Burnham Sets Big Ten Record with 63, Leads by 4; Peronnin Is T2

MAINEVILLE, Ohio -- Michigan State's Sarah Burnham birdied 10 holes in a 12-hole stretch on Saturday at TPC Riverbend in the Big Ten Championships and shot a tournament-record 9-under-par 63 -- with a double bogey! As a result, the junior from Wayzata has a 36-hole total of 136 and is the individual leader by four strokes going into Sunday's final round.

The two-time MGA Women's Player of the Year parred the first two holes, then birdied six in a row on the way to a front nine 30. Having taken a breather with a par at No. 9, she birdied the 10th and 11th, her eighth and ninth birdies in a 10-hole stretch. She parred the 12th and made yet another two birdies at the 13th and 14th holes. The only blemish on her card was a double bogey at the 15th, a 378-yard, par-4. So much for any thoughts of 59. She got back on track with pars at the 16th and 17th and made her 11th birdie of the day at the 477-yard, par-5 18th.

“Watching one of your players be 10-under at one point – you can’t describe how special it was,” Spartans head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said of Burnham. “Sarah is an incredible player and person. The joy you get from watching someone perform like that is tremendous and we are so happy for her. I think I was more nervous on the back nine than she was. Her putter was hot and she felt great about it all day."

Minnesota's Emie Peronnin, a senior from Frejus, France, and Elodie Van Dievoet of Michigan are tied for second at 140. Peronnin made three birdies and one bogey on Saturday as she posted her second straight 70, which matched the second-best score of the day. Van Dievoet, who was the first-round leader with a 69, followed it with a 71. 

Jaclyn Lee of Ohio State was another of the five players who shot 70 on Day 2. She is alone in third at 142. 

The 63 by Burnham broke the old tournament record by two strokes. While she was at it, she also broke her Michigan State school record by three. (She shot 66 twice.)

Her efforts helped the Spartans to move up three places, from fifth to second. Northwestern leads the team competition with a cumulative 573 (3 under). Michigan State is eight behind at 581, nine ahead of third-place Ohio State. Minnesota improved on its first-say total by 13 strokes with a 298 and moved up one place, to eighth, with an overall 609.  

On Wednesday, Burnham was named the Big Ten Golfer of the Week in recognition of her second-place finish at last week's Lady Buckeye Invitational. Burnham shot 72-73-73--218 there and led Michigan State to it first victory over the 2016-17 season.   


WOMEN'S COLLEGE GOLF

Big Ten Championships

At TPC River Bend

Par 72, 6,357 yards

Maineville, Ohio

Second-round results 

1. Northwestern        288-285--573

2. Michigan State     298-283--581

3. Ohio State           296-294--590

4. Wisconsin            291-306--597

5. Michigan              295-304--599

6. Purdue                 299-303--602

7. Illiniois                 304-303--607

8. Minnesota            311-298--609

9. Penn State          306-309--615

10. Maryland           313-304--617

11. Iowa                  312-311--623

12. Indiana             318-308--626

13. Nebraska         311-319--630

14. Rutgers            316-316--632

Individuals

1. Sarah Burnham, Mich. State     73-63--136

T2. Emie Peronnin, Minnesota      70-70--140

T2. Elodie Van Dievoet, Michigan    69-71--140

4. Jaclyn Lee, Ohio State                 72-70--142

5. Janet Mao, Northwestern             73-70--143

T18. Sabrine Garrison, Minnesota  77-74--151

T51. Kate Smith Nebraska             74-84--158

T59. Heather Ciskowski, Minn.      81-79--160

T75. Niamh Ward, Minnesota         83-81--164

DQ Muyu Wu, Minnesota                DQ-75