Cathryn Brown has finished first and second in her last two tournaments. (UK Athletics Photo)
Kentucky junior Cathryn Brown had been waiting for her first collegiate victory and now the former Lyon County standout finally has it.
She won The Johnie Imes Invitational at The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia, Mo., when the third and final round was cancelled after a two-hour rain delay. However, Brown did not back into the win.
She was 2-under after nine holes Tuesday when play was halted and had a four-shot lead at the time. Brown came into the final round already 7-under par with a two-shot lead after 35 holes and she did not let up.
Brown had opened the tournament with a sizzling 8-under par 64 in round one followed by a 73 in the second round.
This was Kentucky’s second individual win of the season as sophomore Anastasia Hekkonen won the prestigious Folds of Honor Collegiate at American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Mich., earlier this season with rounds of 66-72-71 to finish 7-under par. It was UK’s first individual title since Jensen Castle won the Ruth’s Chris Invitational three years ago.
Brown finished in a second-place tie at the Folds of Honor Collegiate with rounds of 73-71-69 to finish 3-under par.
The last time UK had more than one individual championship in a single season was 2018-19, when Leonie Bettel won three events and Rikke Svejgård Nielsen won one. That also was the last time UK won back-to-back individual championships.
Kentucky turned in a 6-under in the first 18 holes and a 3-over on the second 18 and finished in second place 11 shots behind host Missouri.
The Wildcats won’t compete again for nearly a month as their next tournament will be at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational at Finley Golf Club in Chapel Hill, N.C., Oct. 17-19.
