EUGENE, Ore. – Baylor’s Laura Lonardi is tied for 19th place after shooting 1-under-par 71 in Friday’s first round at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship. The senior from Verona, Italy, is competing as an individual in the tournament, which is being played at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore.
Lonardi began her round on the 10th tee on Friday afternoon. She made par on the 10th hole, then bogeyed No. 11 before stringing together four straight pars. A birdie on the 152-yard, par-3 16th hole got her back to even-par, but she bogeyed No. 18 to take the turn at 1-over-par.
Lonardi finished strong, making seven pars and two birdies over her final nine holes. She recorded a birdie on the 474-yard, par-5 seventh hole, and closed her round with another birdie on the 398-yard, par-4 ninth hole.
Saturday’s second round begins at 9:30 a.m. CT, and Lonardi will tee off from the first hole at 10:25 a.m. Following Sunday’s third round, the 24 teams and 12 individuals will be narrowed down to the top 15 teams and the top nine individuals whose teams weren’t in the top 15. Those 84 players will play a final round of stroke play on Monday to determine the NCAA Championship medalist. Lonardi is currently tied for eighth among players whose teams aren’t in the top 15 following the first round.
Lonardi is currently fifth among the 12 players competing only as individuals. She trails Purdue’s August Kim (-4), who is tied for the tournament lead, along with Wake Forest’s Jennifer Kupcho (-3), California’s Marianne Li (-2) and Louisville’s Olivia Cason (-2).
HIGHLIGHTS
- Lonardi is tied for 18th in the 132-player field in par-5 scoring average at 1-under 4.75.
- Lonardi is tied for 25th in par-4 scoring average at even-par 4.00.
- Lonardi is tied for 34th in par-3 scoring average at ever-par 3.00.
- Lonardi is tied for 16th in the field with 13 pars recorded.
- Lonardi was one of only 10 players in the field to make birdie on No. 9, a 398-yard, par-4 hole.
- Lonardi was one of 23 players to make birdie on the par-3, 152-yard 16th hole.
- Lonardi was one of 49 players to birdie the 474-yard, par-5 seventh hole.
STAT OF THE DAY
2-under – Laura Lonardi shot 2-under over her last nine holes, recording seven pars and two birdies to rebound from taking the turn at 1-over to finish the day at 1-under-par 71.
WHAT'S NEXT
Saturday’s second round begins at 9:30 a.m. CT. Lonardi is scheduled to tee off on the first hole at 10:25 a.m. in a pairing with Arizona State’s Linnea Strom and Michigan State’s Sarah Burnham. Live scoring is available at www.golfstat.com. Follow @BaylorWGolf on Twitter for updates throughout the year.
