned MVC Coach of the Year seven times in his career, more than any MVC women’s golf coach in league history.
- Amber Henson of Drake had a hole in one on Hole 15 – she used a 7-iron on the 160-yard hole to record the second hole in one in her young career and the second on record at the MVC championship. It marks the first hole in one at the women’s golf championship since Emily Dixon of Indiana State had an ace in 2010.
ALL-CONFERENCE
Ryan Bender, Belmont
Payton Carter, Murray State
Abby Cavaiani, Missouri State
Delia Gibbs, Belmont
Kristen Giles, Drake
Kayla Pfitzner, Missouri State
Ali Schrock, Illinois State
Megan Tang, UIC
Dasa Urbankova, UIC
Avalon Woodward, Illinois State
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Payton Carter, Murray State
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Kate Petrova, Evansville
COACH OF THE YEAR: Kevin Kane, Missouri State
*ELITE 17 AWARD WINNER: Delia Gibbs, Belmont
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
Kate Petrova, Evansville (MEDALIST)
Delia Gibbs, Belmont
Abby Cavaiani, Missouri State
Grace Aromando, Bradley
Payton Carter, Murray State
Kristen Giles, Drake
*The MVC Elite 17 Award program recognizes the student-athlete who finishes in among the Top 18 and has the highest cumulative grade point average among those golfers. This year’s recipient is Belmont’s Delia Gibbs who has a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in environmental science.
MONDAY RECAP
Missouri State takes a seven-shot lead into Tuesday's (Apr. 18) final round. The Bears shot their second consecutive 315 on Monday for a 630 total. Even though the skies were sunny and temperatures were warmer, the wind continued to be a factor in round two for all the teams, gusting to over 25+ MPH at times.
MSU is chasing its fifth conference title and first since going back-to-back in 2017 and 2018. Pre-season favorite Belmont will be their closest pursuer to start the day, seven strokes back at 637, while Murray State lurks at 639 and Evansville at 640. Illinois State is fifth with 648, followed by Drake (651), UNI (652), Indiana State (653), Bradley (654), Southern Illinois (657), UIC (677) and Valparaiso (678).
Having won the Ohio Valley Conference individual title a year ago, Murray State's Payton Carter is in a spot to win the Missouri Valley Conference in 2023. Her eagle at the par-5 No. 5 hole marked the only eagle in the event and it vaulted her to a 2-under-par 34 on the front nine. She made a bogey at No. 10, but reeled off seven-straight pars to navigate Annbriar's tough finishing holes. Carter's score line of 79-72=151 puts her in first place heading into the final round.
Led by Kate Petrova's 3-over 75, Evansville rose three spots in the standings to fourth. Petrova jumped all the way to second place. Combined with her 80 in round one, Petrova has a 155.
The MVC had its first women's golf championship in 1983, which makes the 2023 staging of the event the 40th competition for The Valley's top prize. Illinois State is the defending team champion and Drake's Kristen Giles is defending her individual championship. Giles is among four golfers tied for third place -- five strokes behind Carter. Missouri State's Abby Cavaiani posted 77 on Monday after 79 in the first round and is tied for third along with teammate Kayla Pfitzner with 156 totals. Pfitzner has carded 77-79 in her first two rounds. Belmont junior Delia Gibbs shot a five-over par 77 to finish the day in a tie for third place, also.
Annbriar Golf Course opened in 1993 and was named the No. 3 course in the Prairie State in 2021. It has also hosted events on the Korn Ferry Tour from 2018-21. From 2012-17, Annbriar was named the No. 35 course in the USA by Golf Advisor.
SUNDAY RECAP
Missouri State led after 18 holes. Ryan Bender of Belmont leads the individual leaderboard as she carded a 75, two strokes better than six others tied for second with 77. Bender -- a Louisville, Ky., native -- had a round that included 13 pars, two birdies, 2 bogeys, and one triple bogey. Belmont junior Delia Gibbs shot a 79 to finish the day tied for ninth place, four shots back of Bender.
Meanwhile, the tournament-leading Bears opened the three-day, 54-hole tournament with a 315 team total as temperatures in the 40's with winds in the 20's sent scores soaring on the 12-team field. Individually, a pair of Bears are tied for second, two shots out of the lead, as senior Faith Belmear and junior Kayla Pfitzner each carded 77, two behind Bender.
UNI shot 320 to claim second place after the first round with pre-season favorite Belmont in third with 322. Southern Illinois is fourth at 323, while defending champ Illinois State and league newcomer Murray State are tied for fifth at 325. Evansville is seventh at 328, followed by Drake (329), Indiana State (330), Bradley (332), Valparaiso (342) and UIC (348).
Victoria Hualde led the Panthers with a 77 (+5) in the opening round, sitting in a six-way tie for second place after 18 holes. She bogeyed five holes on the day, but managed to settle for par on the remaining 13.
Valparaiso sophomore Anna Fay (Ada, Mich. / Forest Hills) is also in the mix for conference medalist honors through one round. Fay birdied a par-5 hole (Hole 5) and a pair of par 4s (Hole 1, Hole 12). Fay averaged a 4.20 on par-4 holes, tied for the best par-4 scoring average in the tournament.
Janie Samattiyadeekul and Secilia Ho are Southern Illlinois' individual leaders after round one, their 77 (+5) is tied for the second lowest score in the tournament field.