Gooneratne Wins Second-Straight Individual Title at Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational

Tuesday, October 6

Lawrence, Kan.

9 AM

University of Delaware

Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational

Gooneratne Wins Second-Straight Individual Title at Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational

10/6/2026 5:16:00 PM | Women's Golf

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Women's golf sophomore Rhianna Gooneratne won her second-consecutive individual title, winning the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational, hosted by Kansas, with a 54-hole score of 2-under par. She led the Fightin' Blue Hens to a runner-up finish as Delaware finished second in the 14-team field with a three-round score of 27-over par. The tournament was played at the par-71, 6,169-yard Lawrence Country Club.

HENS HIGHLIGHTS

2. Delaware – 294-289-298=881 (+29)
1. Rhianna Gooneratne – 70-71-70=211 (-2)
T14. Hyunji Kim – 75-71-79=225 (+12)
T16. Anushka Sawant – 75-71-80=226 (+13)
T24. Mary Grace Dunigan – 80-76-72=228 (+15)
T30. Marissa Malosh – 74-79-77=230 (+17)
T16. Kayley Roberts (Ind.) – 73-78-75=226 (+13)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Delaware's six players finished with 32 total birdies, including 14 in Monday's first round.
Gooneratne opened with a 1-under par 70 and carded an even-par 71 to sit in second place after 36 holes. The sophomore jumped to first with another 1-under par 70 on Tuesday. She had three birdies in each of her rounds to finish with nine for the tournament.
Kim used an even-par 71 in Monday's second round to climb the individual standings and finish just outside the top 10.
Sawant carded six birdies over her first two rounds.
Playing as an individual, Roberts finished with five birdies for the tournament, shooting up the standings on Tuesday for her best-career finish.
Dunigan carded a 1-over par 72 on Tuesday to jump 23 spots in the individual standings.
Malosh finished with five birdies.

OF NOTE

Gooneratne's three-round score of 211 is tied for the sixth-best 54 hole score in program history.
She becomes the first Blue Hen to win individual titles in back-to-back tournaments.
Gooneratne is the third Blue Hen to win two tournaments in the same season, joining Alisa Khokhlova (2024-25) and Andi Slane (2015-16).

UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will wrap up the fall portion of its schedule when they host the Lady Blue Hen Invitational, October 24-25. The two-day, three-round tournament will be held at Rehoboth Country Club in Rehoboth Beach. Delaware will to defend its title after winning each of the past two years.

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