The Valparaiso University women’s golf team enjoyed its best round of the three-day Loyola Fall Invitational, turning in a team score of 318 to climb to seventh in the team standings on Tuesday. The final round of the event saw freshman Payton Hodson (Middleton, Wis. / Middleton) boast the best 18 holes of any Valpo player by turning in a 76.

How It Happened

• Hodson finished tied for 10^th overall with a 54-hole score of 236.
• Kayla Krueger (Spring Lake, Mich. / Spring Lake) carded a 78 in the third round, her third consecutive round under 80. She led the team with a tournament score of 235, placing ninth overall.
• Kylie Shoemake (Schererville, Ind. / Lake Central) also had her best round of the tournament, carding an 80 on Tuesday. She finished at 246, third on the team.
• Valpo finished at 963 as a team, three strokes in back of IUPUI for sixth and narrowly behind Lewis (957) and Creighton (955).
• Valpo edged Omaha by one stroke for seventh while also finishing in front of Green Bay (971), UIC (983), Chicago State (1008) and Cardinal Stritch (1069).

Inside the Round

• Krueger played well on Par 3 and Par 5 holes, averaging a 3.08 on Par 3s and a 4.92 (-1) on Par 5s.
• Hodson racked up six birdies in the event to lead the team, while Krueger paced the squad with 31 pars.
• After establishing a career low with an 80 in each of the first two rounds, Hodson set a new personal best with her 76. That score equals two of her teammates for the best 18-hole score by a Valpo player so far this season.

Thoughts from Head Coach Jill McCoy

“Kayla Krueger had another solid round today with a 78 and Payton had a break through round as a freshman. I’m very proud of our entire team for playing well and making upward movement in the standings.”

Up Next

The next time Valpo competes, it will do so on its home course as the MVC Fall Preview is set for Oct. 15-16 at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton.