The Valparaiso University women’s golf team turned in a top-10 round in program history in Round 2 of the Butler Fall Invitational on Monday at Highland Golf and Country Club in Indianapolis, helping the Beacons finish a solid first day of action on the par-70, 6010-yard course.

How It Happened

• Junior Cailey Rooker (St. Joseph, Mich. / St. Joseph) and senior Payton Hodson (Middleton, Wis. / Middleton) tied for the team lead on Day 1 of the event, posting a 153 through two rounds. Both players improved their score in Round 2, as Rooker went from a 78 to a 75 while Hodson carded a 77 followed by a 76. Rooker and Hodson enter Tuesday tied for 36^th in the 14-team, 83-player event.
• Freshman Anna Fay (Ada, Mich. / Forest Hills) also posted a pair of sub-80 scores on Day 1 in Indianapolis, turning in a 76 in Round 1 and a 78 in Round 2 to finish the day at 154, tied for 44^th.
• As a team, Valpo produced a 311 in Round 1 before bettering its score to 308 in Round 2. Entering Tuesday’s third and final round, the Beacons sit at 619 (+59), ahead of Chicago State, Marian and Eastern Illinois on the team leaderboard. The host Bulldogs hold the team lead, while Austin Peay’s Erica Scutt is atop the individual leaderboard.

Inside the Rounds

• The 308 in Round 2 represented Valpo’s second-best round of the season, a stroke behind a 307 in Round 3 of the Redbird Invitational on Sept. 6.
• The Round 2 team score tied for the eighth-best single-round score in program history, marking the second time this season Valpo has put together a top-10 round.
• Rooker’s 75 in Round 2 was the third time a Valpo golfer went 75 or under this season.
• Fay’s 76 in Round 1 was the best 18-hole score of her young collegiate career.

Up Next

The final 18 holes of the event will take place on Tuesday in Indy. A link to live scoring via GolfStat is available on ValpoAthletics.com.