Northern Arizona University Shines at PING/ASU Invitational: A Look at the Team's 10th Place Finish

Phoenix, Ariz. — On March 30, 2025, the Northern Arizona women’s golf team finished the PING/ASU Invitational at Papago Golf Club. They recorded a team score of 302, bringing their three-round total to 887, placing them 10th overall.

Arizona State took the top spot, finishing 13 strokes ahead of second-place Northwestern with a final score of -36. Dianna Lee from Northwestern emerged as the individual champion with an impressive score of 206 (-10) over 54 holes.

Head coach Brad Bedortha expressed mixed feelings about the team’s performance. "We had a wonderful opportunity at the PING/ASU Invitational. Today’s performance wasn’t what we wanted, but we had some bright spots," he said. "This experience will help us grow. We are excited to prepare for the Big Sky Conference Championships in a couple of weeks!"

Among the Lumberjacks, Lizzie Neale stood out as the top individual finisher, ending the tournament with a score of +4 after today’s round of 76. Amy Hodgkins closely followed, placing 37th with a total score of +5 after a 74. Nina Lukyanenko finished at +6, tying for 28th, while Frankie Dezis shot a +10 total, tying for 55th. Ellena Slater rounded out the team with a +15, placing 65th.

Sumin Kang, competing as an individual, improved her position to end the tournament at +13 after scoring 73 today. As a team, the Lumberjacks recorded 29 birdies, ranking them 10th in that category, and they tied with Northwestern for the most pars, totaling 183.

Looking ahead, Northern Arizona will compete in the Big Sky Conference Championship from April 14-16 at the Wigwam Blue Course in Litchfield Park, Arizona.

This tournament was a learning experience for the young team. With their sights set on the upcoming championship, the Lumberjacks are eager to show their potential.

For detailed results, you can view the full tournament scores here.

NAU Results: