Freshman Tadokoro helps KU finish strong at Palmetto
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KIWAH ISLAND, S.C. – Kansas freshman Sera Tadokoro shot one under in the final round at the Palmetto Intercollegiate Tuesday, leading the Jayhawks to a ninth-place finish. Tadokoro and Yi-Tsen Chou were the top finishers for Kansas, each carding a 10-over in the event and recording a 25th-place finish.
“Definitely not the finish we are capable of, our first round is where we gave most of our shots away unfortunately,” said head coach Erin O’Neil. “We did do a good job of adjusting and improving each round which is great to see but we were too far behind from the start.”
Tadokoro shot a bogie on No. 13, her fifth hole of the day but fired a birdie shot on No. 14 to leave her even on the back nine. Two birdies on No. 3 and 5 paired with a bogie on No. 6 left the freshman 1-under for the round.
“Sera has so much potential. Her long game is definitely her strength and she hits a lot of greens anytime she plays,” said O’Neil. “It really came down to putting for her and some mental distractions, otherwise she could have shot under par for the entire tournament. It’s exciting to have a freshman come in with her level of competitive spirit. I think it’s only a matter of time before we see her consistently at the top of the leaderboard.”
Sophomore Yi-Tsen Chou started the round strong with a birdie on No. 10, her third of the day. Chou then recorded a bogie on No. 12 but recovered with a birdie on No. 14. Back-to-back bogies on No. 15 and 16 left Chou 1-over on the back nine. Chou carded another bogie on No. 3 but fired back to back birdies on No. 5 and 6. Chou shot another bogie on her final hole, No. 7 to leave her 1-over in the final round.
“Yi-Tsen played much better after her opening round,” said O’Neil. “She finished strong and played her last four holes at 1-under which was great to see. I think she has learned a lot this fall about what she can improve upon in the offseason, especially in regard to her mental game and course management. Her work ethic is one of the best on the team and I believe we will continue to see steady improvement from her.”
Senior veteran Pitsinee Winyarat was slowed in the final round, shooting 5-over. Winyarat finished the tournament at 12-over and tied for 35th. Ariadna Fonseca Diaz also shot 5-over in round three, ending the event 14-over and tied for 42nd. Victoria Chandra shot 3-over in the round, ending the tournament 16-over and tied for 51st.
The Palmetto Intercollegiate brings Kansas’ fall season to a close.
“Our season was a little up and down honestly,” said O’Neil. “We had a tough first event but bounced back strong with a 1st and 2nd place prior to traveling to Kiwah Island. One of our strengths is that we don’t give up, which is extremely valuable for a team to have. We will use that strength as we move into the offseason and continue to fine tuning all parts of our golf games so that we are ready to make things happen this spring.”
The Jayhawks will begin their spring season February 18 at the Sugar Bowl Invitational.
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