SOUTH BEND — It is likely the numbers recorded this week by Indiana University women’s golfer Nika Burdova in the 97th Greater South Bend Women’s Metro Open golf championships will stand the test of time.
On Thursday, the 23-year-old Burdova, a native of the Czech Republic, shot a final round of three-under-par 67 in her second tour this week of Erskine Park and breezed to a three-day total of four-under 208 and a seven-stroke victory over recent Penn High School standout Delaney Wade.
Burdova’s performance — in her 54 holes, she made 13 birdies, had just seven bogeys and one double bogey — left every woman in her wake, including 24-time champion Lori Horan, who couldn’t recall ever approaching those numbers. And neither could four-time champion Carmen Piasecki, maybe the best female golfer South Bend has ever produced.
Tuesday: Burdova starts well and finishes same to grab Women’s Metro lead from Wade
Monday: Burdova and Wade share Women’s Metro lead at 69; Horan five strokes back
When reached for a comment, Piasecki kept using the word “impressive” to talk about Burdova, who needed just 96 putts to complete her three trips around South Bend’s two municipal courses — Erskine Park and Elbel Park. Burdova, who hit 16 greens in regulation Thursday, never lost a share of the lead after she gained it four holes into Monday’s round at Erskine.
Leading Wade by three strokes starting Thursday’s round, Burdova had her blinders on from the start, opening up a seven-shot lead after the first six holes and then seeing the lead grow to eight shots after the 13th hole.
“What keeps me going is playing against the course,” Burdova said. “I’m always trying to make birdie. If I’m looking around too much at what the others (players) are doing, I’m just putting more pressure on myself. I just try to concentrate on what I’m doing.”
She did that well all week, particularly on Thursday. Burdova birdied the first and third holes in an outgoing two-under 33 and then added a birdie at the 12th hole before making four pars. Her worst hole of the day was a bogey at the 130-yard 17th where she missed the green with her tee shot. But she ended the day with a birdie at the 18th hole which she double-bogeyed Monday in her opening round of one-under 69 that was matched by Wade.
The 18-year-old Wade, who earned all-state honors last fall for the Kingsmen and is headed to Wofford College in South Carolina at the end of August, was impressed.
“Nika is just incredible — she is so consistent,” Wade said after finishing with three birdies and four bogeys in her round of 71. “She was getting up-and-down so easily, making two putts, one putts. I know she’s planning to go pro — I hope for the best for her there.”
Burdova plans to try the LPGA Pre-Qualifying Stage in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in late August. Boyfriend Ray Calhoun, a former South Bend Adams baseball player and fellow I.U. graduate, will be her caddie there as he was for Monday and Tuesday’s rounds and the first seven holes Thursday before he walked off the course to go to work, leaving Burdova to carry her own clubs. She played those last 11 holes, by the way, in one-under.
“Hey, someone has to make some money,” joked Burdova, who would make a good sponsor exemption for the Four Winds Invitational, an Epson Tour event at South Bend Country Club Aug. 30 through Sept. 1.
Horan, who was 16 years old when she won her first Women’s Metro in 1979, closed with a four-over 74 to finish third at 18-over 230, six strokes ahead of Selah Unwin, who closed with an 80. Unwin finished a stroke ahead of Kathleen Cochrane (80-237) and two strokes ahead of Wade’s fellow Penn graduate Jill Daniels (80) and former New Prairie standout and Hope College sophomore Jaiden Winters (79).
In the two-day junior girls championship, Marian High School junior Celia Florkowski shot an 89 for a 185 total and a one-stroke victory over nine-year-old Paige Sweikar.
97th GREATER SOUTH BEND WOMEN’S METRO OPEN
Results after Thursday’s final round at the par-70, 4,653-yard Erskine Park Golf Course (par for three rounds of 212 includes Monday’s par-70 round at Erskine Park and Tuesday’s par-72 round at Elbel Park):
208 (-4): Nika Burdova 69-72-67.
215 (+3): Delaney Wade 69-75-71.
230 (+18): Lori Horan 74-82-74.
236 (+24): Selah Unwin 79-77-80.
237 (+25): Kathleen Cochrane 79-78-80.
238 (+26): Jill Daniels 79-79-80; Jaiden Winters 75-84-79.
247 (+35): Rachel Thompson 81-86-80.
264 (+52): Carolyn Niedbalski 84-93-87.
268 (+56): Tamara Finn 85-96-87.
276 (+64): Susan Sumrall 89-98-89.
285 (+73): Deb Coombs 97-97-91; Krystle Skelton 107-88-90; Tammy Beiter 102-94-89.
299 (+87): Debbi Stout 100-102-97.
312 (+100): Janet Freda 99-109-104.
Low net champion: Jill Daniels 205.
Low putts champion: Rachel Thompson 87.
Junior Division (36 holes)
185 (+43): Celia Florkowski 96-89.
186 (+44): Paige Sweikar 101-85.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Nika Burdova wins South Bend Metro Women’s golf championship, handily
