Not only did Kansas golfer Jordan Rothman post the best single round of her career Sunday, when she carded a 6-under 66, it was enough for her to surge into the lead at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate in Denver and win an event for the first time as a Jayhawk.
Rothman, a junior from Cape Town, South Africa, entered the event with a stroke average of 71.17. She outdid herself in each of the three rounds, shooting a 69 and a 70 to put herself in a tie for sixth place after two days, then surging into the lead late with the 66. The result was the best 54-hole score in program history, an 11-under 205 that was one stroke better than Lauren Heinlein’s showing at the Lone Star Invitational in April 2021.
While KU as a team slipped from third to fourth place on the final day, finishing behind Cal, Denver and Vanderbilt in the 14-team field, Rothman climbed the leaderboard and ended up one stroke ahead of runner-up Anna Zanusso of Denver and another ahead of Morgan Miller of Colorado.
“I am so incredibly proud of Jordan and her performance this week,” KU coach Lindsay Kuhle said in a press release. “She earned this win, and I am so proud of her play. She is a wonderful leader and will accomplish some big things this year.”
Rothman was consistent throughout Sunday’s round, birdieing thrice on the front nine and four times on the back nine, offset by a 15th-hole bogey that could have put her victory in jeopardy. But her eventual win became the first since Sera Tadokoro won the Louisville Cardinal Cup in 2020 and the program’s second since 2016.
It was the latest milestone for the Jayhawks, who under the third-year coach Kuhle already put together the best team round in school history with a 14-under 274 at the Dick McGuire Invitational last month. Sunday’s showing from Rothman helped lead the way for another team record, this time the 54-hole record (a 14-under 850).
“The team was fantastic and it’s awesome to break another record this fall,” Kuhle said. “All six players pushed each other to play their best and helped the team this week. We are continuing to gain momentum with our team and it’s a great time to be a Jayhawk.”
Fellow junior Lauren Clark reached the top 10 for the first time in her career with a 5-under 211. Lyla Louderbaugh, Lily Hirst and Hanna Hawks also contributed to KU’s team score, while Johanna Ebner competed as an individual.
The final event of the Jayhawks’ fall schedule begins next Sunday in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Jordan Rothman practices at Lawrence Country Club in Lawrence on May 4, 2023.
Kansas Athletics
Emma Pravecek/Kansas Athletics