Rohnert Park, Calif. - On April 5th and 6th the Sonoma State women's golf team would finish out their spring season playing host in the 2021 Sonoma State Spring Invite. The tournament would take place at the Santa Rosa Country Club and consist of two rounds and 36 total holes.

Round 1: The Sonoma State women's golf program showed no signs of slowing down Monday morning as they would lead the field as a team after round 1 of the SSU Invite. The ladies finished with a team score of 292, giving them a five stroke lead behind Academy of Art. The Seawolves first round included a record breaking individual round as well as a captivating hole in one on the 17th tee.
 

Senior Lexi Nielsen would set a new program individual record as she finished the day with a 67 (-5)! Nielsen headed to the back nine even par with a couple of birdies and then really hit her stride during the last seven holes as she would score under par or better in five of her last seven holes. During that seven hole stretch Nielsen tallied four birdies and an eagle on the par 5 18th to close out her round. Nielsen's record breaking first round would help propel her to the individual tournament championship. This would be Nielsen's second career individual championship as she finished the SSU Invite 2-under par in two rounds of action, just one of two golfers to finish the tournament under par. "It's crazy to see someone who has come so far in such a short time in her career at SSU. To know she now holds the school record in single tournament competition speaks to her commitment to the team and herself" (Verhunce, HC).   

Samantha Cabunag was the Seawolves next lowest round as she came in at even par (72). Despite shooting +2 on the front nine, Cabunag would be nearly flawless on the backside as she finished -2 with two birdies. The real magic however, came on the 17th par 3 here Cabunag would record her first ever hole in one!! Cabunag's teammates all thought she had made a good shot but when the ball disappeared on the green they could only hope for the best. Cabunag and the rest of her team were ecstatic about the shot and at the time the hole in one gave the Seawolves a big boost on the leaderboard as they finished out round two. Cabunag would birdie 18 as well to give her a 72 on the day. "We talk about finishing strong all the time and that was definitely one of those moments to go birdie eagle birdie and help set the stage for the final round".  

Jasmine Monas, Brenna Ozel, and Natalie Brugler all would record a score of 80 or lower as well to help contribute to a +4 team finish. The Seawolves would head into the final round on Tuesday April 6th with yet another tournament lead as they looked for their third tournament championship in a row to close out the spring season. 

Round 2: Sonoma State would shoot +16 as a team after the final round but that would prove to be enough to hold off surging Menlo College and be crowned 2021 Sonoma State Spring Invite Champions! A pair of two over par rounds from freshman Brenna Ozel and senior Jasmine Monas would help propel SSU to the tournament championship on Tuesday April 6th.

More magic was in the air in the Seawolves second round as Ozel would see her approach shot on the third hole bounce twice on the green and trickle in for an eagle! HIGHLIGHT HERE.

Ozel would finish with four birdies on the day and shoot even par on the backside. Jasmine Monas stepped up big time for SSU with a solid round to conclude the tournament. Only three bogeys and a birdie on 16 would allow her to finish with a 74 (+2) on the day. Monas would also compete in her final tournament as a Seawolf with this acting as her senior season. Monas belonged to the Sonoma State women's golf program for four years dating back to the 2017-18 season and was a staple in the program. "Jasmine as a senior has certainly had her ups and downs during her career

here but the one thing that always stayed true was her commitment to her teammates and her program. We'll miss having her as part of her Seawolf family" (Verhunce, HC).   

The Seawolves would finish with a team score of 596 and win the team championship by three strokes over Menlo College. The tournament victory would be an astounding three in a row for the SSU women's golf team stemming back from March 8th-9th at the Nighthawks Invitational.

The Seawolves also had 4 additional individuals competing in their home tournament this week. Isley Grguric finished 16th overall in the tournament shooting 11 over par with a round low of 76 (+4) on the first day. Alyssa Hutchinson also jumped two spots after the final round finishing t-19th shooting +16 in her two rounds of competition. 

The Seawolves await their postseason fate in the coming weeks but look back on a stellar spring season with three tournament championships in just four appearances! "We're hoping for everything to come together and the committee sees us as an at large bid. What an amazing spring and an amazing year by a bunch of amazing women" (Verhunce, HC). Congratulations to the Sonoma State women's golf team on a terrific spring season and Go Seawolves!