Women's Golf to Host Bucknell Fall Invitational

Friday, September 11

Lewisburg, Pa.

All Day

Bucknell University

Bucknell Invitational

9/10/2026 11:25:00 AM | Women's Golf

Setting The Scene
What: 2026 Bucknell Fall Invitational
When: Friday-Sunday, Sep. 10-13
Where: Par-70 (5901 yards) Bucknell Golf Club
The Field: 14 teams (UAlbany, Bucknell, Columbia, Duquesne, Farleigh Dickinson, La Salle, Le Moyne, Mercyhurst, Mount St. Mary's, Manhattan, New Haven, St. Joseph's, Wagner, West Chester)

LIVE SCORING

The Bucknell women's golf team is back in action this weekend for its home tournament at the Bucknell Golf Course beginning on Friday and running through Sunday. It will be a quick turnaround for the Bison after playing in the Nittany Lion Invitational on Monday and Tuesday.

Fourteen teams including Bucknell will compete this weekend in Lewisburg. All 11 golfers for the Bison are set to play in the 54-hole tournament.

Bucknell A Team: Mattea Issa, Joelle Johnson, Sophia Bardunias, Nicole Yun, Rayne Ripperger
Bucknell B Team: Darcy Wright, Katherine Vice, Mannat Virk, Caroline Zeiger, Lila Smith
Individual: Katrina von Behren

The Bison are coming into the weekend with plenty of momentum after taking eighth out of 18 teams at the Nittany Lion Invitational. Bucknell rewrote the records books in just the first competition of 2026-27, setting 18-, 36- and 54-hole team records. Freshman Mattea Issa, in her collegiate debut, broke Bucknell's single-round record with a 67 (-5) in her final round while becoming the first Bison in program history to finish a tournament under par.

Last Time Out at the Nittany Lion Invitational

Freshman Mattea Issa carded a school-record 67 (-5) to lead the Bison women's golf team to a 54-hole record and an eighth-place finish at the Nittany Lion Invitational on Tuesday. Issa finished her first collegiate tournament tied for ninth at four-under par.
The Bison set an 18-hole record (287) and a 36-hole record (574). Not only did the Bison fire a record-breaking 287 in the second round, they followed with another 287 in the final round. Altogether, the Bison bested their 54-hole record by 11 strokes with an 873.
Issa's 67 is the lowest score in program history, and her 5-under-par mark is the best score in relation to par in program history.
Bucknell finished the tournament at nine-over par, but stiff competition saw six teams finish even-par or better.
Bucknell's round marked the first time multiple golfers finished a single round under-par. Johnson, Bardunias and Issa all went under par in the second round. Issa and Yun went under par in the final round.
Issa carded a 74-71-67 in her three rounds while making 15 birdies. After making five birdies in round two, the Kingston, Jamaica native followed with seven birdies in round three. She made five birdies on the front to fire a five-under 31 on the front nine holes.
Joelle Johnson finished tied for 29th place with a 75-70-73 to finish 1-over-par. Johnson made three birdies on the day as she carded a 1-over-par 73. Johnson fired her best round for the Bison in round two with a 2-under-par 70.
Bardunias tied for 43rd after carding 74-71-76 in her three rounds. The junior was four-over in her final round to finish 5-over-par.
Yun went under-par for the first time in her career with a 1-under-par 71 in her final round. The senior carded a pair of 76s before her final round to jump up 11 places on the leaderboard. Yun played a very clean round with two birdies and just one bogey.

About the Bison

Bucknell picked up right where they left off last spring, breaking all records at the 2026 Nittany Lion Invitational.
The Bison won the 2025 Bucknell Invitational by 33 strokes, and the team broke 36- and 54-hole records at the time.
Bucknell won three more tournaments over the course of the 2025-26 season: Battle at the Creek, Red Flash Invitational and the NKU Spring Fling.
Bucknell took second at the Patriot League Championships for the program's best finish since winning back in 2014. Navy took home the championship in 2026 on their home course.
The Bison will host the 2027 Patriot League Championships at the Bucknell Golf Course.
Head Coach Laura Tyler-Cook was named the 2026 Patriot League Coach of the Year. Joelle Johnson was named the 2026 Rookie of the Year. Sophia Bardunias, Paige Richter and Nicole Yun were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team. Bardunias was a First Team All-Patriot League selection, and Yun, Richter and Johnson were all Second Team All-Patriot League selections. The Bison took home 10 Patriot League Golfer of the Week awards.

2026-27 Records and Feats

18-Hole Record – 287 (achieved twice)
36-Hole Record – 574 (bested previous record by 16 strokes)
54-Hole Record – 873 (bested previous record by 12 strokes)
Achieved multiple golfers under par in a single round for the first time in program history
Single Round Record – Mattea Issa: 67
Lowest Round in Relation to Par – Mattea Issa: 5-under-par
Mattea Issa: First Bison to finish a tournament under par