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Anna Zanusso hit 18 greens and took only 25 putts in an NCAA record-tying 61 at the Westbrook Invitational. It was the Denver freshman’s second round of the day. She would’ve kept on rolling into the night in Peoria, Arizona, if they’d let her.
“I feel really good right now,” said Zanusso. “After 36 holes I’m not tired. I would like to play other holes.”
Zanusso became the fifth player in NCAA Division I history to card a 61. Julia Johnson of Ole Miss was the most recent player to join the club last November at the Battle of the Beach. Maria Stackhouse, who currently competes on the LPGA, became the first at her home course at Stanford in 2013.
Zanusso’s 14-under 130 total gives her a one-stroke lead over Nebraska’s Kate Smith, who shot 65-66. Oklahoma leads the team event at 25-under 551.
Zanusso teed off at 8:30 a.m. local time and finished play just before 6 p.m. She started Round 2 with a par on the sixth hole at Westbrook Village Golf Club. She made four birdies in a row on Nos. 8-11. Then put together another string of birdies on Nos. 13-15. The Italian native knew that 64 was the program record at Denver, but she didn’t realize that her putt for 61 tied a national record. She carded 11 birdies on the day.
“All of the birdies were within 15 feet,” said Denver head coach Lindsay Kuhle. “There were no bombs. She was just incredible with her ball-striking today.”
Kuhle said that after Zanusso found out that she was in the field for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, she might have pressed too much in all of the excitement. She’s just now getting back to herself, and after a talk with her mental coach, slowed things down a bit to get back into her routine.
“I was really confident with my game,” said Zanusso. “In particular my putter. I was sure that I could have made every single putt, and actually I did.”
NCAA low 18-hole record
61 – Anna Zanusso, Denver (Westbrook Invitational, Round 2, Par 72, Feb. 23, 2020)
61 – Julia Johnson, Ole Miss (Battle at the Beach, Round 3, Par 72, Nov. 3, 2019)
61 – Bianca Pagdanganan, Gonzaga (Pizza Hut Thunderbird Invitational, Round 2, Par 72, March 17, 2017)
61 – Esther Lee, Colorado (Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, Round 1, Par 72, Sept. 12, 2016)
61 – Mariah Stackhouse, Stanford (Peg Barnard Invitational, Round 2, Par 71, Feb. 17, 2013)