photo by: Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics

KU's Johanna Ebner smiles as she walks to her ball during the two-day Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational at Lawrence Country Club in Lawrence this week.

The Kansas women’s golf team finished fourth in the team standings at the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational on Tuesday.

The Jayhawks hosted the two-day, three-round event, which featured 15 schools from around the country playing two rounds at Lawrence Country Club.

Because of cold temperatures and travel arrangements, the final round was trimmed to nine holes, and Kansas shot the best nine-hole score of any team in attendance, firing a 148, two shots ahead of the next best finishers in Round 3.

“It was a great finish at four-over par and a total team effort,” Kansas coach Lindsay Kuhle said of KU’s low round on Tues-day. “It was a great opportunity for our ladies to compete in this field and under these conditions and they all got a lot bet-ter the last couple days.”

Kent State (741, +21) won the event by eight strokes over Sam Houston State (749, +29).

Led by Johanna Ebner’s fifth-place finish, — 185, three shots back of the individual champion, Mayka Hoogeboom of Kent State — the Jayhawks shot a team score of 761 to finish 41 strokes over par and three strokes behind Arizona for fourth place. Jordan Rothman was KU’s next-highest finisher at 190 in a tie for 15th place. Anna Wallin shot a 194 to finish tied for 23rd and Pear Pooratanaopa shot a 196 to finish tied for 33rd.

Kansas played its entire 11-member squad in the event, with five players representing the team and six playing as individu-als. Next up, Kansas will close out its fall season at the Battle at the Beach Oct. 28-30 at Club Campestre San Jose in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

In men’s golf action, the Jayhawks are competing at the Big 12 Match Play Championship at Houston Oaks.

KU, seeded seventh, opened the event by falling to second-seeded Oklahoma, 5-0-1, on Monday. The Jayhawks then fell to No. 3 seed Oklahoma State, 5-0-1, on Monday afternoon before knocking off No. 6 seed Baylor by winning three matches, losing one and tying two on Tuesday afternoon. The Jayhawks swept 10th-seeded West Virginia on Tuesday morning by winning all six matches.

KU’s Sion Audrain, Cecil Belisle and Gunnar Broin all won both of their matches on Tuesday.

Kansas will have Wednesday morning off and will finish the event with their final match that afternoon.