Chen Named Big 12 Women’s Golfer of the Week
Feb 05, 2026 | Women's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Coming off her first-career collegiate victory in the Puerto Rico Classic, Kansas State sophomore Kelsey Chen has been named the Big 12 Women's Golfer of the Week, the conference office announced Thursday.
Chen is the first Wildcat to earn an in-season accolade from the Big 12 since Carla Bernat was the Big 12 Women's Golfer of the Month for March in 2024. The conference had only honored golfers on a monthly basis in previous years but voted this spring to begin handing out awards every week.
A native of Dalian, China, Chen erased a six-shot deficit entering the final round to tie for first place at 10-under par 206, which tied for the sixth-best 54-hole score in program history. She notched the Wildcats' 28th individual championship in program history and the ninth during head coach Stew Burke's tenure, which began in 2023-24. It was Chen's second-straight finish in the top five as she ended the fall in third place at the Powercat Invitational.
During her performance in Puerto Rico, Chen defeated 15 players in the top 100 of the National Collegiate Golf Rankings, including the top-ranked player.
Helping the Wildcats earn a sixth-place showing out of 18 teams in the Puerto Rico Classic, Chen improved her previous career-best 54-hole score by three shots thanks to shooting under par in all three rounds, bookending the tournament with scores of 4-under par 68 in the first and third rounds to tie a career best. She now has four rounds in the 60s over 17 total rounds this season after only one in her 33 rounds as a freshman at Georgia Southern last season.
Chen and the Wildcats are back in action February 22-23, when K-State competes in the Westbrook Invitational held at Westbrook Village GC in Peoria, Arizona.
Chen is the first Wildcat to earn an in-season accolade from the Big 12 since Carla Bernat was the Big 12 Women's Golfer of the Month for March in 2024. The conference had only honored golfers on a monthly basis in previous years but voted this spring to begin handing out awards every week.
A native of Dalian, China, Chen erased a six-shot deficit entering the final round to tie for first place at 10-under par 206, which tied for the sixth-best 54-hole score in program history. She notched the Wildcats' 28th individual championship in program history and the ninth during head coach Stew Burke's tenure, which began in 2023-24. It was Chen's second-straight finish in the top five as she ended the fall in third place at the Powercat Invitational.
During her performance in Puerto Rico, Chen defeated 15 players in the top 100 of the National Collegiate Golf Rankings, including the top-ranked player.
Helping the Wildcats earn a sixth-place showing out of 18 teams in the Puerto Rico Classic, Chen improved her previous career-best 54-hole score by three shots thanks to shooting under par in all three rounds, bookending the tournament with scores of 4-under par 68 in the first and third rounds to tie a career best. She now has four rounds in the 60s over 17 total rounds this season after only one in her 33 rounds as a freshman at Georgia Southern last season.
Chen and the Wildcats are back in action February 22-23, when K-State competes in the Westbrook Invitational held at Westbrook Village GC in Peoria, Arizona.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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